Top 10 Facts about Penticton, British Columbia

A view from the south of Penticton, British Columbia. In the foreground is Lake Skaha, while Lake Okanagan may be seen in the background. Penticton Regional Airport is visible to the left of the image. Photo by: Fawcett5- Wikimedia.

Top 10 Facts about Penticton, British Columbia

Penticton (pen-tik-tn) is a city in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia’s Southern Interior, Canada, located between Okanagan and Skaha lakes. Its population was 33,761 in the 2016 Canadian Census, with a census agglomeration population of 43,432.

But how did this small town become such a popular tourist destination? There is so much to do in Penticton that the top ten things to do list is just the tip of the iceberg. We want your stay with us to be unforgettable, so the list below highlights just a few of the activities that make Penticton so unique.

1.Origin of the name

The name Penticton is sourced from an Okanagan language word. It is commonly translated as “a place to stay forever,” but it refers to the year-round flow of Okanagan Lake through Penticton and into Skaha Lake.

Different interpretations of the meaning are given in the city’s entry in the British Columbia Geographical Names Information System:

“A location where water flows beyond.” (Isaac Harris, Vernon News, July 18, 1918; compare with: “Derived from the Okanagan dialect of the Salish tribe, the word Pen-tak-tin means ‘a permanent abode where waters pass by.'” (Penticton 50th Anniversary Booklet, 1958).

Pente-hik-ton, “ever” or “forever,” referring to the constant, steady flow of the Okanagan River out of the lake…. applied by the Indians to the locality at the lake’s outlet, meaning that the stream ran on ever, or forever, in contrast to other streams which dried up during the summer (6th Report of the Okanagan Historical Society); compare with: “Derives from the Okanagan word Sin-peen-tick-tin, loosely Randy Bouchard of the BC Indian Language Project provided advice in the 1980s.”

2.Penticton is among the only countries between two lakes

Penticton, British Columbia location- Wikimedia.

Did you know that Penticton is one of the world’s few towns situated between two lakes? Interlaken in Switzerland is the most well-known. After learning this, I pondered what else makes the small town of Penticton so unique.

3.Beaches, peaches and paddle steamers

“S.S. SICAMOUS served as transportation on the Okanagan Lake for many years, and continues to serve as a social center at Penticton, B. C.” Photo by: Rob- Wikimedia.

In the high season, a massive peach stands at the entrance to Okanagan Lake and serves as a small kiosk. This reflects Penticton’s orchard heritage; cherries, apples, plums, pear, and grapes (among other fruits and vegetables) are still grown here. The town has held an annual peach festival since 1947.

To get your bearings on the lakeshore, walk or cycle along the kilometer of sandy beach stretching from the marina and Japanese gardens on the eastern end to the floating SS Sicamous, a former paddle-steamer turned museum, on the western end.

A scale model of the Kettle Valley Railway can be found on the cargo deck. Alternatively, for water-based views, take a ski-boat, paddle-board, or parasailing out on the lake.

Furthermore, keep an eye out for Ogopogo (a fact about Canada: the Ogopogo is the local version of the Loch Ness Monster). Not eccentric enough?

Then float down the Okanagan River Channel, which connects Okanagan Lake to Skaha Lake, in a rubber tube.

4.Penticton, BC, allows tourists to pick their own U-Pick

Take a tour around Covert Farms in a vintage 1952 Mercury truck, one of the best things to do in Penticton BC.

The 243-hectare (600-acre) organic farm is situated on a high plateau (a glacial ice dam burst here 10,000 years ago) and overlooks First Nations fishing grounds.

You jolt your way through vibrant organically grown grape fields (plus it grows tomatoes, peaches, cucumbers, peppers and more).

You can even pick your own strawberries (‘U-pick’).

5.Ride the Kettle Valley railroad

Cyclists: cyclists at the ironman – very early in the day and early in the race. Photo by: Richard Smith- Wikimedia.

You can cycle (or walk) along the Kettle Valley Rail (KVR) trail, which runs through Penticton, British Columbia.

It was once a railway corridor but is now part of the Trans Canada Trail; the now-defunct railway was built in 1915 to transport fruit from the surrounding orchards as well as tourists.

The most beautiful ride is northeast along the Naramata Bench (and beyond), a scenic area with views of Okanagan Lake and orchards and vineyards.

Go as far as you can and then return to admire the lakeside view over a gourmet lunch and a few glasses of vino at Hillside Winery & Bistro.

If you continue along the trail past Naramata (it’s a 2.2 percent uphill gradient), you’ll see Ponderosa and Douglas fir trees; signs warn of rattlesnakes and even bears!

6. Go to Okanagan Wineries 

Lulu Island Winery. Photo by: Darren Kirby- Wikimedia.

Penticton has over 70 vineyards and boutique wineries, the majority of which are within a 20-minute drive.

Perhaps one of the most enjoyable things to do in Penticton is to visit a vineyard.
You can tour the entire valley (get a map from the “Wine Country Visitor Centre” tourist information office).

However, the Naramata Bench, the hillside behind Penticton BC, will keep you busy for a couple of days. Hillside Winery & Bistro honors Penticton’s terroir by producing award-winning wines grown solely on the Bench (their flagship wine is the Mosaic, a blend of varietals).

Hillside’s fantastic bistro with an outdoor terrace is ideal for a long lunch after cycling the Kettle Valley Railway (it has direct access to the trail).

7.Browse the Farmers Market 

Penticton Morning Walk 35. Photo by: Blake Handley- Wikimedia.

From May to October, one of the most popular things to do in Penticton BC is to visit the weekend Farmer’s Market (the largest in the Okanagan).

The market is a great place to stock up on picnic food, including farm products such as fruits, vegetables, breads, and baked goods. There is also local clothing, Canadian collectibles, and antiques. In the winter, it relocates to the Shatford Centre.

8.Tickleberry’s pig out

Tickleberry’s in Okanagan Falls, 21 kilometers south of Penticton, BC, is a sweets pilgrimage. It’s the ice-cream version’s equivalent to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.

Consider cow-to-cow, hand-crafted ice cream cones in a plethora of flavors. The owners boast about having attended ‘ice-cream university,’ so you know you’re on to something good.

Among the flavors are ‘peanut butter overdose,’ ‘caramel macchiato,’ and ‘lime in da coconut.’

9.Punch the historic main street pavements

Beautiful heritage buildings line Penticton’s Main Street and the surrounding area. Elite Restaurant is an iconic diner captured in a time warp, with vintage tables and chairs, a turntable, and plenty of vinyl albums.

If nothing else, it’s the place to meet locals over hearty Canadian fare.

The Shatford Centre, housed in a transformed school (typical of the 1950s and 1960s), now accommodates creative projects: check out the schedule of activities – from culinary to art classes.

Much on Main St, a former gas station has been craftily transformed into Brodo, a modern eatery with superb cuisine made from fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients.

10. Choose a meal (or multiple) from Penticton’s restaurants

Bench Café, a small deli-cum-café in Penticton, draws everyone from joggers and cyclists returning from their Kettle Valley highway journey to trendy locals and tourists who enjoy wholesome fine dining delights.

Stock up on ‘Bench Bennies’ for breakfast (sockeye salmon on a muffin with creamy mustard).

One other recommendation for the future is The Hooded Maganser, where the chef prepares modern cuisine for brunch, lunch, and dinner, as well as a great variety of local wines.

This is the place to enjoy the sun, the view, and a relaxing meal while viewing the lake.