Once dependent on resource industries such as commercial fishing, Tofino is now considered a resort community.

Located on the west coast of Vancouver Island, the small town is connected by Highway 4 to Port Alberni and the population centres on the east coast of Vancouver Island. Boat services connect Tofino with coastal communities such as Ahousat and Hot Springs Cove.

Situated in the traditional territory of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations, the settlement acquired its name in 1909, after Tofino Inlet. Spanish explorers named the inlet in 1792.

The construction of a logging road in 1959 brought outsiders who would camp on beaches and spend time in the ocean. The increasing numbers of visitors also saw an increase in movements to preserve the natural and cultural environments in the area. Dr. Howard McDiarmid led an initiative to establish Pacific Rim National Park in 1971. The following year, the old logging road was paved over.

In 2000, Clayoquot Sound became British Columbia’s first UNESCO Biosphere Region. Like other UNESCO Biosphere Regions, Clayoquot Sound—which includes Tofino—is a protected area whose inhabitants work sustainably with their natural environment.

Tofino weather is rain concentrated in the winter, and far exceeds that of nearby areas. During the summer months the weather is mild with an average of 6-10 days of rain per month.

Surfing in Tofino is what the town is best known for. Queen of the Peak Women’s Surf Championship is held there, as is Rip Curl Pro Tofino, the official Canadian surfing championship. In 2010, the O’Neill Coldwater Surf Classic took place on Cox Bay Beach, as the first professional ASP surf event ever held in Canada. Tofino surfer Pete Devries won the competition. A Montreal ska band The Planet Smashers even recorded a song in 1999 called “Surfin’ in Tofino.”

Tofino has also served as a location in a number of films, including The Twilight Saga: New Moon and War for the Planet of the Apes. In the Canadian film One Week, the main character rides his motorcycle from Toronto to Tofino. The town was also one of many locations for The Big Year, a 2011 movie about birding that stars Jack Black, Owen Wilson and Steve Martin.