TIME revealed the third annual list of the World’s Greatest Places, which highlights 50 extraordinary travel destinations around the world. Tofino Resort + Marina’s West Coast Floating Sauna was featured as one of the exciting new experiences in Tofino, which earned a spot on this year’s list.
“We are honoured to be included in this prestigious list of travel destinations around the world,” says Willie Mitchell, managing partner and co-founder of Tofino Resort + Marina. “Our team has worked incredibly hard to create thoughtful and engaging outdoor adventures, while prioritizing our partnership with the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation and our sustainable approach to travel and hospitality. We love sharing our passion for our beautiful backyard and through increasing access to Vancouver Island’s wilderness, we encourage our guests to disconnect from their busy lives and reconnect with both nature and each other.”
To compile this list, TIME solicited nominations of places – including countries, regions, cities and towns – from its international network of correspondents and contributors, with an eye toward those offering new and exciting experiences.
TIME contributor Claudia Laroye wrote: “On the windswept west coast of British Columbia’s Vancouver Island lies tiny Tofino, a former fishing village and the traditional home of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation of the Nuu-chah-nulth people, now a bustling community surrounded by the UNESCO Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve. Wildlife tours, forest hiking, and walks along wide sandy beaches reconnect people with nature. Powerful winter storms produce ocean swells, creating epic storm-watching opportunities and a thriving cold-water surfing scene.
“Earlier this year, the Tofino Resort + Marina debuted a new experience, the West Coast Floating Sauna. Accessed only by boat, the wood-fired cedar sauna bobs in a still, secluded bay inside the reserve. The 63-room Tofino Resort + Marina, co-owned by former NHL players Dan Hamhuis and Willie Mitchell and business partner Andrew Purdey, also offers adventures from fishing to free diving, paddleboarding, and whale or bear watching.”
