West Coast Wildlife Rainforest Waterfall and Beaches
Description
Perfect for the wildlife lovers, this tour offer plenty of opportunity to see the wild creatures in their element. If you’re looking to explore Vancouver Island’s wild west coast without going to far from the city, consider visiting the South West Coast. Better than Tofino, closer to the city, family friendly and adventurer ready. Once we pick you up at 8am, it’s off to the West Coast for some invigorating hikes and coastal exploration. We will make a stop at the awe-inspiring Jurassic Grove. There, you can witness 1000-year-old Western Red Cedars, including 3.6m large trees! On our way back down, we will see 2 more beautiful beaches, suited for your group's ability. We will stop at either Mystic Beach, Sandcut Beach or Muir Creek Beach. All of them have beautiful sandstone features and you could also witness whales crossing the strait, sea lions, seals and otters cruising by the beach or basking in the sun, millions of year old fossils and waterfalls!
Tour Options
Itinerary
This beautiful road meanders through mountain passes, rivers and canyons. This is the road that will take us to our destination, and back home, but do not underestimates it's beauty and appeal. The drive is well worth it and features many beautiful quick stops.
Passing by the Juan de Fuca Trail, we will be entering Jurassic Grove. This magnificent grove of Ancient Trees is like stepping back in time 10,000 years, after the last glaciation. The Ancient Rainforest of this grove is truly magical, and nothing is comparable to the Old-Growth Cedar Groves of Vancouver Island. Here you can witness 1000 year old Cedar Trees in their grandeur, some reaching 90 meters/270 feet in height and over 3m/10ft in width. This is backcountry trail and your guide will take you through this hidden gem safely and provide you with this unique experience, as we are the only operator on the Island to explore this with visitors.
We will be grabbing lunch at this amazing cafe and enjoy a bit of downtime, bathroom break and wifi access between adventures. They also feature a small selection of books and souvenirs.
Sandcut Beach is a playground for people of all ages. From little tots to more experienced folks, this sand and pebble beach features a beautiful double header waterfall. Past the waterfall, the low tide can offer tide pools to explore with Mussels bigger than your hand and anemones covering the rocks. A giant driftlog makes for the perfect photo op, and the cascading waters, jutting off the cliff, are ideal for slipping behind for a glimpse and a gander behind the fall.
This last stop is where we will be enjoying our lunch in the company of Harbour Seals, baking in the sun. While we eat our fare, the seals will be napping on the rocks off the beach and if we are lucky we might catch them at lunch hour as well. These seals (and sometimes Otters) enjoy the kelp forest and rocky shores where fish, eels and shellfish hide before becoming a snack. Marvel at a Bald Eagle's nest up in the trees and wait for their soft tune announcing their take off in the air for some soaring and fishing.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We can pick up travellers in Victoria, BC or all the way into Sooke for this itinerary. If you have a pickup outside of this area, please get in touch with us so we can arrange a pickup or meet-up point.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- If you are a solo traveler please call us at 1 514 797 6405 or email at talesontrails.vi@gmail.com to inquire about joining a group!
Reviews(10)
Noemie was knowledgeable and personable. We had her all to ourselves and she definitely tailored the tour to our interests. She shared her vast knowledge of the area and was very informative and entertaining.
Thank you for learning with me :)
Natalie is a great tour guide. The hike would not be possible without her guide after the storms. We all loved the trip. I am sure that it would be much better on the sunny days. We would recommend this tour with Natalie to anyone.
Noemie is a very good girl and a very qualified guide of Vancouver Island. Despite the bad weather of previous days, we could did many trails in the nature. I highly recomend this girl and her agency tales on trails. Top
Thank you so much for sharing your vacation with us :)
I was looking for an affordable car and driver tour for myself for a specific photo adventure around the Port Renfrew area and although the date I needed was unavailable Noemie was able to slip me into another couple's tour for a tag along. Perfect! Driving was super safe, the choice of meal stop was excellent, and I managed to see exactly what I needed in the full day. I would book with her again and I would definitely splurge for a private solo tour next time, it would be worth it. Very knowledgeable, with interesting tidbits on nature and history. Very accommodating! Even last minute extras thrown in.
My wife and I came here and had a fantastic time! Noemie is a wonderful guide who is knowledgeable about the beaches and forests we visited. With her as our guide, we visited three different stops that were not even on our radar when planning our vacation. The beaches were beautiful and rugged. The forests were peaceful and serene. Noemie provided us with interesting details about the geology and ecology of the landscapes we were exploring. Additionally she served as our local guide and ensured that we had an efficient and fun day of hiking. Thanks again!!
Thank you so much Geoff and thank you for joining us :)
Our guide Noémie gave my husband and I an unforgettable day on the West Coast. We did three different hikes and visited Botanical Beach, a “grove” with very old redwood trees and Mystic Beach with a waterfall ending on the beach. Noémie had incredible botanical expertise that she shared with us. She also had a friendly, reserved manner and responded individually to our wishes and needs. We really enjoyed this beautiful and very personal tour despite small language barriers and can recommend it wholeheartedly.
What a great tour this is. And what a knowledge Noomy has of nature! Great to spend a whole day with her and discover the super beautiful nature
We had a great day full of varied and interesting activities. Noémie was so friendly and looked after us so nicely. Highly recommended !!! Merci beaucoup !
Ça fait plaisir! Thanks for sharing your vacation with me!
Noemie is a rare find and her knowledge of nature and geology was incredible. A natural and gifted person who would answer all questions with depth and clear explanation. We loved the rock pools and waterfall on Day 1 and listening to the waves on beach when camping was absolute joy. Day 2 was the 3rd tallest Tree and caving for us. Going back to the UK with lots of new information. Check this tour company out for 1st class service and knowledge when visiting Vancouver Island. You will not be disappointed. Thank you Noemie for creating wonderful memories of Vancouver Island. Alan & Dawn Hutley United Kingdom
Noamy is a breath of fresh air, she made sure I was well informed, safe & enjoying the whole day. The places we explored the knowledge & guidances were above my expectations. As a solo traveller you never know what to expect, despite being a solo adventure we had an amazing day & got to see all the listed spots as well as random wildlife (black bear) Thank you for a magical day, I will forever be grateful & recommend you to anyone travelling to that side of the world.
