Your Sign to Finally Drive the Naramata Road

There’s a winding road that leads out of Penticton and curls along the eastern shore of Okanagan Lake, past vineyards and cherry orchards and little wooden farm stands, until it ends in a village so quiet you’ll wonder how you didn’t come sooner.

That’s Naramata. And once you go, you’ll spend the whole drive home rearranging your calendar to get back.

This is a three-day itinerary for doing it properly. No rushing, no FOMO, just the bench at its best.

Day 1 — Arrive, Hike, and Find Your People

Check into The Village Motel (@thevillagemotel, villagemotel.net) and drop your bags. You’re in the heart of the village and everything is walkable, which is exactly how it should be.

Before anything else, head to Falls Creek. It’s a short hike and one of those spots that earns every step. Tucked away, genuinely beautiful, not the least bit crowded. The kind of place that reminds you why you live in BC, or makes a very convincing argument that you should.

Then make your way to Manitou Park for the Naramata Farmers’ Market (550 Dorothy Rd, Wednesdays 4 to 7 pm, June through September). Local produce, artisan goods, and a gathering that actually feels like community rather than a tourist attraction. This is Naramata at its most itself. Follow along at @naramataslow.

End the evening slow. You’re on village time now.

Day 2 — The Full Day

Morning: Frankie’s Beach Provisions

Start at Frankie’s Beach Provisions, right at The Village Motel on 244 Robinson Ave. They open at 9 am. Order the smoothie bowl or the acai bowl, sit outside, and let the morning be slow. This one sets the tone for the whole day.

@frankies.beach.provisions

Then: Wander the Village

Naramata’s village is small enough to walk in an hour and interesting enough to stretch into three.
Start at Sun n’ Sup (@sunnsup, 176 Robinson Ave). Most people come for the paddle board rentals and they absolutely should, but don’t miss the shop. Sun n’ Sup is the fashion destination of Naramata. Bathing suits, breezy summer dresses, the kind of pieces you pick up on a trip and wear all season. I walked out with four summer dresses and zero regrets. Book your paddle board rental here while you’re in and pick it up this afternoon.

Then wander into Gam Gam’s Cottage (@gamgamscottage). This one is harder to describe because it’s less of a shop and more of an experience. Once you’re inside, you’ll understand. There are endless things to look at, handmade and curated and genuinely surprising around every corner. Give yourself time here.
Pop into Shades of Linen for beautifully made clothing designed and sewn right in Naramata, and 4th Meridian (4thmeridian.ca) for art, vintage finds, and objects that are impossible to categorise but completely impossible to walk past.

And the Naramata General Store (@naramatageneralstore, 219 Robinson Ave). Get the giant ice cream. Not the regular one. The giant one. Non-negotiable.

1 pm: Terravista Vineyards
Head up to Terravista Vineyards (@terravistavineyards) for a tasting with snacks. The views from the bench are something else, and the wines earn every word people say about them. Go slow, ask questions, and let yourself be persuaded into the bottle you weren’t planning on buying.

Afternoon: On the Water
Pick up your paddle board from Sun n’ Sup and get out onto Okanagan Lake. The bench looks completely different from the water, quieter, bigger, and somehow more real. Float, paddle, or just sit and stare at the mountains. The afternoon is yours.

6 pm: Grape Savvy Wine Tours

The shuttle from Grape Savvy Wine Tours (@grapesavvywinetours, trolleyco.ca) picks up right across the street from The Village Motel at the Naramata General Store (219 Robinson Avenue). Let someone else drive. The Naramata Bench has too many good things happening in the glass to also be navigating the road. Book your spot at trolleyco.ca before the trip, they also do private tours and the Saddle Up and Sip experience if you want to extend the adventure.

Day 3 — The Slow Send-Off

Breakfast: Just Baked / 9 Mile Naramata

Before anything else, breakfast at Just Baked / 9 Mile Naramata on 340 Robinson Avenue (@justbaked.9mile.naramata). Sit in. Eat slowly. Order something you’d normally talk yourself out of.

If you’ve still got time and energy, get back out on the water for one more paddle board session or pop into a winery you missed on the tour. The bench rewards a slow morning and a late checkout.

Then start the drive home with the lake on your left and at least three plans already forming to return.

Quick Reference: Everything You Need

The Village Motel — villagemotel.net, @thevillagemotel, 244 Robinson Ave

Falls Creek — Day 1, short hike, worth every step

Naramata Farmers’ Market — Wednesdays 4 to 7 pm, Manitou Park, 550 Dorothy Rd (June to September), @naramataslow

Frankie’s Beach Provisions — opens 9 am at The Village Motel, @frankies.beach.provisions

Sun n’ Sup — @sunnsup, 176 Robinson Ave, fashion + paddle board rentals

Gam Gam’s Cottage — @gamgamscottage, go slow in here

Shades of Linen — 156 Robinson Ave, natural fibre clothing designed in Naramata

4th Meridian — 4thmeridian.ca, art, vintage & gifts

Naramata General Store — @naramatageneralstore, 219 Robinson Ave, giant ice cream is mandatory

Terravista Vineyards — @terravistavineyards, 1 pm tasting + snacks

Grape Savvy Wine Tours — trolleyco.ca, @grapesavvywinetours, pickup 6 pm at 219 Robinson Ave

Just Baked / 9 Mile Naramata — opens 9 am, 340 Robinson Ave, @justbaked.9mile.naramata

Naramata doesn’t need to sell itself. It just is. And once you go, you’ll understand why people keep quietly coming back.

See you on the bench.