Fossil Bay was the perfect local getaway for us during this pandemic, but it would have been the perfect getaway regardless. Just an hour from Victoria, the cabins give you a sense of being completely alone with the ocean, undisturbed by humanity. That said… if the pandemic has you feeling like you’d happily be disturbed by literally ANY human, you aren’t far from take-out restaurants, cafes, and prime surfer-watching locations. Remember to be extremely cautious if you interact with these smaller communities.

Now is not the time to travel. But if you’re looking for inspiration for a future trip, here are some reasons why an oceanfront cottage at Fossil Bay Resort is an ideal spot for a short getaway:

Layout and privacy: Once you walk into the cabin, the first thing you’ll see is the ocean. The cabin is a single room, consisting of a full kitchen, king-sized bed, and living room area with a TV and fireplace. The two-person dining table sits in front of the window, and the living area opens out onto the oceanfront sundeck. Because the cabins sit on a cliff, no one can walk in front of your place, so besides the hot tub maintenance person (who will call ahead before coming), your stay will be completely private. Do you understand what I mean? You can be naked the whole time!

COVID Safety: If you do visit during the pandemic (when non-essential travel is allowed), this is an extremely safe option. Check in is contactless, the cabin comes with a full kitchen so you don’t have to go into any vulnerable communities, and services like towel exchange are contactless. This felt like a very low risk getaway!

Location: You can’t beat the proximity to the rugged West Coast beaches and spectacular hiking trails on the southwest coast of the island! Fossil Bay is just a couple minutes drive from Sandcut Beach, and down the road from French Beach, Jordan River, and Mystic Beach and the start of the Juan de Fuca Trail. Sombrio Beach, Botanical Beach, and Port Renfrew are under an hour’s drive from the cabin. You could easily spend your whole getaway lounging at your accommodation, but if you want to incorporate a hike or beach day into your trip, you’ll have some of the best options on the island.

It’s the whole hygge package: This is an especially perfect spot to stay in the winter! There’s a hot tub on the sundeck, overlooking the water – remember how private it is? naked hottubing times galore! – a fireplace, and a king-sized bed facing the ocean, so you get to fall asleep to the sound of the waves and wake up to sea views. (You can also choose to close the curtains if you’re sensitive to light like me!) Rainy weekend? No problem. It rained for most of our stay, and we loved listening to it on the roof and watching it from our cozy cabin and toasty hottub! We came equipped with lots of board games, reading material, and craft supplies. Note: Fossil Bay isn’t selling firewood during the pandemic, so you’ll need to bring your own or pick some up on your way.

Local treats: While you can cook all of your meals in the cabin kitchen, you may want to safely support some local businesses. Again, be mindful of the communities you enter, and follow all pandemic protocols. Shirley Delicious Cafe (recently named in Yelp as one of Canada’s top 100 eateries – #13) is just 7 minutes away by car and has great food, coffee, and vibes in their cute outdoor eating area. Cold Shoulder Cafe at Jordan River is the same distance in the other direction; they have a take out window, and you can cross the street to watch the surfers and paddle boarders at this popular local surf spot. Sooke is halways between Victoria and Fossil Bay, so it’s an easy stop to grab takeout, beer from a local brewery, or coffee from Stick in the Mud on the way up. Popular Stocked Wood Fired pizzeria is also just 5 minutes away, and open seasonally. It wasn’t open yet when we went to Fossil Bay, but on a recent visit to French Beach, it seemed like every second person watching the sunset on the beach had a pizza!

We couldn’t have asked for more from our local, COVID-safe getaway. It was close by, cozy, and offered easy access to hikes and beaches (if we’d wanted to to anything other than chill in our cabin)!