Tofino

Christened ‘Tuff City’ by its early inhabitants due to its isolation and heavy reliance on logging, 21st-century Tofino remains a diminutive end-of-the-road town bordered by rugged wilderness on one side and the raging Pacific on the other. Although less than 2000 Tofitians live here permanently, the population swells tenfold in the summer when visitors from far and wide arrive for whale-watching, kayaking, fishing and – best of all – surfing.

Tofino is the undisputed surfing capital of Canada and the annual inundation of wave-riding surf bums gives the place a laid-back, modern-hippie flavor. Eschewing international chains and restaurant franchises, the town supports a burgeoning farm-to-table food movement and counts on a strong history of environmental activism.