Casa Del Mila Oro: Desert, Lakes, & Wine in Canada’s Okanagan

I’ve gone to the desert, but I haven’t left Canada. Golden hills, scruffy brush, and vibrant wildflowers spread across the semi-arid, desert-like South Okanagan region in central British Columbia, a wine-making and agricultural area east of Vancouver. While the South Okanagan doesn’t have the same desert feel as Arizona or other destinations further south, you can can channel the desert vibe with a stay at Casa Del Mila Oro, a condo-style hotel in the town of Osoyoos, just north of the BC-Washington State border.

Here’s the scoop:

Casa Del Mila Oro, Osoyoos, British Columbia

A few minutes’ by car from the center of Osoyoos and walking distance to Osoyoos Lake, Casa Del Mila Oro has two types of units for guests: two-bedroom condos and three-bedroom townhouses.

The units are all set up for longer stays, whether you’re coming for a week at the lake or a more extended sojourn. With comparatively mild winters, Osoyoos draws “snowbirds” from other parts of Canada who come to escape the harsher weather in other regions.

At Casa Del Mila Oro, the two-story condo building is built around an outdoor pool. The 800-square-foot units are all individually owned and furnished differently, so it feels more like staying with a friend than lodging in a hotel.

Guest Rooms and Amenities

Each of the condos has a large open living room and kitchen, with a door opening onto an outdoor terrace. The kitchens are set up for preparing family meals, with a full-size refrigerator, stove, microwave, dishwasher, toaster, and coffeemaker, as well as pots, pans, dishes, glasses, and cutlery.

The two bedrooms are small. The primary bedroom includes a queen-sized bed, while the other is typically furnished with bunk beds, designed for kids.

The condos have one full bathroom, including a washer and dryer.

Facing the lake, the townhouses are larger, 1600-square-foot units, with a kitchen, living room, dining room, a half bath, and patio on the main level, and three bedrooms plus two full bathrooms on the second floor.

In the townhouses, one bedroom is furnished with either a king or queen bed, a second has a queen bed, and a third bedroom has bunk beds.

What’s Nearby

On the opposite side of Highway 3, a main east-west route across southern BC, is the Nk’mip Desert Cultural Centre with exhibits about the local Indigenous communities and an interpretive trail that you can follow through the desert landscape. Nearby is Nk’mip Cellars, Canada’s first Indigenous-owned winery, which does tastings and has a restaurant on the patio overlooking the vineyards and valley.

Another place to walk is the Osoyoos Desert Centre, a nature facility on the north side of town. Follow the boardwalk to look for different plants, flowers, and creatures who call the desert home.

Among the restaurants in town, a highlight is La Marqueza Mexican Tacos & Market, a casual eatery that makes a delicious assortment of tacos and other traditional Mexican dishes. Another unique dining destination nearby is Manzil, an upscale Indian restaurant that the Dhaliwal family operate next door to their Kismet Estate Winery. You can visit numerous other wineries in the Osoyoos-Oliver area as well.

Rates

While Casa Del Mila Oro doesn’t have the same directly-on-the-lakeshore setting or extensive facilities as nearby properties such as the Sandy Beach Suites, it’s a good alternative if you’re looking for a cost-effective vacation rental or long-term stay property and you don’t need to be right on the lake.

And in Osoyoos, you’re never far from the unique landscape of Canada’s desert.

Nightly rates for both the condos and townhouses at Casa Del Mila Oro start at CAD$175/night (approximately USD$127).

You can also check for the latest rates online at Booking.com.

Hotel feature by Vancouver-based travel, food, and feature writer Carolyn B. Heller. Photos © Carolyn B. Heller.  Destination Osoyoos provided support for my Okanagan research trip.