Both canoeing and kayaking in Portugal can be exquisite, a perfect way to get to some regions in the country that few tourists will get the possibility of seeing. The experience can be challenging or relaxing, based on personal wishes. You will be able to easily get close to Portugal’s wildlife, plants and birds on a holiday that you would always remember.
Canoeing Holiday Options
If you want to go canoeing or kayaking in Portugal, you basically have 2 main opportunities: guided trips or self-guided trips. When talking about the guided trips, you would have to seriously consider:
- Rio Douro – a trip of 5 days that would take you right in the soul of Douro Natural Park (a wine country location), allowing you to see nature at its finest: black storks, eagles, vultures and griffon vultures.
- Rio Tejo – The canoeing experience lasts around 100 kilometers and in 4 days you will reach Tancos from Perais. You will surely love passing the river cliffs of Portas De Rodao and the mysterious castle that is along the way.
- Rio Minho – the river that is the northernmost in Portugal offers a great canoeing experience between the towns of Melgago and Valenca. You would spend 4 days travelling and this includes many stops to relax and enjoy the nature.
Self-Guided Canoeing Tours In Portugal
You can easily enjoy a wonderful self-guided kayaking adventure in many parts of the Mondengo River. When arranging the trip, you will need to rent a kayak and get a river information based map. If you do not have a lot of experience, you will also be taught about safety necessities when you rent your equipment.
Since you would be thinking about a self-guided tour, you may want to combine kayaking with mountain climbing and hiking. This is definitely wonderful in Portugal.
If you want to have really great self-guided kayaking tours in Portugal, we highly recommend considering locations like Madeira, Algarve and various options are present near Lisbon. Alternatively, you can also go for stand up paddling, which is available in all Portugal waters that are calm.
Things To Know About Canoeing In Portugal
Both canoeing and kayaking are really safe for children and adults in most parts of Portugal. You just have to conduct a minor research based on where you will go. Most of every year offers acceptable conditions. The sport is really easy to pick up in the country because of the calm conditions.
When you go for a guided trip, make sure that you listen to your guide since you would simply learn more. You can easily enjoy some whitewater trips if you want to go for something that is more challenging.
In Portugal the most common canoe and kayak options used are 2 or 3 seaters. They are normally stable, open and wide so it is easy for the canoeist to be safe. However, make sure that you pack your sun cream with you, together with a cap or a hap in the event that it is sunny since the sun can be pretty strong.
