Jasper or Tofino?

Neither is a swimming destination, but Tofino has the shoreline. Long Beach, Chesterman Beach and Cox Bay offer kilometres of sand to walk, surf lessons on every bay and fires at dusk. The Pacific stays wetsuit-cold all year, though, and rip currents make the exposed beaches poor for a casual swim.

Jasper's answer is Lake Annette and Lake Edith, two shallow lakes with small sandy beaches and mountains behind. In July and August they are actually nicer for a quick dip than Tofino's ocean, but they make a pleasant afternoon rather than a reason to come.

Tofino eats noticeably better. Its kitchens use spot prawns, Dungeness crab, salmon and oysters from Clayoquot Sound, and the range runs from fish tacos at food trucks to West Coast tasting menus, with serious coffee, a craft brewery and a small distillery.

Jasper serves hearty food after a hike: steak and burgers, Alberta beef and bison, a brewpub and formal dinners at the lodges. Both towns are small and cut back out of season. In Jasper self-catering is often the sensible plan, while in Tofino a meal out is one of the pleasures of the stay.

Neither town is visited for its sights, and an afternoon covers either one. The difference is the theme. Jasper's story is the park's own history: the 1914 stone and timber information centre, the railway station and a small museum about fur traders and the railway. Tofino's is living Nuu-chah-nulth culture, seen in carving galleries and told at the Kwisitis Visitor Centre.

Both towns go to bed early, but Jasper has a little more going on, with a brewpub, a few pubs and a late bar or two where ski crowds and seasonal staff gather. Its best night out is under the stars in a vast dark-sky preserve. Tofino's evenings mean a brewery taproom, a fire on the sand or a hot tub, and nothing stays open late.

Both are outstanding, so the choice is between mountains and ocean. Jasper has glaciers, turquoise lakes and alpine trails, with elk, bighorn sheep and bears along the valley roads, Maligne Canyon close to town and the Icefields Parkway leading to the Columbia Icefield.

Tofino swaps peaks for old-growth cedar rainforest, the islands of Clayoquot Sound and the open Pacific. Here the wildlife is grey whales, sea otters and bears foraging at low tide, the sports are surfing and sea kayaking, and winter means storm watching rather than skiing.

Neither town works as a base for visiting other towns. From Jasper, outings go deeper into the park, because Hinton and Valemount have little to see and Banff is too far for a return day. Tofino at least has Ucluelet about forty minutes away, with its lighthouse loop and small aquarium. Its boat trips into Clayoquot Sound are outings into the landscape rather than visits to other places.

Tofino has the edge with younger children. Tide pools full of sea stars, driftwood forts, beginner surf lessons in small wetsuits and short boardwalk trails keep the day close to the cabin, though a wet day leaves little to do indoors.

Jasper suits slightly older children who enjoy spotting elk from the car, crossing the Maligne Canyon bridges and paddling at the lake beaches. Many of its sights need long drives on winding roads. Neither town has a zoo or a theme park.

Both are car destinations, but Tofino is easier to get around once you are there. A paved path runs from the village toward the national park, so cycling to the beaches and trailheads is a real option, and water taxis and floatplanes reach Meares Island and Hot Springs Cove.

Jasper does have one thing Tofino lacks: you can arrive by train on the transcontinental line. Beyond the town, though, the lakes, canyons and trailheads lie along long valley roads with only seasonal shuttles, so without a car you see the town rather than the park.

Tofino is the better place to browse. Its galleries of Nuu-chah-nulth carving, silver jewellery and West Coast painting are worth an hour, and there are surf shops and a few beach-style clothing boutiques too. Jasper's two main streets offer outdoor gear, plush-bear souvenirs and a few galleries of Indigenous art and wildlife photography, enough to replace a forgotten fleece and little more.

Both are expensive, and Jasper is slightly less so. In Jasper the costs come from scarce rooms in a park town, a park pass and usually a hire car. Tofino has very high summer rates and adds a remote-resort premium on groceries, meals and boat tours.

The cheaper seasons feel different. Jasper's lower winter and shoulder-season rates still come with skiing and snowy walks. Tofino is cheaper from November to March, but that is also its wettest stretch. Camping brings costs down in both.

There is nothing to choose between them here. Neither has a theatre, concert hall or regular programme, live music in both means the odd band or guitarist in a pub, and small summer festivals add a few concerts. Plan your evenings around the dark skies in Jasper and the sunset over the Pacific in Tofino.

Tofino is made for slowing down. Its resort spas offer seaweed and cedar treatments, yoga and small retreats are easy to find, and a cabin hot tub ends most days. Hot Springs Cove, reached by boat or floatplane, has geothermal pools spilling into the sea.

Jasper has a fine soak of its own at Miette Hot Springs, the hottest in the Canadian Rockies, but they are an hour's drive away and open only in the warmer months. Apart from the lodge spas, Jasper's calm comes from the quiet of a small mountain town.