The road ends at Tofino, and it feels like the end of the world in the best possible way. This small town sits at the tip of a peninsula on the wild west coast of Vancouver Island, surrounded by the waters of Clayoquot Sound, with forested islands, mountains and the open Pacific. It has become famous for surfing, storm watching and its relaxed, slightly bohemian atmosphere.
The ride here, along Highway 4 from Port Alberni, is long and challenging. The road winds through mountains, along Kennedy Lake and over the Sutton Pass, with tight curves, steep grades and stretches where rock walls and drop-offs leave little margin for error. A major rebuild around Kennedy Hill has improved the road, but it still demands concentration, and rain is frequent. Allow time and enjoy the scenery: old-growth forest, rushing rivers and glimpses of the sea.
At the junction, the road splits towards Ucluelet in the south and Tofino in the north, and between them lies the Long Beach unit of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, with miles of sand, rolling surf and rainforest trails. A park pass is required to stop. Clayoquot Sound has been a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 2000 and was the scene of huge logging protests in the early 1990s, among the largest acts of civil disobedience in Canadian history.
Tofino has fuel, supermarkets, cafés and restaurants, but prices are higher than on the east side of the island, and accommodation fills quickly in summer. Winter brings spectacular storms, when people come to watch the waves crash against the rocks. Whatever the season, take a walk on the beach, breathe in the salt air, and enjoy having reached the edge of the continent.