General
Info:
That said, the lakefront and beaches, though heavily developed, aren't too bad, and off-season Kelowna's undeniably pretty
downtown
can make a good couple of days' respite from mountains and forests. Its attractions are increasingly well-known across BC and remarkable jumps in population have taken place over the last few years: 37,000 people, many of them retirees, have moved here since 1990, creating something of a development nightmare for local planners. Main attractions are the public beach off
City Park
, a lovely green space that fronts downtown, and the strips along Lakeshore Road south of Kelowna's famed pontoon bridge, which tend to attract a younger, trendier crowd -
Rotary Beach
here is a windsurfers' hangout, and
Boyce Gyro Park
, just north, is where the town's teenagers practice their preening. Across the bridge and 2km and 14km respectively up the lake's west bank,
Bear Creek
and
Fintry Provincial Parks
are lovely spots with great beaches and campsites, but they are also horrendously popular (reservations possible at both
).
Kelowna owes its prosperity primarily to one man, Father Pandosy, a French priest who founded a mission here in 1859 and planted a couple of apple trees two years later. Much of Canada's
fruit
is now grown in the area - including virtually all the apricots, half the pears and plums, and a third of the country's apples. The infocentre
can point you to dozens of juice, fruit, food and forestry tours, but if you feel like sampling the more hedonistic fruits of Father Pandosy's labours, consider visiting one of the local
vineyards
, all of them known for their open-handed generosity with free samples after a tour of the premises. You can choose from a variety of whites and reds as the valley's microclimates and soil types allow neighbouring vineyards to produce completely different wines. At one time most were crisp, fruity German-style white wines and dessert wines, but now successful red wines and drier whites are emerging. There's even organic champagne at
Summerhill Estate Winery
, 4870 Chute Lake Rd (tel 764-8000 or 1-800/667-3538), in a beautiful spot near some hot springs, or try
Calona Wines
, Canada's second-biggest commercial winery and the Okanagan's oldest (founded 1932), just six blocks off Hwy 97 at 1125 Richter Ave (daily: May-Sept 11am-5pm, tours every 2 hours; Oct-April tour at 2pm; tel 762-3332). The infocentre can provide a full rundown of smaller, more far-flung estates. All of the wineries join together in May and late September to lay on the region's annual spring and autumn
wine festivals
(tel 861-6654,
www.owfs.com
) when free wine tastings, gourmet dinners, grape stomps and vineyard picnics take place to lure the connoisseur and beginner alike. More context can be found at the
Wine Museum
, 1304 Ellis St (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm), which is basically a glorified shop with a few exhibits, like a 3000-year-old clay drinking horn from Iran.
Getting away from Kelowna's crowds isn't easy, but the closest you'll come to shaking them off is by climbing
Knox Mountain
, the high knoll that overlooks the city to the north, just five-minutes' drive (or 30min walk) from downtown. It offers lovely views over the lake and town, particularly at sunset, and there's a wooden observation tower to make the most of the panorama. RVs are kept out of the area by a barrier dropped at dusk, but if you take a sleeping bag up - though perhaps not a tent - you might get away with an undisturbed night.
More Kelowna travel guides (each guide contains specific sub-sections):
Kelowna
Practicalities
