Lakeshore Drive runs along Okanagan Lake, at the north end of the city, and offers a tree-lined sandy beach on one side, and a profusion of restaurants and motels on the other side.
Activities from east to west along Lakeshore Drive include:
- Penticton Yacht Club and Marina
- South Okanagan Art Gallery (AGSO), a wide variety of exhibitions of fine and decorative art from regional, provincial and national sources.
- Penticton-Ikeda Japanese Garden One of Penticton's finest gardens is located behind the Art Gallery of South Okanagan. It is a tribute to Penticton's sister city in Japan and features many Japanese influences.
- Penticton Lakeside Hotel & Convention Centre and Casino with facilities to suit the needs of all visitors
- One kilometer stretch of fine sandy beach, offering parasailing, jet skiing, and water slides
- Inland Marine Heritage Park Museum, home to the S.S. Sicamous, the largest remaining steel-hulled sternwheeler in Canada. It carried passengers in the waters of Okanagan Lake from 1914 to 1935. The 1914 S.S. Naramata Tugboat and the 1907 stern salon of the S.S. Okanagan sternwheeler reside beside the S.S. Sicamous and are currently undergoing restoration.
- Penticton Rose Garden offering dozens of rose varieties in a beautiful and tranquil setting. It is located near the S.S. Sicamous on Okanagan Lake waterfront.
- Lakeshore Drive activities conclude at the Coyote Cruise launch point, from which you can float the river channel connecting Okanagan and Skaha Lakes .http://www.okres.bc.ca/conv_naweoa_tours.shtml
Skaha Lake, at the south end of the city, offers a stretch of soft white sand beach, a treed parkette with picnic tables and barbeques, and a marina. Skaha Lake is warmer and calmer than Okanagan Lake, and there are numerous motels and eating establishments within close walking distance of the beach.
Sports enthusiasts can enjoy fishing, parasailing, and jet skiing at the lakes, rock climbing at Skaha Bluffs, golfing at four courses within the city limits, as well as the beauty and tranquility of a hike, bike or run along the TransCanada Trail that borders the city.
A stroll along historic Front Street, with its boutiques and eclectic restaurants, or Main Street in the heart of the city, or a visit to Cherry Lane Shopping Mall, will satisfy the wants and tastes of all guests to “The Peach City”.
For a truly different and memorable experience for the whole family, drive a few short kilometers north to Summerland, and enjoy a ride aboard the Kettle Valley Steam Rail, as it travels through vineyards and across the Trout Creek Trestle Bridge 235 ft above the canyon floor, then stop and visit the Summerland Research Station and Ornamental Gardens in Trout Creek, on your return drive to Penticton.
Wine connoisseurs can visit award-winning wineries from Summerland, north of Penticton, to Upper and Naramata Benches on the east side of the city, and Okanagan Falls to the south. Take the time to enjoy a gourmet lunch at many of the wineries, while you sample their wines. Or for one-stop VQA wine shopping, drop into the BC Wine Information Centre in Penticton.
Whatever your pleasure or pocket book, you’ll be surprisingly satisfied in Penticton, the heart of the Sunny South Okanagan!
