Okanagan Travel Guide

TheOkanagan is serviced by an international airport in Kelowna as well as smaller ones in Penticton and Oliver.

The region stretches from Kelowna to the town of Osoyoos on the southern border where BC touches the USA.  It is a long valley sandwiched between pine and sage-covered mountains  following a chain of lakes and rivers flowing south.  The hot summers are ideal for growing fruit, vegetables and grapes, so the valley is rich in vineyards and orchards and the highway is dotted with fruit stands selling the local produce. 

The warm weather is also attractive to tourists, making the South Okanagan a travel destination where people come to vacation, tour a winery, camp in the RV parks, swim or play in the lakes, golf, take in one of the many festivals or simply go sight-seeing along the scenic roads. 

The busy city of Kelowna has a spacious city park with sandy beaches where visitors come to swim, sunbathe or picnic.  Fishing and boating are also popular.  It is a booming shopping mecca with numerous malls and retail outlets.

Peachland is a small relaxed town of about 5,000 people about 1/2 hour drive south of Kelowna.  It stretches for five miles along the western shore of Okanagan Lake.  Folklore holds that there is a lake monster by the name of Ogopogo that makes rare appearances, but for the most part he is a snake-like creature used as a logo to promote the area.  Peachland has some lovely lakeside restaurants as well as walking trails and boat launches that make it a big summer-time attraction.

Just a few miles south is the town of Summerland that is famous for the Kettle Valley Railway that was built in the early 1900's using wonderful engineering skills to bridge canyons with wooden trestles.  The original line is no longer active, but the railway ties have been torn up to provide walking paths and biking trails.  An original steam train still takes tourists along a short stretch of the rail lines in closed or open cars for sightseeing excursions.  Summerland is also known for the ornamental gardens that showcase some of the plants native to the area as well as picturesque flowers and lawns that are popular for hosting weddings and other events.

Continuing south, the city of Penticton straddles the narrow land between Okanagan Lake and Skaha Lake, doubling the amount of sandy beaches!  The city puts on an annual Elvis festival, and a Peach Festival each summer to entertain locals and tourists alike. Golfing and water sports are popular pastimes, but there are also wine tours to the Naramata wineries that are open from May until October.

Leaving Penticton and still travelling south you pass through the tiny community of Okanagan Falls with its pretty park and a museum that is an old home that was ordered from an Eaton's catalogue in the 1930's.  Many people like to stop at Tickleberrys which is famous for its ice cream and fudge. 

The next town is Oliver which sells itself as the wine capital of BC.  Fruit stands advertise their juicy peaches, cherries, apricots, and apples as well as the other local produce like peppers and tomatoes. 

The most southern town is Osoyoos that is only about 5,000 people, but has become known as the hotspot in Canada, drawing thousands of visitors each year.  Excellent hotels, resorts, restaurants, golf courses, wineries and beaches accommodate the tourists.  Attractions like Rattlesnake Canyon Amusement Park, the Desert Centre, Osoyoos Desert Miniature Railway and Nk'Mip Cultural Centre are entertaining ways to spend one's time.  Of course, like all of the Okanagan towns, the beaches and wineries are ever-present sources of fun.