How Pacific Sands Beach Resort Makes Tofino A Wellness Destination Year-Round

With 22 miles of beaches and consistent waves attracting surfers from around the world, Tofino has long been a destination for oceanside wellness. But even if you don’t surf, the lush rainforests and glacial lakes of Pacific Rim National Park against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains make this island a Pacific Northwest paradise. In the heart of it all lies Pacific Sands Beach Resort, a 41-plus acre resort occupying 1,500 feet of undeveloped coastline on the crescent beachfront of Cox Bay.

The only “all-suite resort” in Tofino, Pacific Sands’ 120 rooms have fully equipped kitchens, gas fireplaces and flat-screen TVs, with more spacious suites boasting hot tubs and outdoor barbecues. Nestled among the Sitka spruce and Western Red Cedar trees, the suites bring the outdoors in with giant windows and outdoor decks offering views of the ocean. Winding walkways, hammocks and gazebos give the property an intimate, laidback feel while complimentary coffee and tea and an extensive DVD collection available in the lobby bring the comforts of home.

But the main draw of Pacific Sands Beach Resort is the access to the best of Tofino’s activities. Onsite rental bikes are available from Tofino Bike Co. to explore the island. Guests can try surfing with a private or group lesson from onsite Surf Sister Surf School. For over 20 years, the woman-founded surf school has been making surfing more approachable for women.

After hitting the waves, wood-fired heat therapy rejuvenates the body at onsite Tuff City Saunas. Guests are encouraged to experience hot-cold therapy by alternating between the Finnish-style saunas and a quick dip in the Pacific Ocean. For a full spa day experience, guests can also book a massage with By The Sea Massage & Bodywork, another external wellness business located onsite.

Being a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve with a unique ecosystem, the island boasts a small-but-mighty culinary scene with an emphasis on sustainable seafood. In the town of Tofino, you can find Wolf in the Fog imagining inventive dishes like ‘seacuterie’: a trio of halibut-wurst, charred octopus and lingcod pastrami. Vegans can find plant-based comfort food like cauliflower wings at Bravados Bistro and vegetable-forward dishes harvested from wild foraged ingredients at SoBo.

If you don’t feel up to venturing into town, The Great Room at Long Beach Lodge Resort next to Pacific Sands offers nourishing bowls and fresh seafood with a view. Or better yet, the island’s culinary arts can come to you, with Taste of Tofino preparing customizable meals in the suites of guests at Pacific Sands using locally sourced ingredients.

Another local food company partnering with Pacific Sands is Indigenous-owned Naas Foods, who can create custom seafood dinners for two. Founded by Stevie Dennis, an Ahousaht member of the Kelsemaht First Nations, Naas Foods is creating innovative food products using regenerative aquatic resources, namely kelp. With thousands of descendants of the island’s original inhabitants still living there today, choosing Indigenous-owned businesses gives visitors an opportunity to support the First Nations of Canada.

Engaging with Tofino’s Indigenous tourism is another, less obvious, way to find wellness on the island. Environmentally-focused tour company Clayoquot Wild offers guided nature walks led by First Nations individuals, like 81-year-old elder Moses Martin, who was a key figure in the anti-logging protests on Canada’s west coast during the 1980s and 90s. Not only do these tours ground visitors in, and foster a deeper respect for, their surroundings by introducing an Indigenous perspective on the flora and fauna, they encourage mindfulness by teaching visitors how to just be in nature.

Back at Pacific Sands Beach resort, the mindful observation of nature continues with storm-watching in the winter months and whale-watching from March to October. No matter what time of year you visit, it’s hard not to leave with a deeper appreciation for nature. Whether you surf, swim, hike or simply sit outside, no matter what time of year you visit, Tofino has some form of outdoor wellness for everyone.