Cox Bay - Tofino, BC, Canada

Cox Bay is a smaller sandy beach destination which is lesser known by tourists and more popular by the locals. Crowds are less because the waves are bigger, it is farther from Tofino and there is no direct vehicle access. Visitors arrive via a trail or by ocean kayak. Cox Bay is located south of the community of Tofino, BC on Vancouver Island, Canada.

The Cox Bay trail starts from a resort parking lot located just north of the Pacific Rim Park. The beach is not marked from the highway therefore some knowledge of what to look for is required. And that would be the Pacific Sands Beach Resort Road.

The walking trail leads you through a forest, along a fence before heading down onto the sandy beach of Cox Bay.  Cox Bay is a a beach destination covered with fine, white sand. There are massive driftwood logs piled high on the beach - arriving there via big storms and massive waves. The tree line behind Cox Bay is decorated with dwarfed trees caused from the force of the winds and rains they endure during the west coast storms in the winter seasons.

Cox Bay beach provides endless, unobstructed views of the Pacific Ocean. There are no rock outcroppings or islands breaking the impact of the incoming waves... so, the waves here can be large with a strong under-tow.  The big waves attracts a lot of surfer activity.  In the winter storm watching attracts people to the beach. Surfing and storm watching are especially popular because of the big waves that Cox Bay enjoys.