Blog The Tofino Guide

Tofino: The ultimate West Coast getaway

"The half-hour boat ride to reach the sauna is also an opportunity to look for wildlife in this UNESCO Clayoquot Sound Biospher...

WESTCOAST TRIPLE PLANK in Tofino

We are absolutely stoked to sponsor the Westcoast Triple Plank again this year, taking place in Tofino, Ucluelet, and Mount Was...

Rip Curl CANAM Surfing Championships in Tofino

Surfs up at Cox Bay, Tofino April 14th- 16th. Spectators and hype squads are welcome to cheer on the 2023 RIP CURL CANAM Surfin...

Tofino’s Sea of Lights

Tofino twinkles during the annual Sea of Lights celebration, taking place at our marina on Saturday December 3rd.  Guests an...

The Boozy Sounds of Summer Playlist / Menu

We love music. We love cocktails. We love adventure. In the tradition of pairing up sweet tunes with sweet, boozy tastes, we in...

The Definitive Tofino Pizza Decision; Who’s got the best pizza in Tofino?

Depends on who you ask…and where your preference for pies lies. Let’s slice it up. Pizza is the food of gods and mortals ali...

The Call of Water

How the lure of fishing goes beyond the catch of the day For as long as humankind has created tools, it has gone to the sea fo...

To breathe is to be human. To dive is to be divine.

A Short Introduction to Freediving When I tell people I dive, they automatically assume I mean scuba diving, the method invent...

Small Fish Making Big Big Love in Tofino

Did you know some of the richest spawning grounds for Pacific herring between California and Alaska fall smack dab in our water...

Good People: Tofino Salmon Enhancement Society

Doug Palfrey is The Man. A one-man force of nature, this long-time Tofitian has been operating a salmon hatchery for decades, a...

How to get to Tofino 101

Tofino is closer than you think but just away enough that you’ll feel far from regular life. Located on the west coast of Vanco...

One Big Sweaty Package: The (Stunning) West Coast Floating Sauna

All kidding aside, this floating sauna trip might be our most exciting adventure package yet. Have you seen our new floating...

The Tofino Resort Holiday Gift Guide

Not sure what to get them? How about the gift of adventure? We put together a quick guide to buying last minute gifts for the w...

The Wild Inside: Why do we love storm watching so much?

In many people’s minds, the word “vacation” carries with it an internal gallery of visuals: sunsets, palm trees, azure water, w...

Of Cookies and Cioppino: Two Beauty 1909 Kitchen recipes featured in Island Eats

When Vancouver Island author Dawn Postnikoff decided to create a cookbook highlighting the best of Van Isle’s foodie culture, s...

Here’s What We Are Drinking This Autumn

Tofino Brewing Co. Kelp Stout ABV: 6.0% Style: stout Colour: black Body: full, rich Finish: smooth, salted chocolate...

A True West Coast Pup: The Salish Wooly Dog

This might be a controversial thing to say, but we believe Tofino was made for dogs. Beaches, forests, water and wide-open spac...

The Wolves of the West Coast

Beautiful and wild. Let’s try and keep them that way. Often feared and always elusive, the wolf has been vilified since hum...

All the Things We Missed Part II

Well, there you have it. The long slow, receding days of Spring have aligned with COVID-19’s death rattle. With what appears to...

Killer Plant, Man; Celebrating Earth Day with the tiny monster in our own backyard

In the bogs and meadows of the Clayoquot Sound, among towering trees populated by bears, cougars and eagles, a far less imposin...

An Ode to Outdoor Dining in Tofino

Boozy brunches and Sunday Funday drinking sessions. Long lingering patio dinners with loved ones. A picnic on a windless beach....

1909 Kitchen at Tofino Resort + Marina Announces Tofino Eats Spring Series 

Executive Chef Terry Somerville will be collaborating with talented west coast chefs in four multi-course feasts  Tofino-bas...

My First Time: An Interview with Chef Kristian Eligh

This spring at 1909 Kitchen is going to become Utopia for foodies (again), as we resurrect the famously popular Tofino Eats Che...

The Ucluelet Files: Wild Pacific Trail

For those in the know, the west coast means more than merely Tofino. Our neighbours in the rugged hamlet of Ucluelet have long ...

Sense of Adventure; How Will We Find Renewal in 2021?

When the Storm Breaks. When the Bubble Pops. With the passing of 2020, we stand on the edge of a new awakening. No, not in som...

1909 Kitchen Festive Faves

Yule Log Recipe The Bûche de Noël cake, otherwise known as the Christmas Yule Log,  is a French Christmas tradition that dates...

A Holiday Poem For Tofino

LISTEN TO THE HOLIDAY POEM HERE:  Tuff City Radio · Tofino Resort And Marina Christmas Special Dec 22 2020 T’was the nigh...

On the Idea of Wilderness

A conversation with Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks Allies' Saya Masso Tofino Resort + Marina is a proud ally in the Tla-o-qui-aht ...

My First Time: Dion Olin

Welcome to the second in a series covering first time experiences in our town. Dion Olin is the mother of Tofino Resort + Marin...

Lighting Up the Holiday Road to Santa’s Mailbox in Tofino

Drop off your letters to Santa in the Tofino Resort + Marina courtyard right up until Christmas Eve. His elves have told us San...

My First Time

You hear it a lot these days: “Tofino used to be different.” It was, kind of. And I was there, kind of. The year was 1994 and m...

November Music at The Hatch Waterfront Pub

In response to COVID-19 protocols, our venues at Tofino Resort + Marina will be operating at a lower capacity, social...

West Coast and Chill: The most laidback ways to experience Tofino

If you’re like the rest of British Columbia, the coast has been calling. As we transition into the shoulder season, true Tofino...

Swell People: Surf Filmmaker Nate Laverty

Tofino's resident surf auteur Nate Laverty gets together with Tofino Resort + Marina ambassador Sanoa Olin to shares stories ab...

Giv’er on the Liver: Why Orcas are More Badass than Sharks

Swim aside Shark Week fans, orcas are better looking, smarter and more charismatic than the prehistoric sharks you celebrate so...

From Chinook to Tuna: The Tofino Resort + Marina Fishing Guide

From the many crystal-clear rivers of Clayoquot Sound to the deep, dark blue of the offshore Pacific Ocean, Tofino’s reputation...

Tofino History Lesson; The NorVan Ferry on Strawberry Island

The infamous NorVan ferry of Strawberry Island has faithfully served the coast for over a century. Now she’s helping save the S...

Essentials for a Summer Day; A Tofino Gift Guide

During the long, lazy days of summer, even a busier-than-usual Tofino kicks up their feet in style. The vibe goes from local su...

Swell Folks: Tom Balfour and Central Westcoast Forest Society

Ucluelet-based Central Westcoast Forest Society (CWFS) was founded in 1995 by loggers, First Nations, biologists and forestry p...

Conversations with a Future Olympian: Tofino’s Mathea Olin

Photo by Kyler Vos, courtesy of Red Bull Content Pool Mathea is one half of the rad Tofino-raised duo of sibling surfers, Th...

Tofino History Lesson; Cougar Annie’s Garden

How the home of one of Clayoquot’s most colourful characters is being shaped into a new legacy Cougar Annie didn’t have a lo...

Swell Folks: Lilly Woodbury of Surfrider Pacific Rim

Photos by Nicole Holman If you’ve been on a Tofino beach, you’ve seen the work of Surfrider Foundation, or rather, you h...

Inside the True Kyler Vos Gallery

Unless you own a big sturdy boat or an aircraft, Port Alberni is the unofficial gateway to the west coast. This logging and fis...

The Sirens of the Pacific Rim

A tragic but true tale of the doomed Steller Sea Cow By Caleb Harding The quick-changing weather and stark beauty of Clay...

Mind Travel in the Time of Coronavirus

We may not be able to move much, but we can always use our minds to discover, be inspired by, and plan to explore British Colum...

Earth Day, Every Day

A Helpful Guide to keeping the momentum up one week after Earth Day Earth Day began in 1970. You probably take part, at leas...

Things We Lost in the Virus

When it comes to COVID, we are staying positive and value both our health and privileged position, but we still miss the little...

Catching Up with Cohen During COVID

Tofino Resort + Marina ambassador Noah Cohen walks us through his COVID-19 experience sheltering in place. Photos by Kyler Vos ...

Tofino History Lesson: War in the Woods and the UNESCO Biosphere Region

In the 1980s, logging and fishing were king and queen of the west coast economy. Commercial fisheries—salmon, halibut, herring—...

A Time To Reflect: Enjoying Beer + Music While Tofino is on Hold

Last October, the world was a little simpler. We lived our adventures out with purpose and passion in Tofino with little worrie...

A Quick and Dirty Tofino Guide for B.C. Residents

In the spirit of our recent B.C. residents promotion (10-20% off rooms) found here, we felt it was necessary to create a quick-...

Tsunamis and The Big One: A Tofino History Lesson

Less than a month ago—on December 24th, 2019—Mother Nature and Poseidon celebrated an early Christmas together, making the Eart...

12 Beers of Christmas: Vancouver Island’s Tastiest Seasonal Beers

Tofino Brewing Co. Dawn Patrol Coffee Porter Where better to start than our local beer besties at Tofino Brewing? We ...

Tofino 2019: A Year in Review

As the year comes to an end and we look forward to the year 2020 (like, woah), the team at Tofino Resort + Marina wants to play...

Adventures with the Fungi: A Tofino Mushroom Mission

Chef Paul Moran takes his passion for foraging—and a group of rookies—to the forest This past spring, viewers of Top Chef Cana...

The Tonquin Explosion: A Tofino History Lesson

When the man named Joseachal accepted the role of translator on the doomed fur trading ship, Tonquin, little did he know the ro...

A Tale of Two Tastes: Where Cocktails and Music Mix in Tofino

What pairs better than a well-crafted cocktail and finely-curated music? Not much. We've taken the new autumn cocktail menu, ex...

A Tale of Two Tastes: Where Cocktails and Music Mix in Tofino

What pairs better than a well-crafted cocktail and finely-curated music? Not much. We've taken the new autumn cocktail menu, ex...

Chasing Tuna: Race for the Blue 2019

Imagine if you will, waking up well before the sun rises, scouring weather reports while stuffing a quick-but-massive breakfast...

Trip Report: The Ultimate Tofino Adventure

A wise person once said to own a boat is foolish, but to have friends that own a boat is imperative. At Tofino Resort + Marina,...

The Captain and the Cartographer: A Tofino History Lesson

A history of Tofino’s strange name, and the rad people who called it home first Where did Tofino get its unique name? It’s a...

Trip Report: Hot Springs in Tofino

To reach the hallowed and hot water of Clayoquot Sound’s famous natural springs, you need to first get there, and that’s one of...

The Origin Story of Tofino’s Modern Music Scene

Tofitian Adam Buskard recalls the early days of the Royal Canadian Legion For more recent Tofitian transplants, the idea that ...

Trip Report: Whale Watching in Tofino

When you arrive at Tofino Resort + Marina's Marine Adventure Centre, the first thing you notice is that the building is, like, ...

Trip Report: Fishing with Tofino Resort + Marina

“Good morning, boys!” There’s something about a crisp early AM mission that gets at the core of your spirit. In Tofino—as is th...

Summer Wines of 1909

Good food is complemented by great wine. At 1909 Kitchen, Paul Moran and Francis Boutin curate a wine list capable of elevating...

Fly Fishing + Fat Biking in Tofino’s Backcountry

Tofino's vast potential for outdoor adventure is inspiring, and one of the raddest details is the sheer variety of options. Fro...

Drink More Beer. Be a Better Person.

We bring Vancouver Island’s beer scene to Tofino, and save a few salmon in the process Do you love beer? Of course you do. ...

A Guide to the Best Patios in Tofino

Because drinking outside is better 1909 Kitchen Life is better on the water 634 Campbell St., Tofino B.C. Literal...

The Tofino Guide to Catch-and-Release Fishing

For the love of fish, let’s leave ‘em wet and keep ‘em alive At Tofino Resort + Marina we love fishing. We also love fish. But...

The Half-Ass Tofino Guide to Beaches

Last month, we asked Tofitian and Olympic Hopeful Mathea Olin to rank Tofino beaches in order. This month, we explore the good,...

Tofino Salmon Fishing Remains Open for Business

As we have always have been, Tofino Resort + Marina remains committed to conservation of our wild salmon stocks, and applauds a...

The Tofino Guide to Choosing a Wedding Photographer

Unless you've been married before, choosing a wedding photographer can seem like a daunting process. We reached out to Tofino b...

The Tofino Guide to Bear Watching

We are spoiled. Those of us who grew up in the rich wilds of Vancouver Island see black bears in their natural habitat all ...

The Tofino Guide to Weddings

The Good News Tofino is perfectly set up for destination weddings. With its white sandy beaches, incredible restaurants, opp...

TofinoEats Recipe of the Month: Potatoes + Seaweed Salsa Verde

At 1909 Kitchen, Executive Chef Paul Moran has cultivated a reputation for foraging many of the ingredients in his fresh west c...

A Year of Flavour; Five Highlights from the #TofinoEats Chef Series

The #TofinoEats Chef Series has been happening for over a year now. In that time, we have been fortunate enough to pull some of...

An Ode to The Tofino Beach Picnic

The beach picnic is a time-honoured tradition. There’s just something about curating the perfect mix of good food, frosty bever...

TofinoEats Recipe of the Month: Miso Black Cod

Paul Moran’s Sumptuous Cedar-roasted, Miso-marinated Black Cod If you’ve eaten at 1909 Kitchen, you know Chef Paul Moran’s i...

A Love Letter to the Whales

On my 15th birthday, my father offered to take me on a whale watching tour off the coast of Tofino, British Columbia. Knowi...

Hiking the Tofino Trails

Hiking in Tofino is popular for a reason. The hiking trails through rainforests and along the coastline provide amazing scenery...

5 Interesting Things to See in Tofino

Beyond the town of Tofino awaits an adventure. Aside from the beach combing, whale watching, fishing, kayaking and surfing, the...

Whale Watching in Tofino

Whale watching in Tofino is the best location in the world for taking in the breathtaking sights to witness these gentle giants...

Tofino Bars and Restaurants

The Ultimate Guide to Eating in Tofino The magic of a great meal is hard to identity. It’s not so much about what you paid o...

The Tofino Guide to Winter

To many, it’s Tofino’s most alluring season, filled with surf, storms and way, way less crowds. We present the Tofino Resort + ...