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.

Tofino is one of the most biodiverse areas you will ever see, and our bird population is no exception. You can explore on your own or hire a professional guide. Adrian Dorst is the person I reach out to when I want to do a tour. A published photographer and nature lover, he has lived on the coast since 1972, and knows the best places to spot some of the 350 species populating the west coast of Vancouver Island – from sandpipers to owls, Marbled Godwits, Black-Headed Grosbeaks, Townsend’s Warblers and more. He’ll escort you to view the birds of your choice – or his if you’re open to it. Of course birds come and go, so he can’t guarantee any sightings. But you’ll at least get a good walk and a good helping of intelligence about our local feathered friends. Check out his credentials and rates at https://www.tofinobirding.com/.

Right here at Tofino Hummingbird Cottage we see robins, osprey, eagles, tanagers, chickadees, thrushes, cow birds (which lay eggs in other birds’ nests) and, of course, lots of Rufous hummingbirds.

Closer to the water you’ll likely see oyster catchers, seagulls, grebes, sandpipers, cormorants and many more.

Bring your SLR camera with telephoto lens, some good waterproof walking shoes and maybe a guide book to identify what you’re seeing.

Wickaninnish Inn  

I have to confess that for years I shied away from the Pointe Restaurant at the Wickaninnish Inn. Tofino’s highest-profile and most renowned establishment was too expensive and fancy for me, I always thought. Then one evening a friend took me there for dinner and I was blown away. The service, the friendliness and the quality of the food were all fantastic. It was an amazing experience, worth every penny – though definitely priced in the fine dining range. And as you’d expect the setting is amazing, right on Chesterman Beach, complete with surf, seabirds and the ocean’s eternal thrum. Wine lovers will also know right away that they’ve come to the right place. The Pointe’s very capable sommelier will take you through their long list of exceptional wines to make sure you won’t be disappointed. The locally caught seafood is a favourite, of course. In fact, almost all the ingredients, including meat, game and produce, are locally sourced and lovingly prepared. Also just a five-minute walk from Tofino Hummingbird Cottage via Chesterman beach. Highly recommended for those special occasions.

Driftwood Café/On The Rocks bar

These two sub-establishments at the Wickaninnish have the same seaside cachet and excellent service as The Pointe. The Driftwood is right on the beach and offers excellent cappuccinos, lattes or other caffeinated (or non-caffeinated) beverages of your choice. And they have an area for dogs, so I can bring my Jack Russell terrier, Kando. Great place to have a coffee! For a glass of wine, craft brew or creative cocktail, the Wickaninnish’s On The Rocks licensed lounge is a classy retreat for appies and reconnecting.

Tacofino         

As you might guess, the Tacofino name – so well known today in Vancouver and the BC Lower Mainland – started right here in Tofino. Their original food truck is still the spot for tacos, burritos and gringas filled with seared albacore, beans, tempura ling cod and pork. The food is delicious, and the company’s success is well deserved. On the other hand, it also means they simply can’t keep up with the strong demand in most busy seasons – mainly summer – when the lineups can be up to two hours long. But if you’re hungry enough or patient or both, the food is consistently great, and the truck is only five minutes’ walk from Tofino Hummingbird Cottage. In the off-season, I typically phone in my orders and pick them up 10 or 15 minutes later.

Tofitian

When I’m looking for a light breakfast with top-quality coffee (voted best in Tofino, many times), loose-leaf tea, Matcha or “gourmet chocolate frothy delight” as their website calls it, I head for the Tofitian. Located right on the Pacific Rim Hwy, next to Beaches Grocery and Wildside Grill. Gluten-free and vegan options are available in the array of breakfast sandwiches, sausage rolls, cookies, muffins, cakes and other treats that emerge daily from their in-house bakery.

Wildside Grill

Another place I frequent is the Wildside Grill, also five minutes’ walk from the Cottage, and located in the same complex as the Tacofino truck. Its owner, Jesse Blake, is a commercial chef. Seating is outdoor or takeout (my usual choice), and while the emphasis is on seafood, they also offer yummy pulled pork, chicken and even poutine. Even the salads (green and Caesar) are good. And if you’re not into deep-fried, they will happily grill your fish for you instead. The ingredients are carefully selected from local suppliers – beef, pork and elk from an ethical farm in Pemberton, BC, MSC-certified tuna from a supplier near Parksville, MSC-certified ling cod from a fisherman in Port Alberni, and chicken from an award-winning, fourth-generation farm in nearby Duncan, BC.

Surfside

Commercial Fisherman Jeff Mikus opened the Wildside Grill in 2008, which became a favourite restaurant for take-out in Tofino. Some years later, Pacific Sands Beach Resort approached Jeff to open Surfside grill, offering take-out on their beach-front. Surfside Grill now serves freshest seafood and family-oriented meals to Pacific Sands guests and visitors to Tofino.

Wolf in the Fog

A fine dining establishment with a casual twist is the relatively new (2013) Wolf in the Fog. With what it calls its ‘hip-meets-chill vibe,’ and located right in town, it specializes in local, naturally sourced ingredients – salmon, chanterelle mushrooms harvested from nearby forests, squid, tuna, halibut. Lots of cocktails, local brews and BC wines to choose from as well. Chef Nicholas Nutting has a simple approach which he says honours local ingredients from the Island’s fishers and farmers, as well as foraged goods from Tofino’s forests and shores. Says the website: ‘We’re proud to be a part of this culinary community in such a quirky corner of Canada, right at the end of the road.’ The prices lean toward the haute side of cuisine, but if you can afford them and want to treat yourself to a classic Tofino lunch or dinner, the Wolf is calling.

Shelter

Situated right on the inner harbour with a postcard backdrop of forested mountains, scrap-scrounging eagles and the occasional departing float plane or schooner, Shelter is a great choice for breakfast or dinner. I’d recommend Shelter for atmosphere alone, but the meals earn equal billing, with such seafood delights as side-stripe shrimp and mussel fettucine –– or non-seafood dishes such as  slow roasted beef chuck flat or a Shelter salad with Tofino grown greens. In fact, most ingredients are sourced and foraged from Tofino’s oceans, shoreline and forests.

SoBo

According to its website, SoBo started as a humble mom-and-pop food truck in 2003 and has since risen to the award-winning full service restaurant that it is today. Situated proudly in Tofino’s downtown core, and short for ‘sophisticated Bohemian,’ SoBo embodies the grassroots gourmet cuisine of Chef Lisa Ahier, who previously worked at the upscale Wickaninnish Inn. Her dishes highlight wild, foraged, and local seasonal ingredients, and are complemented by the region’s best biodynamic wines and craft brews. The ethic of local, organic, wild foraged sourcing has become a huge part of SoBo’s identity. If you like to support local, this is the restaurant to visit. We are all looking forward to the day when sufficient staffing means they can open again for dinners. Prices are reasonable – just $12 for a bowl of yummy smoked salmon chowder, for example, or $15 for a serving of buckwheat soba (Japanese noodle) salad, or $18 for a Margherita pizza with San Marzano sauce and fresh basil. Let’s hope the end of the pandemic will bring a new beginning for SoBo. If you’d rather eat in to enjoy their cuisine, there’s a copy of SoBo’s recipe book in the Cottage just waiting to challenge your cooking skills.

How well do you sleep at night? And does it matter? 

You bet it matters! Poor sleep is linked with anxiety and depression – and vice-versa. And sleep deprivation is also clearly linked to heart disease and strokes. 

Sleep is number one on my list of 10 Wellness Pillars. 

A growing body of scientific and popular literature has identified the influence of such factors as external light (including from mobile devices), sugary and caffeinated beverages, noise and other factors on sleep quality. According to the Global Wellness Institute, researchers from Oxford Economics and the National Centre for Social Research in the UK found that: “A good night’s sleep is worth more than quadrupling your disposable income.” 

The US Centre for Disease Control says adults of all ages need a minimum of 7 hours of sleep. Teens need at least 8, and school age children need 8 to 10. 

Of course, part of sleeping better is a matter of choice. You need to give yourself time to wind down before bed by avoiding strenuous exercise. Also be sure to stay away from bright lights including TV and computer screens for at least an hour before bedtime. Blue light in particular inhibits the body’s production of melatonin that helps us nod off at night. 

But environmental factors play a large role as well. Over-illumination of city skies at night, for instance, has a massive and (I think) under-documented effect on sleep in metropolitan areas. Even full moons have been found to knock an average of 20 minutes off the average person’s sleep. 

The International dark sky movement was started In Flagstaff, Arizona and its nearby Lowell Observatory in the 1950s to help reduce light pollution. Today I understand you can often see the Milky Way at night from this city, which is in one of 37 designated dark sky preserves in the US, and 53 worldwide. That’s a good start, but we could use more initiatives like this one. 

No matter how well you think you sleep in your city home, I expect you’ll notice quite an improvement at Tofino Hummingbird Cottage. That constant background drone from underground sewer pumps, transit buses and traffic? Gone. Early morning sirens? Car alarms? All but nonexistent. 

Instead, here you get nice black skies (on clear nights, at least) – perfect for stargazing or simply being wrapped in a big, black blanket of darkness you probably don’t get at home. And about all you’ll hear at night at the Cottage is the breeze in the cedars and the soft roar of waves on nearby Chesterman Beach. In winter the soft roar changes to a more tempestuous sound, amplifying the snug feeling of being inside near the Cottage fireplace. 

As a final touch to help you transition to a long and deep sleep, I’ve put a dimmer on every single light switch at Tofino Hummingbird Cottage. I suggest starting to dim about an hour before bed. 

I bet you won’t realize how much background noise and light pollution you’ve been tolerating in the city until you get here. Mostly you’ll appreciate how incredibly rested you’ll feel by the time you’re ready to head home. 

Shamanism worked for me

As a professional wellness spa consultant, in the past 25 years, I’ve been in touch with innumerable healing practices, such as chelation therapy, hydrotherapy, Ayurveda, qigong, reflexology. And then there was one I’d always thought was a little “out there” and was too hesitant to give it a try… Shamanism. It was just too weird in my mind.

But when certain events in my life made me realize I needed a reboot, I remembered my long-standing friendship with Elizabeth Alanis, a professional and fully accredited psychotherapist who also happens to practice the art of shamanism. Two sessions were all it took for me to change my view of shamanism.

Although centuries-old and brimming with mystique, shamanic treatments can be administered online, even easier than meeting in person.

My Experience working with a shaman

Elizabeth discovered shamanism in her native Mexico. A young family member of hers who was suffering inexplicable medical problems was taken to a curandero and cured after a variety of procedures including prayers and an herbal bath. This account and others convinced Elizabeth to add shamanism to her skill set.

I confess Elizabeth’s background in traditional western healing made it more comfortable for me to seek her help. Her blue-chip credentials include a psychology degree from City College of New York, masters in social work from Fordham University, psychoanalytic training at the Center for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies of New York and postgraduate certificates from the Centre for Applied Jungian Studies in Johannesburg.

Not much ‘woo-woo’ there. And in fact, Elizabeth’s approach was quite disciplined, starting with a two-page form for me to fill out to clarify my situation and goals. To prepare for each one-hour Zoom session, she told me to drink lots of water, get plenty of sleep, and take no alcohol or other intoxicants. While I relaxed on my couch at home, we explored everything related to the issue I wanted to address including:

• Imbalances or blockages in the flow of inner feminine and masculine energies
• Imbalances or blockages physical, mental, emotional or spiritual
• Imbalances in one or more of the different energetic centers of the body (chakras)

The experience was a revelation. After just one session I felt very relaxed and (unexpectedly enough) very aware of my dreams. Elizabeth also recommended at-home practices to sustain and expand the changes to my energy, which I dutifully performed.

When Elizabeth reminded me of a simple truth it was a real ‘aha’ moment: we have the power and courage to curate the life we desire.  Whether this was common sense talking or shamanism, it was just the impetus I needed. I felt I had regained my balance!

A path more spiritual than chemical

Healing in Western society aims to treat the symptoms and not the cause of illness, using chemicals. In contrast, shamanic healing works in the spiritual arena, with the goal of restoring balance and wholeness.

According to Elizabeth, a shaman is a person familiar with the visible (material) and invisible world (spirit). Shamans understand that, within a person, everything is connected – the spiritual, emotional, physical and mental. And, if one of these areas is out of balance it can affect the whole person.

Shamans are conduits of wisdom and healing power to be aimed at the roots of the unease that someone is experiencing. They have various tools to choose from when looking to restore balance for a client.

If one is willing, a shamanic healing can catalyze a person’s own spiritual and self-healing capacities, which are often overlooked or pushed aside by traditional therapies and modern medicine.

Benefits of shamanism:

• Feeling grounded and confident when dealing with life’s challenges, learn to tap into and trust their inner wisdom.
• A profound sense of wholeness, aliveness and joy as you learn to love and integrate all the parts you have rejected.
• A deep sense of freedom, self-love and mastery as you reclaim your power by setting appropriate boundaries and renegotiating old agreements.
• A sense of expansion and authenticity as you overcome the fear of expressing your needs, values and expectations.
• Experiencing reciprocal relationships that are genuinely loving and supporting.
• Feeling empowered, energized and fulfilled as you create a life of meaning and purpose that enriches you and the world.

What conditions do shamans help?

According to Elizabeth, the most common conditions that shamans help are:

Energetic imbalances: in our

• Physical, emotional, mental, spiritual body
• Feminine or masculine energies
• Chakras

Power Loss: often shows up as a lack of vitality or zest for life and can stem from:

• Violated boundaries
• Sacrificing our own integrity to get certain needs met
• Internalizing limiting beliefs about ourselves
• Anything that disconnects us from our true divine nature.
• Other common symptoms of power loss include chronic illness, depression, fatigue, low self-esteem, poor boundaries, suicidal feelings, or ongoing misfortunes

Soul Loss: often feels like

• Loss of vital essence after a traumatic event
• Feeling different after a trauma
• Memory loss
• Difficulty staying present
• Numbness
• Chronic depression
• Weakened immune system
• Chronic illness

Intrusion of negative energies: can stem from painful past experiences, other people, the environment and may show up as:

• Physical pain
• Anger
• Fatigue
• Emotional stress
• Localized illnesses in the body

What to look for in a shamanic healer

Although there is no professional association of shamanic practitioners, those who have undergone serious training spend several years studying at a reputable shamanic school under the guidance of a master. Students also need to have engaged in service to the community to practice what they are learning under their teacher’s supervision before they gain the skills and knowledge to begin practicing on their own.

“Every reputable school requires that the student start by working towards Wholeness and Oneness herself,” says Elizabeth. “We work on our own alignment with the Divine, all parts of us and all in creation – continuous spiritual work to face our shadow and to experience our real self rather than the many voices of our wounds and personality. We apply the healing techniques on ourselves or other students, our teachers or their assistants, then practice serving our communities to refine our skills and knowledge.”

The best shamanic healers abide by the Shamanic Code of Ethics, located on the website of the Society for Shamanic Practice (shamanicpractice.org). Shamans and shamanic practitioners have undergone as well as facilitated training, and have participated in healing circles and other healing events. It’s a good idea to ask if the shaman you’re considering is a member of a shamanic community and ask about their training and contributions.

If you’re interested in contacting her, Elizabeth can be reached through her website: loveintowholeness.com

As we come out of the pandemic, we can of course all choose to revert to our frenetic, whack-a-mole existences. Or we can build on those moments of blissful tranquility we may have discovered for the first time.

In the Harvard Business Review, writers Justin Talbot Zorn and Leigh Marz report on studies that found taking time for silence restores the nervous system, helps sustain energy, and conditions our minds to be more adaptive and responsive to the complex environments in which so many of us now live, work, and lead.

Silence is golden because it is in silence that we can listen to the whispers of our soul. Turning off your devices and giving yourself the gift of quiet is not only soothing, it will help regenerate creativity in your life. Silence is the 6th of my 10 Pillars of Wellness – you can read about the other pillars here.

What better place to discover silence than at Tofino Hummingbird Cottage?