A Vancouver Island beach wedged between Tofino and Ucluelet has struck gold after claiming a spot on a worldwide rankings list highlighting the best of the best.
Long Beach, on the Island’s west coast, scored the 52nd spot on BeachAtlas’ Golden Beach Award 2024 list, which features 100 sandy spots around the world. It was the only beach in Canada to make the list that was released Wednesday.
“With a length of 10 kilometres, it is evident that Long Beach derives its name from its voracious stretch of shoreline,” wrote BeachAtlas, which often posts travel guides to its website.
The seaside stretch is the longest and largest within Pacific Rim National Park — the only national park on the Island, according to a local tourism website.
“It constitutes a part of the Long Beach Unit and is one of the three sections comprising the Pacific Rim National Park,” said BeachAtlas. “Aptly dubbed as the ‘Surf Capital of Canada,’ the beach attracts surf enthusiasts due to its sprawling waves and unwavering temperature, which persists throughout the year.”
Bora Bora, Boulders Beach in South Africa and Waikiki Beach in Hawaii claimed first, second and third place, respectively, and BeachAtlas says selected travel experts and influencers cast their votes and helped curate the rankings.
They considered criteria like value to the local community, lifestyle offerings and cultural significance, putting together a list that “goes beyond the conventional, embracing a richer tapestry of what makes a beach remarkable,” adds BeachAtlas.
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Being recognized internationally is nothing new for Island-based destinations, like in 2022 when Time Magazine included Tofino on its “World’s Greatest Places” list.
At the time, a local councillor told CHEK News the district was grateful to be acknowledged, adding, “keeping it such a great place to live, as well as visit, has required a lot of vision, hard work, and tremendous community and regional effort.”
More recently, travel magazine Lonely Planet named Tofino’s Chesterman Beach one of the top 20 beaches worldwide, while last August, Mystic Beach west of Sooke made Big 7 Travel’s list of the top 50 beaches in the world.
Ethan Morneau
