Tofino, British Columbia, is a charming town nestled on the west coast of Vancouver Island. With a population of approximately 2,516 residents, this quaint town is located at the western terminus of Highway 4, on the tip of the Esowista Peninsula at the southern edge of Clayoquot Sound. It is situated in the traditional territory of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations.
Tofino is a popular year-round tourism destination. Its summer population swells to many times its winter size, attracting surfers, hikers, nature lovers, bird watchers, campers, whale watchers, fishers, and anyone just looking to be close to nature. Despite its small population, the town attracts a number of chefs and culinary professionals, resulting in a burgeoning choice of restaurants and specialty shops. In the winter, many people visit Tofino and the West Coast to watch storms on the water.
Close to Tofino is Long Beach, a scenic and popular year-round destination, in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. With its natural hot springs, Maquinna Marine Provincial Park is a popular day-trip destination for tourists. Reachable by boat or floatplane, the park is located about 45 km (28 mi) north of Tofino.
The settlement acquired its name in 1909 with the opening of the Tofino Post Office, named after the nearby Tofino Inlet. This geographical feature had been named in 1792 by the Spanish explorers Galiano and Valdés, in honour of Admiral Vicente Tofiño de San Miguel y Wanderiales (or Vanderiales), under whom Galiano had learned cartography.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Tofino had a population of 2,516 living in 945 of its 1,205 total private dwellings, a change of 27.9% from its 2016 population of 1,967. With a land area of 10.56 km2 (4.08 sq mi), it had a population density of 238.3/km2 (617.1/sq mi) in 2021.
Tofino-Long Beach Airport (YAZ), 6 nautical miles (11 km; 6.9 mi) southeast of the town, is accessible to private and commercial aircraft. Floatplanes land on the inlet in town. Coastal fog is a common morning phenomenon in the summer, complicating access by air until the weather clears. Tofino is located at the western end of Highway 4 that connects the community with Port Alberni and the population centres on the east coast of Vancouver Island.
Every March, the migration of thousands of grey whales is celebrated with the Pacific Rim Whale Festival. The last weekend of April has, up until 2020, been the Tofino Shorebird Festival. The first weekend of June, for 14 years, brought the Tofino Food and Wine Festival, featuring British Columbia wines and showcasing the creations of Tofino chefs.
Between 1988 and 2020, Tofino was home to Poole's Land, an ecovillage and "Hippie Commune" run on Anarchist principles. The Commune provided free accommodation to seasonal workers who would come to Tofino in the summer months as well as being a centre of counterculture in the region.
Located within the Tofino vicinity is the man-made floating Island of Freedom Cove. Constructed by Wayne Adams and Catherine King in 1992, the mostly wooden structure is both home to Adams and King as well as a tourist attraction and an art gallery.
The climate is marine west coast (Köppen: Cfb, clearly included in the temperate zone). Precipitation is concentrated in the winter, which is a characteristic of Coastal British Columbia; however, the annual amount of 3,270.7 mm (128.77 in) far exceeds nearby areas.
Public education is offered by the School District 70 Alberni, through the Wickaninnish Community School in Tofino and Ucluelet Secondary School in Ucluelet. The town's hospital is the Tofino General Hospital, operated by the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA).
Tofino has been a filming location for The Twilight Saga: New Moon, War for the Planet of the Apes, One Week, The Big Year, and Going the Distance. It has also been mentioned in songs by The Planet Smashers and Prairie Dance Club.
