Penticton

Barking Parrot

Bar and lounge, featuring one of the largest lakeside patios in the Okanagan and stunning views up Okanagan Lake, this is the only watering hole right on the lake in Penticton. Good selection of wine/beer/spirits, and also has a decent pub menu. Try a Bellini, a frozen drink to chase away the oppressive heat. Quite busy in the summer from 2:00 in the afternoon till midnight, when people start heading for the nightclubs. Plays top 40 music with the occasional live show.

Barley Mill Brewpub

Try a sampler: Three types of beer brewed on premises, as well as a fourth seasonal brew. English style decor, pub menu. $5 pints/highballs.

Bench Artisan Food Market

Breakfast and lunch place with eggwiches, eggs benny, eggs & sausages, paninis, yogurt and granola. There is a small kids menu and a selection of baked goods like scones, cookies and muffins. Also sells condiments of a healthy organic natural variety and cookbooks. Ingredients are fresh and locally sourced where possible.

Mon-Fri 7AM-5PM, Sat-Sun 8AM-5PM·Baked goods $2-4, breakfast and lunch items $3.45-12

Book Shop

For the literary crowd, Penticton features this store that stocks new, used and out of print/rare books on any conceivable topic, including a large section on local interest.

Daily 10AM-5PM

Cannery Brewing

Features a taproom with a big patio and music Sunday evenings.

Cherry Lane Shopping Centre

Pretty much everything tourists and locals need for their day to day.

Copper Mug

Local haunt of Penticton's working class. Incredibly cheap food and drink specials change daily. $4 pints/bottles/highballs.

Coyote Cruises

If you don't have your own flotation device or can't arrange transport, Coyote Cruises is a convenient way to go. They provide tube rentals (good to the halfway point of the channel only) and operate a shuttle bus service to transport you back to the parking area on the north side of town.

10AM-5PM·$6 for tube rental or transport, $12 for both

D'Angelo Estate Winery

Also has a winery in Amherstburg, Ontario. This winery has won over 60 awards since the first harvest in 1989. Bistro and bed-and-breakfast onsite.

May to October. Sun 11AM-5PM. Mon-Sat 10AM-6PM·Complimentary Tastings

Decoy's

Not much on decor or atmosphere, but has the cheapest and biggest (20oz) pints in town. Great for refreshing yourself on the way to the beach. Cheap food too. $3.50 pints (cash only).

Dream Cafe

Licensed cafe with breakfast, lunch and dinner menu options and live entertainment some nights. Multicultural menu. Vegetarian dishes.

Wed 11AM-3PM, Thu Fri 11AM-3PM & 5PM-9PM, Sat 10AM-3PM & 5PM-9PM·$7-24

Hillside Estate Winery

It was the original owners of this winery that lobbied the British Columbia government to allow boutique wineries to sell their products to the public, spurring this huge growth industry. Bistro and gift shop on site. Bistro open for lunch and dinner Wednesday to Sunday.

Daily 10AM-5PM

Hooded Merganser

A unique restaurant/lounge which is built on piles above Okanagan Lake. Menu includes chicken, steak, fish and seafood. Great selection of fancy spirits and local wine. Semi-formal. Be sure to make a reservation in summer.

7AM-midnight·$15-35

Il Vecchio

For a delicious, quick, and inexpensive lunch where delightful ladies will lovingly prepare you a fresh sandwich with your choice of bread and toppings. Best sandwiches in town. Take-out only.

About $3-4 depending on how many toppings you want

La Frenz Winery

Winner of numerous awards in Vancouver, California, and Ontario, this winery's products were also selected to be served at a gala dinner for Queen Elizabeth II.

Laughing Stock Vineyards

Beginning in 2003, this light-hearted winery was started by a pair of "MBA type, business consultants" following their passion despite common sense. They have received favorable reviews so far. They specialize in premium small batch production. Call before visiting to ensure that they are open.

Leir House Cultural Centre

This beautiful 1927 house was once a nurses' residence but now serves as the home of the Penticton Arts Council. Open to the public year round. Worth a visit to see the grounds, with vintage stone walls and a relaxing gazebo.

10AM-4PM·Free

Lost Moose Lodge

Perched high atop Carmi Mountain, this steak and BBQ house will impress with views of the valley by day, and the lights of Penticton at night.

Open 11:30AM daily for lunch, 5PM for dinner

Munson Mountain Park

The home to the large 'Penticton' sign (a la 'Hollywood') that greets travelers coming in to town from the north. The sign was created with thousands of small white stones. The original stones have since been replaced with letters made of concrete. The park itself affords visitors with stunning 360 degree panoramas of the South Okanagan valley. Views to the south are accessed by an easy paved trail to the lookout. The panoramic views require walking up the hill, but there are plenty of benches to rest at and take in the view.

Penticton Art Gallery

formerly the Art Gallery of the South Okanagan

Contains a modest permanent collection of work by local and area artists as well as bone carvings by traditional Inuit artists. Also features moving exhibits and other special events.

Tue-Fri 10AM-5PM, Sat-Sun 11AM-4PM·$2 for adults Tu-F, free otherwise

Penticton Farmer's Market

Farm fresh veggies & fruits, eggs, honey, baking, preserves, handmade crafts and local liquor and wine – all grown or produced in the South Okanagan.

Sat 8:30AM-12:30PM from late April to late September

Penticton Museum & Archives

Features over 8000 artifacts, photographs, and documents that tell the story of Penticton's pioneers days, as well as local First Nations pieces. Located in the same building as the Penticton Regional Library. There is a gift shop on site.

Tue-Sat 10AM-5PM·Suggested donation $2

Pier Water Sports

They have 11 years of experience on the water and feature boat and seadoo rentals, wakeboard and waterski lessons, parasailing, banana boat rides and a 42-foot party barge you can rent daily. Take it for a tour down the lake during the day or have a party on it in the evening. It has an onboard barbeque and bathroom.

Pine Hills/Sage Mesa

Nine-hole par-3 golf course set on a plateau overlooking Penticton and the lakes.

Poplar Grove

This whimsical winery produces cheese to match their wines, and lives by the credo "find the best in the world and learn from them". Started in a garage, they now have 10 acres of grapes and their wines can be found in British Columbia's most exclusive restaurants.

Red Rooster Winery

Since arriving in Penticton from Basel in 1990, Red Rooster's two founders have created a huge success, winning the gold for three of their seven varieties at the All Canadian Championships. This winery is the permanent home of the aforementioned Frank, as well as other permanent and transient art exhibits.

S.S. Sicamous

This paddlewheeler was the last commercial ship to operate on Okanagan Lake. Built in 1914 and retired in 1936, the large ship now spends its days drydocked on the edge of Okanagan Lake. The ship is open daily for tours in the summer, and includes a large HO scale model railway on the main deck, depicting the local Kettle Valley Railway. The smaller S.S. Naramata rests just behind the Sicamous.

9AM-9PM in high summer, shorter hours at other seasons·Adults $6, seniors and youth $4.50, children 7-13 $3.50, children 6 and under free

Salty's Beach House

A favourite for tourists and locals. Salty's has two floors: Downstairs is the main dining area where you can watch the cooks work in the open kitchen, or watch the world pass by on one of the best patios in the Okanagan, Upstairs is the Black Pearl lounge and oyster bar, featuring signature martinis and a variety of fresh raw oysters. Worth seeing is the collection of 'pirate' paintings hanging on the walls. The owner likes to crank reggae music. Menu includes salads, outstanding appetizers, pasta, pizza, chicken, steak, fresh fish, and for the indulgent, crab & lobster. Make sure you have reservations, as the lineup can queue well down the block at peak times in the summer. Most times a short wait will reward you with a seat. Menu available online.

Licenced till midnight·$12-30

Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park

The park is adjacent to Skaha Lake on the southern edge of the city. Access is controlled and a daily access fee is charged to hike into the bluffs, further information, including maps, is available on the park's website. "Skaha" as it is known among climbers, has over four hundred established routes with a near equal split of traditional (gear) and sport (fixed bolt) lines that range between 5.6 and 5.13b.

The Peach

A concession stand shaped and painted as a giant peach. While it isn't that interesting in and of itself, it has an interesting history and is one of the most photographed spots in town. Film buffs may recognize it from the movie My American Cousin which was filmed in the Penticton Area. This is the second Peach, as the first was pushed into the lake during the 1990 Peachfest riot (The riot was an isolated incident, Penticton is really quite safe.)