Canoeing

Aquitaine offers a wide range of sites for you to wield your oars.

All over the region there are, of course, the rivers. From your canoe you can admire the villages nestled at the bottom of the cliffs of the Dordogne, or row down the Grande Leyre, that Amazon of the Landes area, observing its protected flora and fauna …

There is also the white-water of the Pyrenees for more extreme descents and the guarantee of heady sensations. Different levels of difficulty exist.

Finally, you can try sea kayaking along the 250 km of coastline of the Atlantic Ocean. This is a good way of discovering the Dromedary Isle in the Bay of Loia near Hendaye or, on the peaceful waters of the Bay of Arcachon, the labyrinth of “esteys” (canals) and the countless migratory birds in the ornithological park of Le Teich. 

Whatever the type of landscape, canoeing is a unique way of seeing different things, (re)discovering panoramas, exploring usually inaccessible places and making the most of protected nature, with or without a guide, with your friends or family, for a 3-hour outing or a full weekend to get away from it all.

To find out the quality of the water in all swimming areas (ocean and freshwater) in the départements of Aquitaine, visit the website of the Ministry of Health: http://baignades.sante.gouv.fr