Canada · British Columbia · Pacific Ocean

Best Beaches in Tofino

Your guide to the finest beaches in Tofino — world-renowned surf, pristine Pacific sands, and ancient rainforest meeting the wild ocean on Vancouver Island's west coast.

Exploring Tofino

Tofino is a small, surf-obsessed town perched on the western tip of Vancouver Island, surrounded by ancient cedar rainforest and the wild Pacific Ocean. Chesterman Beach, the town's most celebrated strand, is a wide crescent of firm golden sand divided by a rocky outcrop into north and south sections. The beach is legendary among Canadian surfers for its consistent, forgiving swells — equally welcoming for first-timers in wetsuits and experienced riders. At low tide, you can walk out to Frank Island across a natural sandbar. Beyond the surf, Tofino offers bear-watching tours, hot springs accessible only by boat, and some of British Columbia's finest farm-to-table dining. Storm season, from November through February, draws visitors who come to watch massive Pacific swells crash against the shore from the comfort of beachside lodges.