Penticton is a modern Canadian city, located in the Okanagan Valley of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, with a population of 42,000 which rises to 60,000 in the peak summer vacation months. Also known as, “The 'Peach City', Penticton is fortunate in both location, situated between two lakes, the larger Okanagan Lake in the north, and the smaller Skaha Lake in the south, and climate, which is hot and sunny in the summer months, rivaling many premier Mediterranean resorts for hours of sunshine per day. The Apex Mountain Ski Resort has gained popularity in recent years, due to it being a stop on the World Cup Freestyle Skiing Tour, so now tourism continues around the year, providing income and employment for the town’s inhabitants.

 

What to See and Do in Penticton

 

Penticton offers some of Canada’s finest beaches, one of which will be sure to suit each type of guest. Families like Okanagan Beach, the largest and longest, found at Lakeshore Drive on Okanagan Lake. Younger visitors prefer Skaha Beach on Skaha Lake, and those who enjoy some solitary beachcombing will love Three Mile Beach, the quietest of them all. A nice, but rather comical destination in Penticton is the giant peach at Winnipeg Street on Okanagan Lake, where local fruit can be purchased, and many tourists stop to snap a shot, often a memento of the yearly Peachfest, held in early August and featuring music, food, square dancing and more.

 

Wineries

 

In the greater Penticton real estate area there are more than 88 wineries within an hour’s drive of the town center, and wine tourism is big business, especially around the time of the yearly Fall Wine Festival.

 

Sports in and around Penticton

 

Penticton is busy all year around with special sport events, hosting the Canadian Ironman Triathlon, visited by the World Cup Freestyle Skiing Tour and also home to the South Okanagan Events Centre, a $73 million dollar project that may eventually serve as a summer home to Vancouver Canucks. (It also draws major music artists and has become a popular location for conventions from all over the world.)