Cox Bay Lookout: The Best Guide For a Visit That You’ll Love (by Two Locals)

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Are you looking for the best guide to Cox Bay Lookout? You’ve found it! Eric being from Vancouver Canada, we are very familiar with the Tofino area, which we’ve explored several times. In this area, you’ll find the Cox Bay Tofino Lookout, a stunning lookout with some of the most incredible British Columbia views.

Cox Bay Lookout is one of the relatively still best kept-secrets on Vancouver Island. Though locals or Vancouver-raised people know about it, lots of tourists will walk by it without even knowing it exists. The Cox Bay Lookout is a stop you should definitely add to your travel itinerary to Vancouver and Vancouver Island. 

In this post, and similarly to our post about the secret platform in Horseshoe Bay, we share everything you need to know about the Cox bay Lookout from our experience to the Cox Bay Lookout trail and map. 

***Some of the links in this post are affiliate links meaning we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This does not change the fact that we only recommend products, stays, activities and attractions we are satisfied with and all opinions expressed here are our own.

Why Cox Bay Lookout is great for couples

If you know us, you know that we love finding romantic spots when we travel as a couple. And Cox Bay Lookout is definitely one of those romantic spots we love to explore. It’s a great date idea for couples in the Vancouver area and here’s why.

Teamwork needed to find Cox Bay Lookout

The truth is, Cox Bay Lookout isn’t the easiest to find! And that’s what Eric and I love about finding hidden lookouts and secret platforms. It takes teamwork, kind of like being detectives but in a super nice decor. From our experience, few people know about Cox Bay Lookout so just like any of us, you’ll have to research it and then figure it out on site. For couples, this means working together, sneaking around to find the beginning of the trail. It also means helping each other out to the top as the trail can be quite difficult. All together, the experience will make you stronger and more connected.

Cox Bay Lookout romance

Obviously, Cox Bay Lookout gives an absolutely gorgeous view. That’s the perfect spot for a first date or to impress your partner. Though we’ll go more into details on how much space there is at the top, note that you could bring a picnic or sandwiches and have lunch or breakfast with a stunning view together. 

Peacefulness at Cox Bay Lookout

In this age of technology where spending time together means scrolling on our phones, Cox Bay Lookout brings a breath of fresh air into the relationship. From the top, you’ll both be awed by the view and will definitely get a sense of peacefulness. Hiking to Cox Bay Lookout is a great experience if you need to hit pause and really be present with each other. It’s perfect for couples who need to connect and feel each other’s energy. Ground yourself together, go to Cox Bay Lookout!

What is Cox Bay 

Cox Bay is an area located at the South end of Tofino on Vancouver Island. It takes about 9 minutes by car to reach the famous Vancouver Island town. Cox Bay encompasses several areas. 

The first one is Cox Bay Beach. The beach is typically in the West Coast vibe with pine trees, rock formations and surfers chasing waves. The second one is the Cox Bay Beach Resort. This is a famous resort where people love to stay as it is close to the beach and quite charming. Finally, Cox Bay is also home to the Cox Bay Lookout similarly to Horseshoe Bay who is home to the Horseshoe Bay Lookout. 

Cox Bay BC is the perfect place for couples looking to relax, take romantic walks on the beach, spend time at the beach and exploring Vancouver Island’s hidden gems like the lookout. 

What is the Cox Bay Lookout Tofino

Cox Bay Lookout, also known as the Tofino Lookout or the Cox Bay Beach Lookout, is a viewpoint located above Cox Bay Beach. Contrary to the Horseshoe Bay Lookout, it is not man-made. In Horseshoe Bay, the lookout is made of a wooden platform. The Cox Bay Lookout is not a platform but more of the top of a (small) mountain.

Although it is increasingly becoming a popular spot, you can still enjoy it to yourself if, like us, you visit during the week or early in the morning. Sunset time is another great time to have the place to yourself as the descent in the dark is something most people want to avoid. 

Cox bay Lookout is one of the best stops to add to your Vancouver Island or British Columbia itinerary. It provides amazing British Columbia views with a West Coast vibe. The views give on Cox Bay Beach, Clayoquot Sound with Lone Cone mountain in the background, Chesterman Beach and Vancouver Island Mountains. Of course, you also get a stunning view on the ocean and surfers riding waves. It’s absolutely beautiful! Don’t forget to use one of our quotes about Canada to illustrate your best photos on social media.

How to get to Cox Bay Lookout

In this section, we share with you how to get to Cox Bay and then how to get to Cox Bay Lookout from Cox Bay.

How to get to Vancouver Island

First, you’ll need to reach Vancouver Island if you’re not already on the island. From Vancouver, you have several options. You can either take the ferry or take a seaplane. 

Reaching Vancouver Island by ferry

There are several ferry route from Vancouver to Vancouver Island. The easiest, shortest and most convenient one from Vancouver to Vancouver Island is the route from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo. Horseshoe Bay is locates in West Vancouver about 20 minutes by car from Stanley Park. It’s easy to access by bus as well if you don’t have a car. 

We highly recommend booking ferry tickets in advance as ferries fill up quickly, especially in the summer. 

Reaching Vancouver Island by seaplane

Seaplanes in British Columbia are literally like buses. People take them to go faster, especially to go to Vancouver Island. The big advantage of seaplanes is that it’s not just a transfer from point A to point B. It’s an experience in itself with absolutely stunning views as the cherry on top. If that sounds like a good idea, you can book your seaplane transfer here. We recommend booking in advance as they sell out quickly.

For a memorable transfer to Vancouver Island, book your seaplane transfer here. Alternatively, you can book a transfer from Vancouver to Tofino here.

How to get to Cox Bay

Once in Nanaimo, you have two possibilities to reach Cox Bay from Nanaimo. The first one is by car. You can either bring your own car or rental car on the ferry or rent a car in Nanaimo. Nanaimo to Cox Bay is a 2h and 40 minute drive. 

Your second option it to take the bus from Nanaimo to Tofino. This is about a 4 hour journey and costs about CAD$67 per person. You can find all the Vancouver Island bus routes here.

If you took a seaplane to Victoria, you can either rent a car in Victoria or take the bus from the Victoria Bus Depot to Tofino. The journey costs CAD$102 per person. The journey lasts for about 6 hours and usually includes one transfer.

From Tofino, there is a summer shuttle that operates for free to Tofino Visitor Centre. You can find more information about this free shuttle here. From the visitor centre, it’s only a 10 minute walk to the Cox Bay Beach so that is very convenient if you don’t have a car.

By car, the Tofino-Cox Bay Beach route takes about 10 minutes. 

Wherever you come from by car or bus, you will need to drive on the Pacific Rim Highway, either south if you come from Tofino or North if you come from Nanaimo. Once you arrive at the Surf Grove Campground, you’ll have to take a turn on Maltby Road where you’ll find available parking spaces.

The Cox Bay hike: How to get to Cox Bay Lookout

Wether you are starting from the parking lot by Surf Grove Campground or the Tofino Visitor Centre (Tofino Tourism), you’ll need to head to Cox Bay Beach to find the Cox Bay Lookout. 

Note that the Cox Bay Lookout is not visible from the beach so we wouldn’t recommend following voices or people. We’ve heard of stories where people followed other people and ended up at the wrong location.

Once you’re at the beach, you’ll have to turn to the South end of the beach. When facing the sea, that means you’ll have to turn left. 

Now, this is where things can get a bit difficult. There are no signs to the lookout so you’ll have to find the beginning of the trail by yourself. First, walk to the very south end of the beach. That’s a few hundred meters from where you started. 

Once you reach the end, you’ll need to find a small stream of water. This is where the trail begins. Because you’re on Vancouver Island, there is usually several streams of water (It wouldn’t be fun otherwise), so you’ll need to be a bit attentive to find THE ONE.

To find the right entrance to the path and avoid ending up at the wrong lookout, find a point that is about one third down the start of the beach. Do not count two thirds from the water as there are Tofino tides and that could give you the wrong result. At the point that corresponds to one third of the beach, look for a small stream with mud, marks of shoes and that goes into the forest. 

Once, you’ve found it, follow the stream upwards. Note that the trail isn’t an actual trail so you’ll have to make your way through the bushes and cobwebs. If you feel the trail going up and down, you’re on the right track. Don’t worry, it will go up very soon. On the trail, always keep to your right. You’ll see some small trails going into other directions but keep to the right. 

After about 20 minutes going up, you will start seeing heaps of the view. As you go up, keep an eye on the ground, especially on random rocks that are in your way and pools of muds. 

Once you start seeing some light, you’ll come across a large rock. This is the last part of the trail. You’ll need to use the rope attached to the rock to get over it. Once you’ve passed the rock, you’re welcomed with incredible views on the beach, the island and the ocean; some of the best views in BC!

Note that the Cox Bay hike actually continues a few meters further to a second lookout. Though not as impressive, it offers more views on the Clayoquot Sound.

Cox Bay Lookout trail map

To make it easier for you to start the beginning of the Cox Bay Lookout trail, we created this Cox Bay Lookout map with the starting point marked.

How hard is the Cox Bay Lookout hike?

The Cox Bay hike to the lookout isn’t too difficult when it comes to elevation but it comes with its own challenges. The first difficulty of the Cox Bay hike Tofino offers to the lookout is actually finding the start of the trail. The second difficulty is the presence of mud, roots, branches, cobwebs, and other items that you’ll find on your way. We recommend not getting too caught up in the mud as it will likely get on you regardless of how careful you are. Just embrace it, it will make your shower even nicer!

After about 5 minutes, the Cox Bay Lookout hike starts getting steeper. It can be a bit challenging with slippery mud but it’s still doable. 

How long is the Cox Bay Lookout hike?

The Cox Bay Lookout Hike to the top is only between 20 to 30 minutes depending on your pace and how muddy the trail is. That’s counting from the start of the trail. From the parking lot near Surf Grove Campground to the top of the lookout and back, count about two hours for the Cox Bay Lookout trail, especially if you enjoy taking your time, looking at surfers and taking photos.

The Cox Bay Lookout trail

The Cox Bay trail is a rainforest trail so it is pretty much muddy all year round. Though there are times where it feels like a normal trail, most of the trail is made of bushes, rocks, and mud which can make it sound more difficult than it really is.

The trail itself isn’t too difficult, especially because it’s rather short. The trail calls for good footwear nonetheless. Note that the Cox Bay Lookout trail is different from the Radar Hill trail.

The Cox Bay Lookout Viewpoint

The Cox Bay Lookout itself is a mix of ground and rocks pocking out as well. When you reach it, you’ll find yourself surrounded by trees and branches as well. The lookout itself is quite large in comparison to the Horseshoe Bay platform. You can easily fit several people there though people tend to take turns to get the best photos. 

The rock formations at Cox Bay Lookout are also large enough to sit or climb onto. That’s great if you’re planning on spending some time up there. Trust us when we say you’l’ be happy to have a rock to sit on once you reach the top!

Sunset or sunrise at the Cox Bay Lookout?

Though Cox Bay Lookout is known as a sunset point Cox Bay offers, we wouldn’t recommend heading here for sunset. The Cox bay Lookout trail, as you’ve seen, can be quite unstable which becomes dangerous when it’s pitch black outside. If you head to Cox Bay Lookout for sunset, you will have to come down in the dark. Note that bringing a lamp torch is helpful but also unpractical. That’s because you will likely need both your hands to help yourself get down and balance yourself through the mud and steep trail. If you would like to head to Cox Bay Lookout for sunset, we recommend bringing headlamps instead.

We recommend visiting Cox Bay Lookout either for sunrise or during the day. Sunrise and early mornings, especially during the week are the least busy times. These are the times where you’ll likely have the lookout for yourself. Sunrise is absolutely beautiful. You’ll see the beach waking up with surfers arriving one after the other. Being at Cox Bay Lookout at sunrise makes you feel like it’s just you and your partner in the whole world! it’s super romantic and peaceful. We highly recommend that time.

Best time to visit the Cox Bay Lookout Viewpoint

Though cox Bay Lookout is worth a visit at any time, there are times we would recommend avoiding for safety but also to avoid getting disappointed in the view.

First, we only recommend going up to the lookout if the sky is clear. Foggy days can bring a cool vibe but you will likely be disappointed if the view is all clogged up by the fog. Fog on Vancouver Island is quite common so look out (no pun intended) for the weather forecast. That said, it is normal for early mornings to be more foggy. If you’re heading to the lookout for sunrise and it’s foggy, you still have a chance to catch a clear view as the fog clears up naturally.

Second, we recommend checking out whether Cox Bay has been getting a lot of rain or not. Though the trail is likely to be muddy no matter when you go, it might be too dangerous to head there after heavy rainfalls. Vancouver Island is located in the rainforest area so heavy rainfalls that last for days are common. Before heading to the lookout, check what the weather has been like. If it has only rained sporadically for a couple of days, you should be fine. Remember that if you get on site and it looks dangerous to you, you probably should follow your instinct.

Third, if you’r looking to take great photos, sunrise is better. At that time, there won’t be too many people and the light will be softer making it easier to catch good photos. Sunset is also a great time for photos but means you’ll have to make your way down in the dark. 

As far as what the best time during the year is to visit Cox Bay Lookout, summer and fall are probably it! Winter is usually too wet making it difficult to reach the top and get a good view. Spring in British Columbia is hit or miss. Sometimes the weather is amazing with lots of sun and sometimes it’s just rain days on end. 

What to wear to visit Cox Bay Lookout

If you decide to hike up the lookout, we highly recommend wearing hiking gear no matter the season. Though we’ve heard that some people do the hike in flip-flops or even barefoot (??!!), we really don’t recommend you follow those examples. The hike is steep, muddy and if you fall, a good pair of hiking shoes will keep your feet safe. Hiking shoes also have more grip and some are even waterproof so they’re great to insulate you from the mud and water. 

In the winter and spring, we recommend wearing warm clothes and a wind or rain jacket. Cox Bay gets very windy similarly to Chesterman Beach, and it’s best to be well protected so you can enjoy the experience as much as possible.

In the summer, Vancouver Island, including Cox Bay, gets really warm. When we visit our family cabin in the summer, we usually wear shorts and T-shirts so summer clothes are appropriate for the lookout as well. However, remember that you should wear appropriate footwear as the trails can be muddy and slippery even during summer.

What to do near Cox Bay Lookout

There is lots to do near Cox Bay Beach Lookout. Our favourite options are as follows:

Cox Bay Beach Tofino

Cox Bay Beach, also known as Cox Beach Tofino, is the beach right under the Cox Bay Lookout. You will need to walk on it to reach the start of the lookout trail. After coming back down from the lookout, we highly recommend spending some time on the beach, enjoying the West Coast vibes and watching surfers. The beach has got white thin sands and stunning views.

How do I get to Cox Bay beach?

Cox Bay Beach is located just next to the Surf Grove Campground. You can park there and just walk for a couple minutes to the beach.

Chesterman Beach

Chesterman Beach is one of our absolute favourite beaches on the West of Vancouver Island. It is famous among surfers but also locals who enjoy its relaxing vibe. We love how long and beautiful it is with thin white sand, and lots of parts to explore. At the very north end of the beach, you’ll find rock formations you can climb like we did (see photos). The beach also offers tide pools in the rock formations. There are also a number of cute coastal houses to look at. 

Cox Bay surfing

Surfing is a popular activity on Cox Bay Beach. If you want to try it for yourself and finally ride some waves, you can rent surfing equipment in Tofino. This place is located near Cox Bay Beach and rents everything from wetsuits to surfboards and paddleboards. 

Before going surfing, check out the Cox Bay wave report and the Cox Bay surfcam.

Cox Bay info centre Tofino

Near the lookout, you will find the Tofino Visitor Centre. We recommend stopping by to find out about any activities that might suit your needs in the area. 

Visiting Tofino

Of course, Tofino is a big part of the area so a stop there is a must. There are plenty of things to do in Tofino which we go through in more details in the next sections.

Visiting Sprout Lake

Sprout Lake is our home base when we visit Vancouver Island. There is so much to do there from water activities, wind surfing, boating, relaxing on the beach or even exploring the petroglyphs. Sprout Lake has got everything whether you want to relax or be active.

Cox Bay accommodations: Places to stay near Cox Bay Lookout

When visiting the Cox Bay Lookout, you’ll have several options when it comes to finding a Cox Bay Tofino accommodation.

• This motel for a budget option right in the centre of Tofino with beautiful surroundings. You can check availabilities here.
• This resort for a stay on the beach with stunning ocean views. You can check availabilities here.
• This resort for a special occasion where you want to treat yourself and your partner. You can check availabilities here.
• Ocean Village Resort: This resort for Cox Bay cabins on the beach and a romantic vibe. You can check availabilities here.
• The Cox Bay campground Tofino offers at Surf Grove Campground.
• This beautiful Cox Bay resort Tofino offers, which is also one of the Cox Bay hotels right by the Cox Bay Lookout. You can check availabilities here.
• This stunning villa with a hot tub and incredible views. This accommodation can host up to 6 people which is perfect for a special occasion like an elopement!

Things to do in Tofino

Is Tofino worth visiting? Our answer is yes absolutely! There are plenty of things to do in Tofino for a day or two.

Tofino has got quite the hipster vibes and most things are happening outside which makes it a popular summer visit. Here’s what you can do in Tofino.

Wander around the town

The town of Tofino isn’t very big but is quite charming. It’s got a few shops and restaurants that you can wander around. It’s a great place for lunch as we’ve experienced! You can try the Tacofino truck for example.

Watch the seaplanes

Seaplanes land in and take off from Tofino. We highly recommend taking a walk on the docks and watching them take off. It’s quite interesting and impressive. Not to mention the view which is absolutely incredible.

Check out Long Beach Tofino

If you’re not tired of beaches yet, Long Beach is another beach for couples to check out. It’s similar to Chesterman Beach and Cox Beach.

Go on another hike

There is no lack of trails around Tofino. You can check out the following:

• Rainforest Trail
• Wild Pacific Trail
• South Beach Trail
• Pettinger Point Trail

Take surf lessons

The Tofino area, as you’ve seen, is popular among surfers. It’s the perfect place to take some lessons and finally learn to ride the waves.

Brewery Visit

You can visit Tofino Brewing for some local beer and a good time.

Cox Bay Lookout FAQs

How do I access Cox Bay Lookout?

Cox Bay Lookout is accessible from Cox Bay Beach through a trail that starts at a small stream on the southend of the beach.

What is the best lookout in Tofino?

Cox Bay Lookout is the best lookout in Tofino.

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