Tofino, BC Canada: Beach Paradise on Canada's "Big Island"
British Columbia, on the west coast of Canada is quickly
becoming one of the fastest growing tourism hotspots in North
America. The reason, like so many other tourism Meccas, is
landscape. In BC you will find high desert, mountains, long
sandy beaches, lush rainforest, vast glaciers and everything
in-between. You've likely heard of British Columbia, but
there's a good chance that you haven't heard about the
province's fastest growing tourism destination: Tofino BC. Located on the
west coast of "Canada's Big Island", Tofino is home to long
sandy beaches, world-class hotels, restaurants, and some pretty
good surfing too.
Tofino gained fame in the early 90's when logging in the
region's old-growth forests turned many of the locals into
action-taking environmentalists. The logging continued and the
locals grew more and more upset, and before anyone knew what
happened, the Clayoquot Sound Blockade was the largest
non-violent act of civil disobedience in Canadian history.
All of this media attention brought visitors to Tofino - lots of
visitors. Today more than 1 million tourists pass through Tofino
in a year. All of these people are crammed into a town with a
year-round population of about 1700.
These people are all coming to Tofino to experience the region's
breathtaking scenery and the long, sandy beaches. Tofino's
visitors are usually the type of traveler that takes advantage
of the amazing natural resources that abound in the Clayoquot
Sound region. Sea kayaking is very popular, as is surfing,
walking the long sandy beaches, and fishing for the huge salmon
that abound in the near-shore waters.
Of all the places in BC to become a tourism Mecca, Tofino has to
be one of the most unlikely. Situated at the end of a remote
peninsula, it's almost comical that some many folks flock here
on a yearly basis. But once you've arrived in Tofino and
experienced the landscape, oceanscape and the relaxed coastal
way of life, you'll probably be planning your next trip back
before you leave.