If you need a reminder to visit Tofino, take this as your sign!
Lonely Planet’s team of travel writers has just released their definitive beach bible, featuring their top 25 beaches from across the globe.
Whether this comes as a surprise or not, one of Tofino’s iconic beaches made the list, placing 6th overall!
Can you guess which one? If you said Chesterman’s Beach, you got it! The popular spot was dubbed the best beach for winter surfing.
It’s located around five kilometers south of Tofino, near the far west end of Vancouver Island’s Pacific Rim Highway.
According to Lonely Planet, you can easily cycle there from Tofino if you’re looking for extra outdoor time.
Regular ferries run between Vancouver and Nanaimo, which takes around two hours. From there, you can either board a four-hour bus ride to Tofino or you can take your own car.
And although surfing at Chesterman is the main travel appeal for visitors, there’s so much to see and do there! This includes kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, whale watching, checking out the tide pools, observing surfing competitions and more.
Winter surfing has some serious swells and are recommended for experienced surfers. If you’re new to surfing, it’s advisable to go in the calmer summer months.
Other top beaches on Lonely Planet’s list included The Pass in Byron Bay, Australia; Ipanema Beach in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil; and Ao Maya, Thailand.
