Best Surf Trips from Vancouver

Tofino is great. Tropical surf trips out of YVR are even better when you need a thaw.

22 spots featured

Vancouver Island has Tofino — genuinely good surf, in some of the coldest, most beautiful water in North America. But after a winter of 6mm hooded suits and gravel-road drives to the West Coast, a YVR-to-warm-water mission is one of life's great rewards.

The closest options are quickest: Puerto Vallarta is 5 hours, Cabo is 4, Honolulu is 6. Air Canada and WestJet run constant routes to Mexico's Pacific surf coast and onto Hawaii, often direct. Costa Rica is 7 hours via a connection — still a one-day trip.

For longer hauls, YVR has direct flights to Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Sydney — opening up Japan, Indonesia (via Singapore or HKG), and Australia. Vancouver punches well above its weight as a surf-trip departure city, especially if you're willing to fly Asian carriers.

USA (HI)(5 spots)

Costa Rica(5 spots)

Mexico(5 spots)

Canada(3 spots)

Japan(3 spots)

Australia(1 spot)

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