Naa'Waya'Sum Gardens (formerly the Tofino Botanical Gardens) — Attraction in Tofino

Visiting the garden on an unexpectedly sunny day was the best decision we'd made all week. While the formal garden near the cafe and entrance was pretty standard, it was the Children's Garden that gave us an idea if what the rest of the garden had in store. The Children's Garden was wild and very natural; hidden little paths though the roots and fern filled underlayer of the forest that were a perfect place for imaginary play. Granted, I was too big to crawl all the way into that jungle, but it was a hoot to try. The walking path beyond the fantasy-esque gazebo was the real treasure of the Gardens. Amazing views of the mud flats, twisty paths through the rain drenched foliage, boardwalks into the trees, interersting art installations, and places to learn about the First Nation people. I love to see wildly beautiful nature from a safe path. We were lucky enough to visit while artists were working on some wooden wolf figurines. It was amazing to see their work! They stopped to chat and tell us about the poles they...

Don't miss the tour within the main building of the Tla-o-qui-aht peoples' history including tools and relics. Sadly I forgot the presenter's name, but I remember he was from the Wolf clan; do ask him about the significance of animals as clan figureheads. It's clear he spent many hours talking with elders because he was very knowledgeable. His storytelling is engaging and he enjoys answering questions so bring many.

If you're lucky, carvers may be working away at a totem pole beside the ecolodge, ask about it when you buy your ticket. If you've ever wondered how a pole was carved or had any carving questions, these are the experts to ask.

Future plans for the grounds include more Native artwork and hopefully the establishment of a cultural centre. Looking forward to see what the future holds...

I've been to a fair few botanical gardens, so maybe I'm a bit jaded, but I found this one a bit underwhelming. I noticed a few of the signs talked about the difficulties with growing exotic plants in the Vancouver Island climate; it might be better to focus more on native plants, then. There was a bit of that, but I would have loved to see detailed breakdowns of the different kinds of mosses and lichens on a given log, or something like that.

The highlight was the mudflats, which the gardens back up against. There are several places to access them, so I wouldn't recommend going here just for that, but if you're already there definitely give them a look. You'll want to be there at a receding mid tide, which will get you lots of...