Osoyoos BC

Okanagan Best Beach Towns & Wine Tour Destination

Osoyoos BC, located just across the Canada - US international border in the South Okanagan, is a small community surrounded by orchards, beautiful vineyards and dry sage desert. It is a popular Okanagan wine tour destination, and by far, one of the best beach towns in the Okanagan.

View of Osoyoos from Anarchist Mountain Lookout

The town of Osoyoos is located along the junction of Canada Highway 3 and Highway 97. Oroville Washington is directly across the US-Canada border, within a few miles.

With a population of about 5,000 people, the town becomes a busy little city in the summer, so popular, in fact, that the population triples!

Like many Okanagan cities named by Aboriginal descendents, the word Osoyoos means "the narrows", or "the place where two lakes come together". This was once an ancient crossing place, where early people fished for salmon as they made their way upstream to spawn, and smoked them for winter food.

Osoyoos Lake, very popular for water sports including wind surfing and sailing, is conveniently close to downtown Osoyoos. If you're accommodations are on or near the lake, you could easily walk to the downtown core and explore the shops and restaurants, or take in one of the summer markets on a Saturday morning.

Places of interest....

There's so much nature to explore in the desert ecosystem, wildlife species such the Western Rattlesnake, Nuttall's Cottontail, Great Basin Spadefoot Toad, Tiger Salamander and Wind Scorpion; the South Okanagan protected grasslands, bird habitats, Mt. Kobau star gazing ...

Osoyoos Desert Centre an interactive interpretive centre that offers insight into the sensitive ecosystem of the Osoyoos desert region.

Anarchist Mountain summit at just over 4000 feet offers amazing views of the town of Osoyoos, the Okanagan Valley and into Washington State.

Spotted Lake only about a 10 minute drive from the town of Osoyoos contains high concentrations of minerals that were once used to alleviate aches and pains.

Osoyoos Desert & Cultural Centre

Rattlesnake Canyon amusement park; fun for the kids with rock climbing, rides and bumper boats.

The Osoyoos Desert Model Railroad is Canada's largest with more than 20 computer controlled trains.

Osoyoos Museum In the Osoyoos Community Park, at the end of Main Street and adjacent to the lake, you'll find a collection of the town's history of farming, ranching, irrigation and fruitgrowing.

Wondering what goes on in the town of Osoyoos during the summer months? Tourism here is geared for summer vacations. Here are a few things to put on your agenda!

Osoyoos Market On Main We don't know about you, but we love outdoor markets in the summer time. Osoyoos Market on Main is on every Saturday morning, beginning in May through the end of August. You can browse the markets for things like fresh baked goods, farm fresh fruits, vegetables as well as arts and crafts.

Osoyoos Cherry Fiesta Osoyoos holds it's annual Canada Day Cherry Fiesta every year. It's a great holiday weekend filled with fun entertainment, a pancake breakfast, crafts and foods fair, fun activities for kids and a fantastic fireworks display. If you're in Osoyoos BC on the July long weekend, this is a must do!

Osoyoos Street Dances Two very unique street dance events happen in Osoyoos every summer; one in July and one in August. This is a very popular event that gets the downtown streets rocking with dancing, and fun entertainment. It's a family event, and one that children always really enjoy!

BlueGrass Festival The annual Lions Club Bluegrass Festival, in early August, is filled with excellent Bluegrass music and Bluegrass events. This is a free event that attracts many visitors, is great for families, in a relaxed music filled atmosphere.

Accommodations...

Osoyoos BC offers a full range of accommodations from private campgrounds and one BC provincial campground, RV camping, hotels & motels, and lovely B&B's. Over the past few years this quiety retirement town has grown tremendously with new recreational condominiums, hotel expansions, and beautiful desert resort developments such as Spirit Ridge Resort, which offer luxurious 4-star accommodation packages and spa services.

Spirit Ridge Vineyard & Spa

More To Explore...

Osoyoos BC is also home to a number of Okanagan wineries. Vineyards here are considered in the Black Sage/Osoyoos area, which is one of the 5 wine subregions of the Okanagan Valley. Perhaps the most well known winery in Osoyoos, Spirit Ridge Vineyard & Spa, overlooks the lake. The Osoyoos Desert & Cultural Centre is also here, and offers an interesting look at culture, history, and wildlife.

A drive along Black Sage Road, in the desert countryside between Oliver BC and Osoyoos, you'll find some amazing wineries, and you'll also enjoy some fantastic views along the way. Wineries in or near the Osoyoos BC area:

Twisted Tree Vineyards & Winery
Nk'Mip Cellars
Lastella Winery

You can always visit wineries on your own, or if you're interested, you can take a guided Okanagan wine tour and enjoy the most of the wine and to learn about the history of British Columbia wine making.

We're always adding new pages to our site. Don't forget to bookmark us and visit often to stay up to date and plan your Okanagan Canada vacations! We hope to see you soon!

Enjoy your visit to Osoyoos BC!!