Depending on your expectations, the choice is vast: sunbathing aboard your canoe or kayak on calm water, drifting downstream, breathing the fresh air of wild nature, admiring the majestic sites or villages that all our beautiful rivers have to offer, and why not enjoy some thrilling passages!
Let yourself be guided in your choice. And don't hesitate to ask for advice from the professional rental agent present on each river; they will be your best guide in making your choice.
Admire castles and picturesque villages from my canoe
Combining business with pleasure during your hike is the only rule, because from your canoe or kayak, each river will offer you a breathtaking view of a unique heritage :
- The view of castles the LOIRE, or those of the DORDOGNE. Discover our article Castles & Canoeing in France – Focus on the Loire and the Dordogne
- from the river, UNESCO World Heritage sites such as the gorges TARN or the Vézère valley.
Observe nature on wild rivers
Are you more into nature trips and admiring birds from your canoe or kayak?
So let yourself be tempted by theALLIER , one of the last wild rivers in Europe, with its volcanic cliffs; the Drôme , with its unique water color, where you can drift downstream to the rhythm of cicadas; theAVEYRON , with its limestone cliffs overlooking a wild and verdant landscape. Navigate preserved natural setting VIENNE and GARTEMPE, or explore the legendary Ardèche gorges and its Pont d'Arc.
Canoeing, a means of gentle mobility, will also allow you to cross Natura 2000 areas such as the Upper ALLIER
Canoeing with young children
On most rivers, you can enjoy a calm and peaceful canoe or kayak trip with young children, provided their age is appropriate for the paddling conditions at each location.
All rivers in the canoë France offer programs for young children.
Why not start with a 2-day canoe trip, and then you can move on to other, longer experiences?
Go on a long-distance canoe-kayak trip
Looking to turn your vacation into a Canoe Week?
Starting at 4 days, we're talking about longer canoe and kayak trips. You'll find programs 4-day on theAVEYRON,ALLIER, DORDOGNE , and LOIRE. For even longer journeys, between 5 and 7 days, theALLIER offers 105 km, the DORDOGNE , and up to 149 km in 8 days on the LOIRE.
Canoeing/kayaking down the gorges
Some rivers also offer canoe and kayak trips through the heart of gorges.
Either you start in the gorge section and finish your hike more in the valleys, like on theALLIER with its 44 km of gorges and 61 km in the heart of theALLIER, or on theARDECHE with 24 km in the gorges on a 60 km route.
The entire route can also take place entirely in gorges such as on the TARN and its 47 km or over 61 km in the gorges of theAVEYRON.
The landscape is steeper when you're navigating through gorges, the river is narrower. It's once you reach the valleys that the rivers widen and the landscape becomes more hilly.
Unlike the rivers mentioned above, some rivers are entirely defined by their valleys. This is the case with the DORDOGNE, Drôme, Vézère, VIENNE-GARTEMPE. A special case is the LOIRE which is a river, one of the last wild rivers in Europe.