Winter quiet is beautiful. It is deep, hibernatory, and refreshing to our inner being. And Tofino is one of the best places to rediscover it.

The winter weather, whether it be crisp or damp, the surge of the surf, the storms, and the early setting of the sun make Tofino a less frequent choice in winter by some. For other vacation seekers, it is the best time in the year to visit.

In winter Tofino becomes more like its small village self again. Coffee line-ups disappear, and some restaurants and retailers take a well earned rest, leaving emptier, tranquil streetscapes that roll out towards water. Everything winds down, including road, water and air traffic, and all-around noise levels diminish. As the leaves have fallen and gone back to the earth to nourish it, it is an invitation for you to renew and revitalize the soil of your own life.

One of my favourite Irish poets and philosophers, John O’Donohue, says in his work To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings, “Within the grip of winter, it is almost impossible to imagine the spring. The gray perished landscape is shorn of color. Only bleakness meets the eye; everything seems severe and edged. Winter is the oldest season; it has some quality of the absolute. Yet beneath the surface of winter, the miracle of spring is already in preparation; the cold is relenting; seeds are wakening up. Colors are beginning to imagine how they will return. Then, imperceptibly, somewhere one bud opens and the symphony of renewal is no longer reversible. From the black heart of winter a miraculous, breathing plenitude of color emerges.

The beauty of nature insists on taking its time. Everything is prepared. Nothing is rushed. The rhythm of emergence is a gradual slow beat always inching its way forward; change remains faithful to itself until the new unfolds in the full confidence of true arrival. Because nothing is abrupt, the beginning of spring nearly always catches us unawares. It is there before we see it; and then we can look nowhere without seeing it.”

The winter air in Tofino is filled with a majestic loudness – a sound that can be heard from Tofino Hummingbird Cottage – a sound that is soothing even in its volume – the roar of winter waves from Chesterman Beach. I recently took a chance presented by a short lull in bookings to stay in Tofino Hummingbird Cottage and experience what my guests experience. The soundscape, the cozy darkness of the bedrooms, and the hearth of the fire generated great peace in my soul and being.

The peacefulness I have felt staying in Tofino Hummingbird Cottage was also enhanced by the enveloping winter quiet. The animals have mostly begun hibernating by the beginning of December, squirrels have filled their winter larders, and the birds are mostly quiet too, gathering what sustenance they can find and conserving energy till they burst into spring melodies again. Even the cedar trees that surround the Cottage feel like a gentle, peaceful and quiet hug around me as I gaze out the window, sitting by the fire and sipping a warm tea.

This is the perfect place and time – Tofino Hummingbird Cottage in winter – to relax in its peace and rediscover the hidden joy of winter quiet to revitalize the soil of your life.

What makes vacations and holidays so good for our mental wellness is that we make a space, a gap in time, an opportunity, to express ourselves more fully and sometimes we also spend this time with others.

Holidaying in Tofino is particularly good for mental wellness. Here are some of the ways:

1. Vacations give us time

Perhaps time is one of the greatest gifts in a vacation. Time feels so compressed for many of us nowadays and opening it up can mean, for example, having an unrushed occasion to make a meal with companions or feel unhurried when dining out – a wonderful gift to ourselves and those we are with.

2. Holidays lessen stress

Even though adjusting to new environments can be stressful for some, for most of us the adventure of new places to go and new activities is stimulating, encouraging our bodies to release happy hormones. Going away means we leave most of the stresses of home behind us, and Tofino Hummingbird Cottage is a particularly restful place to unwind. It is quiet, except for the sound of sea surf and birds.

3. Vacations give time to be with friends and family

We often spend vacation time with friends or family that enrich our lives, while we enrich theirs and create lifelong memories. Or, for those of us that replenish ourselves in solitude, we gratefully take that treasured open space in time alone to recharge.

4. Holidays make us happier

We all know that holidays almost always make us happier. Even research groups say so; they have found that holidays lessen depression and can improve heart health. Holidays give us a space and a time to look inward, set new goals and dream dreams. Being away from our norms and encountering strangers who may act and live differently can help us evaluate and reset priorities in our own lives.

5. Vacations can broaden and strengthen us

Encountering unforeseen obstacles on vacation, such as with making decisions on where to eat, can force us to bring out our creative side to make a plan. This strengthens our capability to deal with adversity in the future. And if you visit Tofino and decide to learn to surf or stand-up paddleboard while you are here, that will certainly broaden your experience and increase your neuroplasticity by learning a new skill. The great news is you take those new strengths home with you.

Taking a vacation can be one of the best uses of our time. Time is our most precious commodity; we all have 24 hours in a day. It is how we spend it that determines the quality of our life and the degree of our mental wellness.

The ocean’s largest inhabitants, such as whales, sharks and dolphins, are often the creatures that capture our imagination when we think of that vast mysterious body of water. Its smallest indwellers, though, are more than worthy of investigation. They will provide you with a nature experience steeped in diversity, wonder and almost as many colours as the rainbow.

Take a wander to the rock pools in Chesterman beach, Tofino, kneel down, get close, watch for a while and enjoy a whole world in a tiny puddle of water. Little fish may swim by, a crab may suddenly appear from under the sand and disappear again. And if you see a conical shell with protruding legs scuttle by, it is probably a hermit crab. They take over abandoned shells as portable dwellings to protect their vulnerable bodies.

Clinging to the sides of the rocks you will find tightly packed rows of adaptible blue-purple mussels, who are quite happy to remain there whether the tide is in or out – just imagine spending half your day baking in the sun and dry air and the other half with waves breaking over your head! Barnacles are there too, little craggy white shell-like edifices that are actually related to crabs. Watch where you put your feet around them, though, they are sharp!

Prettiest and most colourful, probably what most of us hope to see, are anenomes, sea urchins and sea stars. Thankfully, these are all usually plentiful in Tofino. Sea urchins’ empty green round shells are sometimes seen lying on the beach, with their spines long gone. If you see one with pretty red spines still on it, be sure not to stand on it, as it may still be alive and its spines will hurt your foot like a barnacle will. If you very gently touch one of the spines with your finger, though, you will do one another no harm.

Another interesting interaction could be to very gently touch a beautiful waving green sea anenome. Feel how soft its tentacles are to a human hand. To be kind to them, though, only do this once or twice because when you touch them, they think they are about to get some food and will contract their tentacles to eat.

And lastly, there is no need to worry about finding the most loved rock pool dweller of them all. You are sure to see an orange, purple, red or pink sea star in Tofino as its rock pools are home to forty different species of starfish. And if you see one with a limb missing, there is no cause for sadness, they are blessed with an ability to regenerate their limbs.

Have fun seeing how many different and wonderful creatures you can find in Tofino’s rock pools. Can you find one we haven’t mentioned here? We left some out on purpose, as a surprise.

The best healing is found in nature and nature’s sounds can bring profound healing.

Do you like music? If you like to rise after the sun does, then enrich your life by setting your alarm for the pre-dawn, even if that means around 5:00 am in the spring and summer and your treat will be to hear a whole bunch of symphonies played at the same time – arising from the miniature voice boxes of our small yet powerful friends, the birds. Their sweet, enthusiastic and vibrant dawn chorus is a most soul-cheering way to start your morning. The chorus lasts several hours so you might still catch some of it if you rise a little later.

If you are at Tofino Hummingbird Cottage you will probably not need an alarm as the dawn chorus is loud enough to sing you awake.

Songbirds sing as part of their breeding process, so the most complete version of the chorus is heard in Spring, when all of them join in. The reason they sing so early in the morning is that it is still too dark for them to find food and too early for predators to see them, so it matters not how loudly they sing.

As you tumble out of bed onto the deck of Tofino Hummingbird Cottage in the chilly air before the sun’s rise, the first ‘bugle’ of the chorus you will hear is the robin, singing its piercing, long and short-noted song. In the next half hour it will be joined by many species. Song sparrows belt out a particularly cheery many-noted melody and if you manage to catch sight of one, observe how much effort it puts into its song; head thrown back, trembling throat and vibrating body. The ratio of large volume to small body size is astonishing and delightful.

Make your day! Get up to hear the dawn chorus.

There are dozens of great beaches (and walks) within a short distance of Tofino Hummingbird Cottage. Here are some of the most popular ones, ordered north to south.

Chesterman Beach

The closest – and one of the most famous – is Chesterman Beach, just a couple of minutes from here on foot. The surfers are what make Chesterman so popular and there are lots of them here, young and old, expert and novice, flying and flailing. Be aware of the powerful rip currents if you’re thinking of joining the fray, and choose the spots with the smaller waves if you’re a noob.

If you’re disinclined to surf, there are enough crabs and starfish in the tidepools on this 2.7 km long expanse of white sand to keep you entertained. And when the tide is low enough, you can actually walk out to Frank Island at the southern end of the beach and grab some spectacular shots of the whole beach and its framework of nearby mountains.

Cox Bay Beach

Just south of Chesterman, this one might be a bit more challenging for beginners with its large waves and sideways riptides. There are two parking and entrance areas, a northern one that leads to Cox Bay Beach Resort with washrooms and showers and a path to the beach. For the second entrance, take the Maltby Road turnoff. Parking here is also free but there are no facilities. And of course, when the seas are calm, this saddle-shaped bay is a fabulous place to kayak. You can rent a craft in town or even join a group lesson first to learn the skills you’ll need.

Radar Hill

Radar Hill was a radar station used to detect air strikes to North America during WWII. Drive (or cycle) down the well-treed Radar Hill Road to get to the former station area and its beautiful vistas that include panoramas of Clayoquot Sound. There’s a second parking lot at the end of the road for the less mobile.

Schooner Cove

With its easy one km hike from the parking lot, and consequent inaccessibility by large vehicles, Schooner Cove used to be the favourite of free-spirited beach campers. Now that it’s become part of Pacific Rim National Park, there’s no more open air camping. But it’s as beautiful as ever, and still a 1 km walk from parking to reward the relatively fit. Located at the northernmost end of the famous Long Beach, Schooner Cove’s sheltered south-facing location also makes it a good choice for beach walks on windy days.

Long Beach

The most famous beach in the area is also, at 16 km from Schooner Beach on the north to Wickaninnish Beach on its south end, the longest sandy beach on Vancouver Island’s west coast. There’s something here for everyone – dog walkers, Frisbee throwers, boogie boarders, surfers, kayakers, or anyone who simply loves water and nature. Do remember that it’s part of Pacific Rim National Park, so you’ll have to pay to park your vehicle in one of the three lots. There is camping available at Green Point for those astute and keen enough to book well in advance. And the upscale Pointe Restaurant in the Wickaninnish Inn (reviewed elsewhere in this blog) is perfect for those special evenings out.

Rain Forest Trail

This is a moderate 2 km stroll along a figure 8 boardwalk that straddles the highway near Wickaninnish Beach. With its giant cedars, salmon streams, hanging moss and lush ferns, it’s classic west coast ancient rainforest, delightful for locals and an exotic treat for those from out of province.

Shorepine Bog Trail

To get to Shorepine Bog, take Wick Road off Pacific Rim Highway and drive 2 km (bearing right) to the parking lot. This flat 800-metre loop boardwalk is an easy 20-30 minute stroll for almost anyone, including those in wheelchairs or walking their pooch. Glacier-carved, the bog is covered in sphagnum moss along with odd-looking stunted and deformed trees and bushes cause by the overly acidic soil. Definitely worth a visit, and a good example of the region’s rich biodiversity.

Nuu-chah-nulth Trail

Formerly known as the Wickaninnish Trail, the 3.8 km-long Nuu-chah-nulth Trail is the longest hiking trail in Pacific Rim National Park. The trail gives you access to four different beaches: Wickaninnish, Lismer, South Beach and Florencia Bay. It’s mostly boardwalk and nice and flat, though there is a steep climb to a viewpoint overlooking Long Beach. You could easily spend a whole day here exploring and taking photos.

You access it the same way as the Shorepine Bog Trail – by taking a right on Wick Road off the Pacific Rim Highway. If you want to start your walk at the north end, keep going past the Shorepine Bog parking until you get to the Kwisitis Visitor Centre at Wikaninnish Beach. Or, if you’d prefer to start at the south end, bear left at the fork 200 m before the Shorepine Bog parking and drive south for about a kilometre. Or hey, just follow your GPS. This U-shaped trail is not a loop, so be prepared to retrace your steps over the roughly 8 km total distance.

Willowbrae/Halfmoon Bay Trail

This 2.8 km loop with 173 stairs includes one of the original corduroy roads used for travel between Tofino And Ucluelet. You can still see the notches made by the axes of pioneer homesteaders. From the dirt parking lot accessed by turning off at Willowbrae Road, walk through a wooden gate and along a wide, gravel path as it heads almost straight to a boardwalk followed by a long stretch of stairs leading to a beautiful, secluded beach area. A left fork about 200m from the end of the Willowbrae Trail diverts you to the Halfmoon Bay Trail, with its hairpin descending turns, stairs and wooden ramps to the beach.

Wild Pacific Trail Lighthouse Loop

If you don’t mind driving (or biking) all the way south to Ucluelet, this trail is definitely worth a visit. An easy and relatively flat 2.6 km, it’s a beautifully laid out and maintained loop circumscribing the perimeter of a rugged peninsula projecting out into the ocean – and still home to an active lighthouse. Lots of places to take classic photos of the massive rock formations along the Pacific Ocean coastline. It’s especially popular with storm watchers who don’t mind bundling up on those blustery weather days to observe nature’s fury from the relative shelter of this tree-covered pathway.