Sombrio Beach
While many look to the island in search of surfing and head to Tofino, driving in the other direction towards Sooke you will eventually find yourself at one of the most beautiful and special beaches on Vancouver island, Sombrio Beach. The surrounding coastline is part of the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Pacheedhat First Nation, meaning “People of the Sea Foam.” They have lived along the Juan de Fuca strait since time immemoriam, relying on the coastline for fishing, canoe travel and harvesting.
Sombrio Beach’s environment has a big impact on its surf. The beach is a mix of sand and cobblestones, sorted naturally by waves. Larger rocks sit at the forested edge, while smaller smoother pebbles are near the shoreline. when waves wash over them, the pebbles mix and grind together, creating a gentle rattling sound along the beach.
This mix of sand and rocks affects how the waves break, as east sombrio’s point break works well because of cobble stone point that extends into the ocean, as you can see in the distance to the right (picture left). This feature allows the right hand point break to peel consistently, especially during the swell in the fall/winter.
To the right is Sombrio’s hidden waterfall. When you explore near the waterfall, you might notice the walls are completely smooth, this is because of the water eroding the walls of rock around the fall over time. As the water flows down to the beach, it sorts the sediment, smoothing pebbles and rocks over time.
Sombrio Beach Waterfall, taken by Gabriel Copeland/2025
Sombrio beach is a special place where nature, surf and history are all in one place, and whether your surfing at the beach, hiking the juan de fuca or just enjoying the view its a spot I always find myself wanting to come back too.