Some of Vancouver Island’s most spectacular ocean beaches are located in the Sooke Region along West Coast Road (Hwy 14). French Beach Provincial Park, 21
kilometers west of Sooke, has beautiful walking trails, a picnic area, and campground. A little farther west, Sandcut Beach is less developed, but is ruggedly beautiful and worth the ten-minute walk. Stunning China Beach is renowned for its crashing surf and wonderfully sandy beach reached after a twenty-minute walk in the rainforest from the parking lot. To get to the beautiful sandstone cliffs and waterfall at Mystic Beach, hike for 45-minutes along the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail from China Beach. Back on the highway, an old logging road leads from West Coast Road to the Sombrio Beach parking lot where a ten-minute walk then leads to a large, wave-swept beach. Botanical Beach Provincial Park is situated next to Port Renfrew at the end of West Coast Road. A huge hit with families, this beach has extensive tidal pools carved into the sandstone shelf. These tidal pools are best viewed at a tide no higher than four feet (you may want to check for low tide before you make the drive). It is fascinating to observe these mini marine eco-systems which create a haven for many species of delicate marine life. Please note:
it is important that oil from human hands not pollute these tidal pools; the only souvenirs should be photographs.
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