The Okanagan valley is ripe with orchards and vineyards.

The Okanagan Valley invites you to dive into its warm turquoise lakes, scoff juicy peaches from its abundant orchards and swill fruity wines produced from its lush vineyards.

Located in British Columbia's hot, arid interior, the Okanagan draws summer boating and sun-basking crowds from all over Canada and northern United States. Come winter, the Okanagan region becomes something of a powder paradise and boasts a glut of world-class ski resorts, namely Apex Mountain near Penticton, Big White near Kelowna and Silver Star near Vernon.

The Okanagan is also home to Canada's only desert. Located around the town of Osoyoos just 5km north of the US border, it is an extension of Mexico's Sonoran Desert. The baking hot landscape is strewn with cactuses, crawling with coyote and slithering with rattlesnakes. To learn more about this surreal desert and the First Nations people who have long lived here, pay a visit to the excellent Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre.