Osoyoos & South Okanagan

Canada's warmest lake and its only 'desert' come together in the South Okanagan, alongside the Oliver wine corridor, Spotted Lake and an Indigenous desert cultural centre.

Osoyoos is in southern British Columbia, Canada, at the southern tip of the Okanagan Valley, right on the border with Washington State in the US. It is one of Canada's rare semi-arid shrub-steppe areas, with hot, dry summers. Osoyoos Lake is billed as Canada's warmest lake, and the surrounding hillsides are covered in vineyards which, together with Oliver to the north, form Canada's most important red wine region. Highlights: swim and boat on Osoyoos Lake; learn about desert ecology and Syilx Indigenous culture at the Osoyoos Desert Centre and the Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre; stop by the roadside to see the curious Spotted Lake; take in the lake views from the Anarchist Mountain lookout; then head north on Highway 97 for wine tasting on Oliver's Golden Mile Bench and Black Sage Road. About 60 km north is Penticton, with Skaha Bluffs, lake beaches and the Kettle Valley Rail Trail; to the west lies the orchard country of the Similkameen. The best season is Jun–Oct: Jul–Aug is great for water fun but temperatures often top 35°C, while Sep–Oct is grape harvest season. It's about 4.5 hours' drive from Vancouver, and the nearest airports are Penticton and Kelowna. Sights are spread out, so driving is recommended. Allow 2–3 days.

Top sights

• Osoyoos Lake – Said to be Canada’s warmest freshwater lake, straddling the Canada–US border. Beaches, paddleboarding, boat tours and lakeside resorts are…
• Spotted Lake (Kłlilxw) – A strange salt lake that, after its summer water evaporates, reveals hundreds of colorful mineral circles. It is a sacred lake of the Okana…
• Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre – A cultural centre run by the Osoyoos Indian Band, with rammed-earth buildings that blend into the desert. Visitors can learn about Syilx cu…
• Golden Mile Bench, Oliver – Canada’s first officially designated wine sub-appellation, with more than a dozen wineries strung along the hillsides west of Oliver. It is…
• Nk'Mip Cellars – The first winery in North America owned by Indigenous people, on the shores of Osoyoos Lake, where you can taste wine while taking in lake…
• Osoyoos Desert Centre – An ecological centre protecting Canada's endangered 'pocket desert', with a 1.5 km elevated boardwalk through sagebrush where you can see c…
• Anarchist Mountain Lookout – A lookout on the switchbacks of Highway 3, offering a panorama of Osoyoos Lake, the town and vineyards. It is the classic postcard view of…
• sẁiẁs Provincial Park (Haynes Point) – A slender sand spit reaching into Osoyoos Lake, with water and beaches on both sides, and one of BC's most popular lakeside campgrounds.
• Burrowing Owl Estate Winery & Black Sage Road – A standout winery on Black Sage Road, known for its red wines, with a tower for climbing above the vineyards and a popular winery restauran…
• Mount Kobau – A 1,874 m peak west of Osoyoos, reachable by gravel road almost to the summit, with a hiking loop offering views over the Okanagan and Simi…
• McIntyre Bluff – A towering granite cliff north of Oliver. The hike to the top overlooks Vaseux Lake and the valley vineyards, and its side profile resemble…
• Vaseux Lake – A lake and wildlife refuge between Oliver and Okanagan Falls, with a birdwatching platform and boardwalk, where bighorn sheep are often see…
• Okanagan Falls Provincial Park – A small provincial park on the Okanagan River with shady lawns for picnics and camping, famous for the variety of bats you can see on summe…
• Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park – One of Canada's most famous climbing destinations, with over a thousand routes on gneiss cliffs, and hiking trails overlooking Skaha Lake.
• Skaha Lake Park – A large sandy beach park at the south end of Skaha Lake in Penticton, with shallow water, fine sand, a water park and a pier, ideal for fam…
• Okanagan Beach, Penticton – A long lakeside beach just north of downtown Penticton, with a waterfront trail linking the peach kiosk and SS Sicamous, lively all summer…
• SS Sicamous – A paddlewheel steamer launched on Okanagan Lake in 1914, now a Canadian national historic site and museum where you can board and explore.
• Kettle Valley Rail Trail – Little Tunnel – A trail on a former railway north of Penticton, passing through a rock tunnel with views over Okanagan Lake and the Naramata vineyards. Goo…
• Keremeos Grist Mill & Gardens – One of BC's oldest water-powered mills, built in 1877, with a traditional garden and heritage orchard that recreate pioneer life.

Where to eat

• The Bear, The Fish, The Root, The Berry – The signature restaurant at Spirit Ridge resort, inspired by the Syilx First Nation's Four Food Chiefs and overlooking…
• Convivia French-Italian Bistro – A French-Italian bistro run by a Quebec-born French couple since 2014, long among TripAdvisor's top dinner spots in Oso…
• Diamond Steak & Seafood House – A family restaurant on the main street for more than forty years, serving steak and seafood alongside authentic Greek d…
• Gino's Coffee House – A popular café on Osoyoos' main street, known for house-baked goods, sandwiches and soups, and one of the most-reviewed…

Itineraries

• Okanagan Wine Valley South-to-North 6-Day Traverse – Drive over the mountains from Vancouver to Osoyoos, and head north to Kelowna for wine tasting.