The town, which has a number of small but impressive sandy beaches, also boasts a museum where you can delve into the area's history. Art galleries and craft stores line the streets. Accommodations range from wilderness campsite to the most luxurious of lodges. Just off Tofino is Meares Island. Home to the historic Fort Defiance, the island is the traditional home of the Clayoquot First Nations.
Art galleries offer native art and crafts, and hiking trails meander through the forests.
The highway is a two-lane busy stretch of pavement, so caution is needed. From Nanaimo, the 210-kilometer trip takes about four hours. From Port Hardy, take the Island Highway south to where it connects with the Inland Island Highway at Mud Bay. Continue south to the Port Alberni turnoff, near Qualicum. The 500-kilometer trip takes about eight hours.