West Coast Valentine Getaway ~Tofino & Hot Springs Cove

February 14, 2014

Well, with today being Valentine’s Day 2023, its only fitting that my next post took place on Valentine’s Day, back in 2014. My husband planned a romantic and fun west coast adventure in Tofino, with a surprise trip by boat to Hot Springs Cove in Clayoquot Sound. Before arriving in Tofino, we decided to visit the small fishing community of Ucluelet (Ukee for short). Located on a peninsula, with Tofino only 40 Km’s northwest and beautiful beaches (Long Beach, Cox Bay Beach, Wickaninnish Beach) and Pacific Rim National Park in between. We enjoyed the panoramic views from the Wild Pacific Trail and took in the magic and power of the ocean from Big Beach. A perfect start to our Valentine weekend away.

Upon arrival, we settled into our beach front cabin at Ocean Village Resort. Located on the beautiful shores of Mackenzie Beach, with direct beach access, indoor pool and hot tub. Stunning sunsets are complimentary…wink, wink.

After a beautiful and relaxing first night in our cabin, we were up with the birds for our boat trip to Hot Springs Cove. We boarded the “Miss Chief” with Ocean Outfitters Whale Watching. We were welcomed with delicious, locally made chocolates from Chocolate Tofino, a sweet touch to add to our weekend of love.

Arriving at Clayoquot Sound was exciting. Exciting for the unknown and for my first experience in a natural hot spring (not the pools I had experienced so far). To get to Hot Springs Cove, one must walk the Hot Springs Cove Trail, a 3.9 km out and back trail in Maquinna Provincial Park that takes on average, about an hour to complete. No dogs allowed on this trail as it is a popular trail for bird watching and the delicate forest and its floor must be preserved. The trail is mostly made of a beautifully maintained boardwalk etched with past visitors names. The history of carved planks began when boats were made of wood or steel, boaters would come to enjoy the hot springs, but the trail was quite muddy. Over time, visitors constructed the boardwalk, bringing in planks to add. Boat names and dates were carved into the planks and consequently, the boardwalk was created and continued until about 2017 when the boardwalk replacement project began. More recently, today’s safety and construction standards does not support future removal and placement of carved planks along the boardwalk. BC Parks has consolidated the best planks to re-purpose them into a special feature within the park with interpretive signage depicting the history of the carved planks. I am so happy that we got to experience the boardwalk before the replacement project began.

As we walked the beautiful forest, we quickly realized that the walk in itself was part of the Hot Springs Cove experience. It was just simply, amazing! It wasn’t long before the streams and vegetation and sometimes the smells, changed. You could see steam and smell the sulphur, a sure sign that we were getting closer to the springs. Once there, we were wowed and disappointed at the same time. The springs were packed with other bathers brought in on other, similar boat tours….something we didn’t factor in, given the fact that it was Valentine’s Day weekend and clearly we weren’t the only ones celebrating here. All things negative aside, the area itself was stunning! It included a pavilion for bathers to change, sit and relax while taking in the views and it’s winged visitors all around, (mostly Blue Jays). I did get to have a soak, even though I was shoulder to shoulder with others but we all collectively agreed that regardless, this was amazing. Especially when, just as you were getting overheated, a huge wave from the ocean would crash over the rocks separating us, into the pool with an instant and invigorating refresh. It was perfectly timed; nature is amazing that way. We enjoyed a glass of wine on the pavilion before our boardwalk journey back to the “Miss Chief”, awaiting to take us back to Tofino.

The walk back on the boardwalk was equally enjoyed as when we first came in. We stopped and Tony carved our name, HOLMES into a plank. Just before the end of the trail, we found a grassy area to picnic and finish off our wine. It couldn’t have been more perfect!

Once back in Tofino, our evening ended with a beautiful sunset walk on Chesterman Beach.

SURF DAY! Our final day in Tofino, Tony tried surfing (I wasn’t ready to take on the ocean yet). He was thrown around and spit out for a few hours with a giant grin on his face! Well worth it and an instant new love for him, prompting a goal in me to give it try on our next visit.

We wrapped up our day storm watching from our SUV before driving home. We had a fabulous weekend together. Tofino always delivers and to this day, we visit often.