Penticton is a small city (pop. abut 40,000) in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia’s foremost wine country. The valley is about 250km long, stretching north from the U.S. border at Osoyoos.
Situated between Skaha and Okanagan Lake, Penticton is a great base for visiting wineries, hiking, cycling and generally exploring this stunningly beautiful part of B.C.
We chose it for its climate (average daily temperature at that time of year is 22°C/72°F) and proximity to hundreds of wineries!
We did not choose it for its convenience to Vancouver, however! Part of the charm is the road trip, which can take 4 to 5 hours depending on traffic at the Vancouver end.
It is scenic in the extreme, with a couple of options (above) for routes. The Crowsnest Highway (3), known to locals as the Hope-Princeton Highway, is windy for a stretch but takes you through some lovely sage-covered hills at its eastern end. The route up Highway 5, the Coquihalla Highway, heads north to Merritt before turning east on 97C to the aptly named Peachland.
Mountain lovers who don’t mind lengthier road trips can spend 8 hours coming through the Rockies from Calgary.
And there are airports!
Situated between Skaha and Okanagan Lake, Penticton is a great base for visiting wineries, hiking, cycling and generally exploring this stunningly beautiful part of B.C.
We chose it for its climate (average daily temperature at that time of year is 22°C/72°F) and proximity to hundreds of wineries!
We did not choose it for its convenience to Vancouver, however! Part of the charm is the road trip, which can take 4 to 5 hours depending on traffic at the Vancouver end.
It is scenic in the extreme, with a couple of options (above) for routes. The Crowsnest Highway (3), known to locals as the Hope-Princeton Highway, is windy for a stretch but takes you through some lovely sage-covered hills at its eastern end. The route up Highway 5, the Coquihalla Highway, heads north to Merritt before turning east on 97C to the aptly named Peachland.
Mountain lovers who don’t mind lengthier road trips can spend 8 hours coming through the Rockies from Calgary.
And there are airports!
Penticton has a regional airport, with flights that take under an hour from either Vancouver or Calgary, Alberta. A Vancouver-to-Penticton return ticket is expensive, but making Penticton the end destination of a longer flight through Vancouver is reasonable.
The next nearest airport is in Kelowna, about an hour’s drive north. It serves eastern Canadian cities and Seattle.
The nearest U.S. airport is Spokane, Washington, about a 4½ hour drive south through scenic country.
A note on renting cars – plan well ahead. We hear that rentals cars are tough to find these days and who knows how long before that situation changes.
The next nearest airport is in Kelowna, about an hour’s drive north. It serves eastern Canadian cities and Seattle.
The nearest U.S. airport is Spokane, Washington, about a 4½ hour drive south through scenic country.
A note on renting cars – plan well ahead. We hear that rentals cars are tough to find these days and who knows how long before that situation changes.