Skaha Beach, Penticton BC

Skaha Beach is one of our absolute favourite places to go in the Okanagan, and it was our first beach we explored as a family a few years ago, so I thought it would be fitting to have this as my first blog post.

Located in the south end of Penticton, BC, which is about 65km south of Kelowna, it's a place we visit often in the summertime. Our first experience in Penticton as a family was during a good friend of my husband's wedding. We spent 2 weeks there in the late summer and rented a house that was a short walk from Skaha beach, and had its own lake access in the back yard. I immediately fell in love with the area. The weather was so gorgeous, and the beach was amazing. This particular area features two large playgrounds for kids, a splash park, ponds and walking paths, an amazing ice cream stand called Tickleberry's - where even the kid's size cones are bigger than your head - and a very soft sandy beach that stretches quite a distance.

While we were here we truly soaked up the Okanagan lifestyle. My husband and I woke up before the kids every morning and enjoyed our coffee on the dock. Our daughter, Charlie, accompanied us as she was still an infant. We would sit, talk about life, and watch the calm water, breathing in the fresh air. That was the trip that really made us want to raise our family here.

Skaha lake is a great place for families to spend the day on the beach for so many reasons. There is free parking, paved walkways that take you from playgrounds to beach front, tennis courts and basketball courts, and large green spaces with lots of trees and shade if you need a break from the sun. There are stands where you can purchase food, rent paddleboards, kayaks and even beach chairs.

When we plan to spend the day there, we always bring our large roller cooler filled with lunch items and snacks (and lots of water), sunscreen, a large blanket to lay on the sand, towels and bathing suits (of course), a change of clothes for the kids, and sun hats. Sometimes the kids bring their bikes or scooters. We also bring sand toys and floaties/life jackets for the littles.

There are many campgrounds near Skaha lake if you are into camping, but if you would rather get full accommodations, Penticton has many hotels and Air BNB's available. We chose to rent a house when we first visited the area, and I loved it. For the same price as a hotel room, we had a full house and lake access. After taking a quick look online I can see that prices have gone up significantly since we rented ours, but in the off-season, you can still find a reasonable price for home rentals.

Penticton is also home to some amazing award winning wineries. Our friends Matt and Rebecca Mikulik have a beautiful winery called Three Sisters Winery, which is a favourite of ours. I would highly recommend doing a wine tour if you're not from the area, and visiting some tasting rooms and vineyards. Here is a website to help you plan your winery tour:

http://naramatabench.com/

If you've been to this area before, did you visit Skaha beach or any wineries? What is your favourite place to visit in Penticton?

Thanks for reading along! Here are a few more photos of our adventures at Skaha lake.

xo Ani xo