Outdoorsy shite: recommendations for canoe expeditions/fun

[Brambleschooks]

Any recommendations for family canoeing locations? So far we have done day trips along the coastline at st Ives and the llyn peninsula and trips along the river dee with picnics in our dry bags. We also do a lot of canoe surfing on the welsh coast.

I hear tht there are some great paddle locations along the wye.

Any recommendations on day trips or on paddle and canvas breaks?

There are some great trips on the broads www.thecanoeman.com/

That's a great link sneezeblossom. I've been thinking about doing something like this for years with DS, and now he's old enough to pull his weight, I think we'd have a great time. Brambleschooks I don't know how adventurous you're feeling, but friends of mine have had fabulous holidays canoeing in the Ardennes, sadly I never got the address of where they used to go, but google canoeing + ardennes and you should get some results if that would interest you. I think you can camp, go cycling and canoe in the whole area. I'd love to do it.

Great suggestions, thank you! Keep em coming.

I hear tht there are some great paddle locations along the wye.

yes - we've done a couple of half-day trips (but they do camping ones too). Can't for the life of me remember the company we used - there are several I think.

The Lake District is an obvious place for day trips - Coniston has a canoe hire place, but last year we got an inflatable which allowed us to explore further (including 'Wildcat Island' - a must for Ransome devotees!) - there's quite a few place you can park and launch.

Oh I am liking the idea of wildcat island. We already have two canoes, one hardbody sea kayak and an inflatable, so we're on for some fun! I'm keen to buy a one man so that I can get back into doing weirs, etc.

I'd like to get to the island really early one morning so that it was deserted - its a bit of a magnet to people with their own boats!

We got to wildcat island mid pm and it was deserted. Mind you, it was termtime and squally enough that we surfed home!

Severn is good for multi day stuff; you can paddle from welshpool to the estuary.

Wye round symmonds yat is fabulous and pretty safe white water for beginners/younger kids.

The bcu has published some canoe trails too. I know there's one on the mersey, one on the weaver and one in northern Ireland. They might be worth looking at. I'm on my phone so can't link easily.

If you're particularly daft and want 4 days over Easter you fan always do the Devizes to Westminster marathon... 126 miles, 77 locks but lots of fun.

The paddling in Scandinavia is supposed to be fabulous too.

(interpret that as envy or seasickness )

Poole harbour and out round the coast between old Harry rocks and swanage is very popular. Great campsites and ive heard the locals are friendly We are desperate for kayaks-the dc need to be a little bit older though :) check out burnbake campsite-it's the closest to the water and is now in cool camping

Hi, we've moved this into The Great Outdoors.