Beachcombing Along Canada's Shores

Jun 05, 2010

Beachcombing is a popular activity at the Pacific Sands Resort // (c) 2010

I’ve always thought of beachcombing as a daytime activity, but in Tofino, B.C., my family could troll the shores in the twilight even after 10 p.m. Not only that, but hitting the waves late at night is considered to be a completely normal activity. That’s just how summertime is in Tofino, Vancouver Island’s renowned surfing and beach community that can draw nearly 10,000 summertime residents to its shores, mostly for surfing, beachcombing, whale watching and to visit the rainforest. Because of its northern location, a lengthy twilight keeps the beach action going until late at night.

During our recent visit, we stayed at Pacific Sands Beach Resort, which I can highly recommend. Located on Cox Bay, the resort offers stunning views of the Pacific. My family fell in love with watching the surfers hang-ten on perfect waves, and we spent many hours seeking out perfectly formed sand dollars, which littered the shore.

In our room, we felt right at home. We had a huge living room with a comfy couch and a cozy fireplace. Our girls loved the giant Jacuzzi tub in our upstairs master bedroom that overlooked the water. Even though they had their own room with twin beds, they much preferred falling asleep watching the waves.

Although there are numerous activities in the Tofino area, it was hard to leave Pacific Sands. With our refrigerator stocked, movies available to rent at the resort office and the beach at our fingertips, we didn’t have much need — or desire — to go anywhere else.

However, we did still manage to go on a whale watching excursion and to traipse around in the rainforest. My proudest moment was when my daughter spotted a whale off the bow of the boat and was so amazed to see its enormous size. The girls also loved running over the beautiful bridges and decks that make up the paths through the rainforest. Walking through the lush forest, we were sheltered from the constant sprinkle that seemed to plague our visit. Under the canopy, we could barely feel a drop.

If asked if I would return to Tofino, I could hardly say no. In fact, we really want to go back and visit in the winter when one of the most popular activities is storm watching. Visitors come from all over to watch the sea rage, and there were even special instructions in our room at Pacific Sands on how to deal with lengthy power outages — I can’t wait!

Pacific Sands Beach Resort
www.pacificsands.com