I have found a paradise and it is at the Pacific Sands Beach Resort in a magical place called Tofino on Vancouver Island. When I was planning my holiday to Canada, a number of people told me to make the time and visit Tofino on Vancouver Island. They described it as the most stunning place you could visit, but yet couldn’t put their finger on why. Well until you have visited, you wont understand it. Now I have been there and tasted the magic that’s in the air, I would fully agree with them.
The entrance to Pacific Sands can be found off the main road in and out of Tofino. A classic Ford pick up truck with surf boards in the back, stand at the entrance marking the small drive up to the resort.
As you drive through the tall Canadian trees, they start to disappear behind you and the beach resort opens in front of you. First up is the wooden reception and car park where guests are asked to leave their cars and worries behind them.
As you walk through the grounds, you pass the resorts bikes, herd garden, surf shack, and outdoor seating areas. All guiding your eye to the beach and the properties overlooking them.
We loved the outdoor fire pits. Every night we would go down to the pit, and sit around the already lit fire. Armed with the key ingredients to make Smores, we enjoyed a real treat whilst watching the shooting stars above and listening to the sea whisper to us from afar.
We choose one of the rooms that looked directly on to Cox Bay. The apartment came with a terrace with the most incredible view onto the beach. In the morning the sun would shine onto the Bay, and as the afternoon wore on a sea mist would decent on beach. It was beautiful to watch this each day.
The super King sized bed was a dream to sleep in, and perfect for those lazy mornings when you kicked open the terrace doors and watched the sun rise.
The room also had its own lounge, roaring fire for those snuggly evenings, small kitchen, loads of storage and a simple bathroom. You don’t go to this area of the world to stay in your cabin though, its all about the views and being outdoors.
Being one of the best places to surf in the world, we had to try the in-house surf school. So after breakfast at the Surf Shack, a delicious combo of fresh fish tacos and fries we headed over to the school.
On the day that we were surfing, we found out that the Canadian PM Justin Trudeau was also staying in our resort (for a secret family holiday) and on that morning was also enjoying some surfing.
We picked up our boards, and headed to the coast. Classes are in very small groups so you have the full attention of the instructor and really get to learn all the basics.
Needless to say, we didn’t get the PM selfie we wanted but we did see his group enjoying the waves. The surfing was brilliant. There is a strong rip current in Cox Bay, and the instructors take you through a full safety briefing just incase, but to be honest was a little over kill. As beginers your really don’t go too deep, and you don’t need to. The surf is strong enough, the waves large enough that you can really get to grips with it quickly. We even managed to stand up a few times on the surf board!
This isn’t the PM, honest…
After surf school, we took a walk around the resorts coast. There is a large rocky section to the East, which you can hike through and then sit on this magical bench to watch the waves smash against the rocks below.
So there you have it. A quick summary of a Canadian paradise. Although we were only there for a few days, we fell in love with the place and cried when we left it behind. You have to experience it, to believe it.
