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Surrounding
Communities:
Osoyoos
(population: 4,295) is located at the Okanagan
Valley's southern tip, in the middle of Canada's
only true desert. As this is the prime  grape-growing
region of BC, there are more than 15 estate
wineries within a 15-minute drive of the town
centre. Many visitors schedule their holidays
there to coincide with the Spring and Fall Wine
Festivals. Osoyoos is also a popular summer
holiday destination and has gained an enviable
reputation as the community of choice for
retirees who wish to escape harsher Canadian
climes. All in all, it's a true "lifestyle
community," where people go to enjoy the
good life. There's something for everyone in Osoyoos: sandy beaches around a warm,
fish-filled lake; a rare and endangered desert ecosystem; plus
ski hills,
golf
courses, playgrounds, orchards, wineries and First Nations cultural centres.
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Osoyoos is so warm, sunny and beautiful that it's impossible to stay indoors for long. Luckily, there's plenty to do outside! You can walk along one of the many interpretive nature trails in the area or cycle on the 18.4-km (11.4-mi) International Hiking and Biking Trail, which passes many winery turn-offs by the time it reaches its end point just north of Oliver. |
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Guided horseback rides through lands belonging to the Osoyoos First Nations are a good way to experience the desert and learn a little First Nations history at the same time. Then there's golf, which can be played 10 months a year in the area. Test your skills on the 27-hole course at the Osoyoos Golf and Country Club or the nine-hole Sonora Dunes desert course. There are other courses nearby.
Osoyoos has two stand-out cultural and historic attractions: the Osoyoos Museum and the Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre. The high quality of the museum's exhibits has made it "The Best Small Town Museum in BC," according to the University of British Columbia, while its Nk'Mip Day School Art Collection is particularly good.
The Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre celebrates thousands of years of Aboriginal habitation of the Nk'Mip Desert, one of Canada's three most endangered ecosystems. Learn about the living culture of the Okanagan people through tours, programs and interactive displays. There are also self-guided interpretive trails, one wheelchair accessible, through 20 ha (50 ac) of sage grasslands and ponderosa pine forests. The wheelchair-accessible trail features interpretive signs, benches and shady armadas, where you can relax and enjoy lovely views of Osoyoos Lake and the surrounding cliffs.
Osoyoos is home to two desert interpretive centres. The
Osoyoos Desert Centre focuses on ecology and education, while the Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre offers over four km (2.5 mi) of self-guided interpretive paths through the desert. Also worth a visit are: Nk'Mip Cellars, the first Aboriginal winery in North America; the Osoyoos Desert Model Railroad, which is on its way to becoming the largest Marklin display in North America (over one km (0.6 mi) of track); plus Rattlesnake Canyon's bumper boats, go-karts, adventure golf, climbing wall and arcade.
Osoyoos
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