Tofino

Tofino is a quaint little fishing village at the tip of the Esowista Peninsula near the entrance to the Clayoquot Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island. It is a small, sea-side town of about 1,400 residents and a popular tourist destination in the summer, with its population swelling to over 22,000.

The village of Tofino lies within the traditional territory of the Tla-o-qui-aht, the Nuu-chah-nulth tribe after whom Clayoquot Sound is named. The principal Tla-o-qui-aht village of Opitsaht greeted the first European explorers hundreds of years ago and has been occupied for thousands of years before that. It lies just across the harbour from Tofino and is home to approximately 150 Tla-o-qui-aht today.

At Tofino's doorstep lies the Clayoquot Sound region, a world UNESCO biosphere reserve. This area holds one of British Columbia's most prized nature reserves, Pacific Rim National Park. Clayoquot Sound includes extensive ancient coastal temperate rain forests, rivers, lakes, marine eco-systems and beaches. Tofino offers the best way to experience BC's pristine wilderness first hand. It attracts surfers, nature lovers, campers, whale watchers, and anyone just looking to be close to nature.