THE BEST DAY EVER: VANCOUVER ISLAND

Start in Ucluelet, not Tofino. The 8km drive south from the Highway 4 junction puts you at Zoe's Bakery on Peninsula Road before the Tofino crowds have woken up. Order the Americano and the sourdough toast with local honey. Eat outside on the deck with a view of the harbour.

Drive back north and park at Amphitrite Point Lighthouse. Walk the Wild Pacific Trail south — the lighthouse loop first (2.6km, 45 minutes), then continue on the Artist Loop toward Florencia Bay. The trail follows the headland above the open Pacific. Allow two hours for the full loop.

Book the noon lesson at Pacific Surf School. Two hours in the water at Cox Bay. The instructors are good and the waves are consistent. You will fall off the board many times. You will also stand up. The cold water stops being a problem after the first wipeout.

After the surf, drive to the Tacofino truck on Industrial Way. Order two Baja fish tacos and a Jarritos. Eat standing up. This is not a restaurant experience — it is a refuelling stop that happens to serve one of the best tacos in Canada.

Return to Tofino for the golden hour. The Hatch bar at Long Beach Lodge faces Cox Bay directly west. Order the Salish Sea Sour and watch the surfers in the last light. The sun sets over the open Pacific from here — no land between you and Japan. This is the cocktail hour.

Book the 8pm sitting at Wolf in the Fog. Order the dungeness crab to start, the halibut for main, and whatever the kitchen is doing with local berries for dessert. Drink the Okanagan Pinot Gris. Stay for the cheese. This is the meal that justifies the drive.