Hiking Tours, Guided Day Trips - Sombrio
When I first started exploring the West Coast of Vancouver Island, I couldn’t imagine picking a favourite place. Between jumping in fresh water pools of the Sooke River, hiking the 3500 acres of East Sooke Park, or climbing through giant trees to the sandy beaches of the Juan de Fuca trail, I was beside myself.
Over the years, I have sorted through the hidden gems and highlighted a few of my favourites to take guests who are visiting the island. One of them is Sombrio Beach. Sombrio has a local reputation as a surfing hotspot, as well a long stretch of beach to camp and explore. Once upon a time, before the Juan de Fuca trail was established, a community of people lived down at Sombrio. They built their own shelters, harvested their own food and lived off the land. That time literally gave birth to world class surfers.
Nowadays, I take guests there for a daytrip to tell them the stories of long ago, and explore the many treasures Sombrio holds. The giant trees that still stand after years of erosion are tall enough to walk under for a keepsake photograph. A small river that flows out from the tree line into the ocean will lead you to one of the most tropical hidden waterfalls in the south island. A collapsed cave appears to be the end of the beach, but just around the corner is my favourite spot to sit and breathe in all that is the west coast. Past porous layers of volcanic rock is a small plateau that one can perch up on and feel the waves crash 30 feet below. To the left is an amazing view of a free drop waterfall tucked into a bay.
A few minutes hiking will take you to the top of the falls which is an excellent place to have lunch, let your feet dangle and check out the snow capped Olympic Mountains. At the end of the day, an hour and a half drive will take you back to Victoria to climb into bed and replay your west coast adventures while you drift off to sleep.
Submitted February 5, 2010
Photos and words by: Drea Gibson
Hiking Tours, Guided Day Trips
250.588.3732
