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5 girlfriend's getaways in BC
Grab your girlfriends and head to BC, for any kind of adventure.
By Yuki Hayashi
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Fed up with cancelled dinner plans, abbreviated after-work cocktails and brunches interrupted by marauding BF's… or kids? Then gather your best gal pals and depart on a girlfriends' getaway. Quality time with your girls will do wonders for your soul. Our suggestion? Head west to BC, where there's anything and everything your gang could hope for, whether you're foodies, nature lovers, adrenaline hounds or spa junkies.
1. Surf's Up in Tofino
If you and your pals love to bond while breaking a sweat, you'll love chillin' in wetsuits. Tofino (population 1,500 year-round, up to 22,000 during July and August) is a wicked wonderland on Vancouver Island's West Coast. It's a Mecca for outdoorsy pursuits like hiking, sea kayaking and, of course, surfing. And don't think you need to travel in summer to hit the waves: Tofino's one of the world's foremost winter surfing hotspots.
Where to stay: The Wickaninnish Inn is Tofino's resort par excellence, with gorgeous beachfront accommodations (not a single room with the dreaded "parking lot view"), a world-class restaurant and lovely Aveda-concept spa. The Wick is right on Chesterman Beach, perfect for morning walks, beachcombing or surfing. Or, if you want to go low-key, rent a house or cabin. Find listings at Tofino Vacation Rentals.
What to do: Hit the waves. Head to Surf Sister for their popular weekend clinics ($195 per person; see the website for other lesson options). Female instructors, a positive vibe ¬and a great espresso bar in their boutique/office make them the best choice in a town where there are more surfing outfitters than variety stores.
On terra firma, consider hiking at Pacific Rim National Park in nearby Ucluelet. In few other places will you find this combination of wild Pacific coastal cliffs, beaches and temperate rainforest. And don't forget to reward yourselves for all this outdoorsy goodness by visiting Chocolate Tofino (1180 Pacific Rim Highway, 250-725-2526) or The Wick's Ancient Cedars Spa.
Where to eat: The Wick's Pointe exquisite restaurant is a can't-miss with its focus on regionally sourced produce and fresh-from-the-ocean seafood. Try the Raincoast Café for an innovative dinner menu and live music, or Tough City Sushi for Japanese food in a chic, bourgeois-bohemian setting.
Shelter is worth returning to again and again for its laidback surfer vibe and fresh, organic, locavore menu. The surfcam on their website will send you daydreaming once you're back home again (sigh.)
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