Toronto to Victoria to Port Renfrew

After a very restless night and an early morning flight, we touched down in Victoria, BC, feeling like zombies on autopilot. You know that foggy-headed, slightly grumpy state where caffeine and the promise of a bed at the other end is the only thing keeping you upright? That was us.

We shuffled off the plane, grateful for the tiny airport, and managed to snag our rental car without too much trouble. It felt a little surreal stepping into that crisp West Coast air, even if we were too tired to fully appreciate it. The car was loaded up in no time, and with a quick pit stop at the grocery store to grab whatever groceries we would need in the coming days, we were on the road.

No time to waste—we had a cabin waiting in Port Renfrew and a couple of scenic detours on the agenda.

Our first stop was Sheringham Point Lighthouse, a lighthouse that has stood on the rocks above the rugged coastline for over 100 years. The internet told us we needed to stop but we were grateful to just stretched our legs a little. The trail winds through a forest that smells like cedar and salt, and when the lighthouse came into view, perched above the ocean with waves crashing below we were immediately snapped into adventure mode.  This is why we wanted to come.

Our next stop was Sandcut Beach. It’s a bit of a walk through thick, mossy forest (hello, fairy tale vibes) and then a bit of a scramble down to the pebbly beach. The reward? A waterfall tumbling right onto the beach. Even though we were dragging by this point, it was worth every step.

We finally rolled into our Airbnb cabin around 5 p.m., absolutely wrecked but deeply satisfied. The small cabin is tucked into the trees, quiet and cozy—exactly what we needed. This will be home for a couple of days.

After dumping our bags and flopping onto the couch, it hit us just how much ground we’d covered. Tired? Very. Regret anything? Not a chance.

From airport haze to ocean waves, it was one heck of a welcome to Vancouver Island.