Okanagan and Central BC Travel Guide

The hot summers and sunny shores of Central British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley will shatter any frozen tundra images you have of Canada. Tucked between Vancouver and Alberta, strewn with lakes and dotted with vineyards, Okanagan is what getting away is all about. Families splash and frolic in the region’s beaches, where small towns like Penticton, Enderby and Naramata make for ideal beach vacations. Foodies and wine lovers flock to the vineyards to sip the flavors of Okanagan’s bourgeoning wine scene, while the arid terrain and tangling cacti of Osoyoos further dislodge any Canadian stereotypes. Of course, if you need to fulfill some white-snow visions, you can head to the winter resorts and do a little Nordic skiing. Get back to nature, by hiking and camping around mountainous provincial parks. Or have a little of it all in Kelowna, a fast-growing idyllic town posed to become the region’s next biggest thing. Feeling relaxed yet?