Tofino, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, is a scenic adventure getaway. -- Photo courtesy of Tourism British Columbia

Surfers perch precariously on waves that may have travelled all the way from Japan. A float-plane's throaty roar reverberates across the harbour. Backpackers sit on the curb making sandwiches, gleaming SUVs and hippy-era Volkswagen campers jockey for parking spots, and groups in orange survival suits and rubber boots clump by on their way to a whale-watching tour. Tofino, on Vancouver Island's west coast, is humming this sunny August morning, but people still take time to greet strangers on the street and chat at checkouts.

"I saw you this morning," exclaimed a staffer at Jamie's Whaling Station, which arranges sightseeing trips. "Where was that?" I asked. "In the bakery," she replied, referring to the Common Loaf where my wife and I had just had breakfast.

Things weren't always this laid back. In the early '80s and '90s, Tofino was a battleground for protests against logging on nearby Clayoquot Sound. Since 2000, it's been a UN Biosphere, with an area where logging is banned, another for limited extraction and development and a third for "ongoing economic activity and settlement."

Located at the tip of a peninsula, with tree-clad mountains in one direction and all-but-deserted islands in another, Tofino is enchanting. You enjoy the view for hours, but most visitors plunge into outdoor activities.

There are tours to see whales, sea lions and even black bears (one elated tourist reported seeing 13 that morning), to let you soak in hot springs or be taken out in a dugout canoe. You can deep-sea fish, learn to surf or stroll through old-growth forest at Tofino Botanical Gardens.

The Long Beach unit of Pacific Rim National Park has 10 km of beach and eight hiking trails. Hikers also drive or hop a bus to Ucluelet to try the Wild Pacific Trail. And there are long, paved walking/cycling paths leading to both Tofino and Ucluelet.

GETTING THERE

It is a five-hour drive from Victoria and there's regular bus service. We flew Craig Air, which began scheduled service from Victoria in April and also flies there from Vancouver; $145 plus GST each way. The scenic trip takes 32 minutes from Victoria, 40 from Vancouver. Call 1-877-886-3466 or visit craigair.com.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Don't arrive in summer without a reservation. You'll want to be on the water. We stayed at Pacific Sands Beach Resort where studio and one- and two-bedroom suites cost $220 -$450 per night in summer. Newer, more luxurious villas (heated slate floors, lots of wood and light), are $3,500 -$4,000 for a minimum one-week stay. Call 1-800-565-2322 or see pacificsands.com.

At the renowned Wickaninnish Inn, every room has a balcony, ocean or beach view and a deep soaker tub. Summer rates start at $400; call 1-800-333-4604 or check out wickinn.com.

Accommodation is much cheaper in winter during "storm season," when guests snuggle up and watch gales create mountainous swells that can crest as high as 18 metres as they reach shore.

MEALS

Reserve or go early. I had one of my best-ever fish dinners (Alaska black cod) at the Wickaninnish's Pointe Restaurant (250-725-3100), and another good supper at Shelter Restaurant (250-725-3353). SOBO, at Tofino Botanical Gardens, and Breakers, a deli, are recommended for lunch.

TOURISM INFORMATION

Tourism Vancouver Island, call 250-754-3500 or visit islands.bc.ca; Tourism British Columbia, call 1-800-435-5622 or see HelloBC.com.