Base: a lodge or rental in Tofino, two nights. From Horseshoe Bay the ferry crosses to Departure Bay in Nanaimo, then Highway 4 runs west across the island: allow about 3 hours 30 minutes of driving from Nanaimo, plus stops. The Cathedral Grove trails are free to walk. Pace: a long travel day for friends: mostly ferry and driving, with short, flat walks among the firs; the break is lunch at Coombs.
Across the strait
Where to eat: breakfast at the terminal or on the ferry.
Catch a morning sailing from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay, booked ahead, with breakfast and coffee at the terminal or on board. Watch for the islands of Howe Sound as you pull out, then drive north from Nanaimo toward Highway 4. Expert tip: Book the ferry both ways. Friday afternoon and Sunday evening sailings fill first.
Lunch at Coombs
Where to eat: Coombs Old Country Market café, daily until 3 p.m.
The Coombs Old Country Market is the roadside market with goats grazing on its grass roof, and it is more than a photo stop: a big market hall of cheese, bread, deli counters and imported oddities, with a café for lunch. The market is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., the café until 3 p.m.
Cathedral Grove
Highway 4 runs right through Cathedral Grove in MacMillan Provincial Park, where Douglas firs hundreds of years old rise out of moss and ferns. Short loop paths start on both sides of the road. Parking is limited and the highway is busy, so cross with care, and if the wind is up, stay off the trails entirely; falling branches are the real hazard here. Expert tip: In strong wind, look from the roadside and drive on. The grove is closed to walkers for good reason on stormy days.
Over to the coast, and dinner
Where to eat: Wolf in the Fog, daily from 5 p.m.
The road climbs past Kennedy Lake and winds down to the Pacific; the last stretch is narrow and slow, with winter tyres required. Check in, then drive into town for Wolf in the Fog, a Tofino restaurant cooking local seafood with a wood-fired kitchen. It opens daily from 5 p.m.
Where to eat and stop
- Breakfast · BC Ferries, breakfast on board — Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay. Why here: an early start for the morning sailing.
- Lunch · Coombs Old Country Market — market daily 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., café 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Why here: a big market hall and café, halfway across the island.
- Dinner · Wolf in the Fog — Tofino; daily from 5 p.m. Why here: local seafood and a lively room to start the weekend.
- Quick stop (snack): The goats on the roof — Coombs Old Country Market. Why here: a snack and a look at the roof before you leave.
- Quick stop (viewpoint): Cathedral Grove — MacMillan Provincial Park, on Highway 4. Why here: old-growth firs a short walk from the road.
Horseshoe Bay → Departure Bay: about 1 hour 40 minutes by ferry. Nanaimo → Coombs: about 35 minutes. Coombs → Cathedral Grove: about 20 minutes. Cathedral Grove → Tofino: about 2 hours 30 minutes.
Where to stay
- Wickaninnish Inn — two nights on Chesterman Beach, on the sand for storm watching.
- Long Beach Lodge Resort — two nights on Cox Bay, a short drive south of town.
Dinner: Wolf in the Fog.
Tomorrow: Long Beach, the Wild Pacific Trail and Tofino Brewing.
Bad-weather plan
Storm on the drive? Skip the Cathedral Grove trails, look from the roadside and keep going. Check DriveBC at Port Alberni before the last mountain stretch.
Stay: Tofino · Anchor: Cathedral Grove · book the ferry both ways
Good to know: Stay off the Cathedral Grove trails in wind. Winter tyres are required on Highway 4 through the cold months.
