• Location: Near
Port Renfrew (West coast of VI, off Highway 14).
• Best season: Late spring–early fall (for calm seas and exposed tide pools at low tide).
• Accessibility: Rough road in; short trails and wide rock flats; caution required at high tide.
• Cost: Free (day-use park).
• Crowd level: Low (off-grid location; weekends busier).
• Highlights: World-class tide pools teeming with starfish, anemones, crabs and more. Forested boardwalks lead to sweeping ocean vistas. In winter, storm-watching from high vantage points is spectacular.
✓ Romantic atmosphere: At low tide, you can wander hand-in-hand over flat sandstone beaches revealing “jewel-box” tide pools filled with colourful sea life – a delightful, child-like exploration experience. Evening visits can be especially intimate, with pastel sunsets and fewer visitors. Around every twist of the boardwalk there are new views of open ocean, making for peaceful reflective moments together.
✓ Photographer’s note: Best photo ops at low tide: fill the frame with vivid sea stars and urchins. Long exposures turn crashing surf into mist around driftwood or lichen-covered rocks. A drone (where allowed) captures the wild coastline.