Outdoor Activities In France – Big mountains, wild rivers, green hills, Alpine valleys – the amazing diversity of France’s landscape is one of the country’s biggest attractions, but there’s more to a visit to France than just sitting back and enjoying the view.
(the great outdoors), from popular adventures like hiking and biking to paragliding, scuba diving, and more esoteric options.
Outdoor Activities In France
(slung, cut with a metal cable). The following French tricks all require a sense of adventure.
Sport And Outdoor Activities In The Aude
Experience the best the world has to offer with our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox.
There’s no end to the places to hike in France, but few places can offer spectacular views (and views) of the French Pyrenees. Less crowded than France’s other great mountain range – the mighty Alps – the Pyrenees region offers spectacular hikes through beautiful valleys, mountain meadows and high peaks. Many of these routes have been traveled by Pyrenean shepherds for centuries and you can see some of them by sheep and goat herders, especially during the biennial period.
For serious hikers, the cross-country GR10 and GR11 offer great challenges, as well as an epic long-distance trail that crosses the entire length of the Pyrenees from Spain to France. For shorter routes, try a walk to Cirque de Gavarny, Lac de Gaube, Mont Ney or Pic du Canigou.
If you prefer your roads uncrowded, consider hiking in the Cévennes, north of Montpellier in Languedoc-Roussillon, through the rolling hills and wooded plateaus. The Corsican mountains are also great for escaping the crowds – the main challenge here is the GR20, a 180 km (112 mile) road that runs straight through the island’s rocky spine. It’s not a hike for the unfit or the faint of heart, but nothing else compares for pure treasure.
Adorable Toddler Girl Walking Near The Eiffel Tower In Paris, France Stock Image
The Loire, which runs 1,020 km (634 mi) across France, is the country’s most spectacular waterway. It’s famous for its many luxurious palaces along its coast, built by French kings, queens and aristocracy, but it’s also a great place to cycle. A dedicated network of cycle paths (collectively known as La Loire à Vélo) has been developed that divides the glorious Loire countryside into short, manageable sections that are doable even for novice cyclists (the Loire Valley is kindly flat).
Much of the route follows the banks of the Loire, offering stunning views of the river, and accommodation is easy to find in small towns and villages along the way. There are also many small cafes and bistros where you can refuel for the trip.
There are many other routes scattered around France. The Canal des 2 Mers en Vélo cycle route leads from the Atlantic coast through a series of inland canals to the Mediterranean Sea, while the 236 km (147 mi) Autour du Luberon route winds through the imaginative countryside of central Provence.
Skiers from all over the world flock to the slopes of Chamonix © mkallstrom / iStockphoto / Getty Images
Top 10 Most Popular Outdoor Activities
If you’re a snow dog, you’ll know the happy names of the best ski resorts in the French Alps. The slopes of Courchevel, Meribel and Val d’Isere are legendary among skiers and snowboarders and have all played a major role in the development of winter sports as we know them today.
But when it comes to Alpine glory, it doesn’t come close to the mountain town of Chamonix. France’s highest mountain, at 4,808m (15,774ft) Mont Blanc, is surrounded by some of the best skiing in all of France, from pure runs to hair-raising off-piste routes suitable only for skiers and athletes. essential experience of snowboarders.
The most impressive is La Vallee Blanche (The White Valley), a 2.8 km (1.7 mi) off-road course considered one of the most challenging and exciting slopes on the planet (it was even featured in a James Bond film). Only the best skiers can hope to tackle it, and you’ll need an experienced guide, but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Some of the highest waves in Europe come from the Atlantic Ocean and hit the west coast of Spain, Portugal and France, making these areas very popular with surfers. French Surfing The Atlantic coast of Biarritz and the coast stretching all the way to Hossegor is southwest France’s answer to the California coast.
Happy Young Woman On Christmas Market In Paris, France. Girl Eating Lollipop Christmas Tree. Outdoor Activities On Xmas And New Year Stock Photo, Picture And Royalty Free Image. Image 156706842
There are plenty of surf lodges and surf camps that offer a comfortable place to sleep after a day on the waves, along with instruction and advice for new and experienced surfers alike. There are also plenty of places to rent a board if you don’t have the luggage room to bring your own.
Exploring the Dordogne River by canoe is one of France’s top pleasures © SteveAllenPhoto / iStockphoto / Getty Images
There aren’t many better ways to see France than with a paddle in hand – and with no shortage of beautiful rivers to explore, you’ll have no trouble finding somewhere to do it. The most beautiful is the Dordogne River, which flows 483 km (300 mi) through the limestone hills of southwestern France.
The area has been inhabited since prehistoric times and contains some of Europe’s oldest cave paintings (many of which can be found in the deep caves around the Weser Valley), as well as some impressive medieval castles, gardens and market towns. Dordogne.
France, Vosges, La Bresse, Outdoor Activities Bol D Air, Treehouse, La Maison Du Hobbit Stock Photo
But it’s the glorious green countryside that steals the show, and perhaps the most enjoyable way to experience it in the Dordogne is by canoe. The route between Argentat, Beaulieu-sur-Dorgdogne, Veyrac and Souillac is full of canoe companies to help you get out on the water alone or in groups.
Another great river for paddlers is the Ardeche in south-east France, especially the river that runs through the rocky Gorges de l’Ardeche.
Get super wet in the rushing white water of the Gorges du Verdon © Chris Hellier / Getty Images
If you’re low on adrenaline on the water, how about riding an inflatable boat and wading through masses of foaming whitewater rapids? Some French rivers offer white-water rafting trips, where you and a group of other rafters wade into wild water armed with nothing more than a flat plastic paddle and a prayer.
Happy 3 Years Old Girl Playing On A Playground In Paris, France Stock Photo
The best rapids are found in gorges and gorges, such as the Gorges de l’Ardeche and gorges, but for maximum endorphin flow, Europe’s largest gorge, the epic Gorges du Verdon, takes first prize. Warning: this is a wild ride and you are 100% guaranteed to get wet. The town of Castellane is the main hub with several routes nearby, including the memorable trip to Point Sublime.
It may be impossible to find a spot on the beaches of the French Riviera in the summer, but there is usually a less crowded corner of the French Mediterranean coast, the Calanque, a network of high-walled inlets. white white rocks. South of Marseille.
Noted for their stunning turquoise water, these hidden canals offer great swimming and sunbathing, but visiting them can be exhausting in the summer heat. A much better way to get to them is by sea – local kayaking companies organize excursions to many inlets, with the added bonus that you can go for a refreshing swim in the sea when it’s too hot.
Paragliders take you above the extinct volcanic cone of Puy de Coombes © juanolvido / iStockphoto / Getty Images
The 5 Best Outdoor Activities In Torreilles
Auvergne is a little-known corner of France, but it’s a place of great beauty – and home to a stunning landscape of extinct volcanoes.
. These craggy hills are some of the best places to skydive in France – launching invisible jets that rise from the landscape anchored by a parachute.
Paragliding requires a lot of skill, but local service providers offer paragliding tours where all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the spectacular views. The magnificent Puy de Coombes is a classic paragliding site, and if the weather is good, you’ll see many paragliders soaring quietly around the summit.
Corsica is a great place to learn to dive. Surrounded by the sea on all sides, the Île de Bute has some of the clearest waters anywhere in France, including a protected natural reserve of more than a thousand hectares just west of the Mediterranean coast. island, nearby. Piano.
Low Ropes And Outdoor Activities
The reserve is not accessible on foot, so traveling by sea is the only option – sightseeing tours can be arranged, but to really understand the reserve you need to get in the water, preferably by snorkeling or snorkeling. still, the scuba belt. It’s just colorful coral, moray eel, grouper, octopus, halibut, tuna and sea urchins.