For those with a lust for adventure, multi-activity breaks cover a range of sports including hiking, canyoning, mountain biking and sea-kayaking. A number of tour operators now offer plenty of options for couples, families and solo travellers – in destinations that lend themselves to activity holidays of all kinds.
There are tours to Provence, northern Spain, Corsica, the Dordogne, Finland, Slovenia and Turkey. Further afield, there are itineraries based in Cuba and Ecuador and the Galapagos islands.
1. Ancient Olympics in the Peloponnese
A new four-day tour to the Peloponnese offers travellers the chance to join a revival of the Nemean Games - first staged in 573BC and one of the original four Pan Hellenic Games that included the Olympics in Olympia. Participants can take part in a 100m barefoot run or compete in a 7.5km race in the original stadium - dressed in traditional white tunics. After the Games, there’s a celebratory village feast.
June 9, from £715 including flights and some meals. To enter the Games, you must register by May 1 at www.nemeangames.org. Sunvil (020 8758 4758; sunvil.co.uk).
Join a revival of the Nemean Games - first staged in 573BC
2. Provence on horseback
In the Saddle specialises in riding holidays and its new Provence tour will suit riders of all abilities; the pace is relaxed, with some trots and canters along the way. This seven-day tour takes in the delta plains of Camargue with its pink flamingos and beaches, through towns and villages, over the Alpilles mountains and into Provence and the Rhône valley. The horses are based near the village of Lauris and there are six itineraries to choose from, from a Cezanne ride to a wine tour – led by a guide.
Departures between March and November, from £732 full board but excluding flights. In the Saddle (01299 272 997; inthesaddle.com).
Trot along the beaches of Camargue
3. Hiking, biking and relaxing in Slovenia
This eight-day "Active in Slovenia" tour is based in Bled, a town located on the shores of a lake of the same name. Activities include mountain biking in Triglav National Park, hiking on Mt Vogel and rafting on Sava Dolinka River, with time for soaking in the thermal pools at the Ziva Wellness Centre. There are excursions to the seaside town of Piran as well as the university town of Nova Gorica and the nearby Grad Kromberg for a stop at its castle and gardens.
Departures between May and September, from £738 b&b excluding flights. Intrepid (0808 274 5111; intrepidtravel.com).
4. Active on the Turkish coast
Aimed at solo travellers, this activity holiday explores Turkey’s Mugla region. Based in the four-star Sertil Deluxe Hotel in Oludeniz, the eight-day itinerary includes canoeing on the Xanthos River; walking through a section of the Saklikent Gorge, the longest and deepest gorge in Turkey; and quad biking across the countryside and beaches. Other highlights include a visit to a mud bath in Patara National Park and a jeep safari for visits to the ancient ruins of Tlos crusader castle and Yaka Park.
Departures between May and October, from £849 including flights and most meals. Solos Holidays (0844 815 0005; solosholidays.co.uk).
5. Activities in Spain's first national park
This multi-activity week is based in Picos de Europa, Spain’s first National Park. Staying at Hotel Torrecerredo – a small family-run hotel and the only accommodation in Arenas with views of the highest peaks – the itinerary includes rock pool jumping in canyons, trekking through Cares Gorge, cycling on the coastal paths of the old Camino de Santiago and canoeing on Sella River. There is also a free day to choose from several optional activities, such as climbing, caving or sightseeing in the coastal towns of Asturias.
Departures between May and September, from £1,049 including flights and most meals. Exodus (0845 287 3784; exodus.co.uk).
Every year, thousands of canoes take part in the hugely popular Descent of the river Sella which takes place in the first weekend of August
6. Corsica
A new eight-day Island Explorer tour from Families Worldwide visits Corsica and takes in the mountain village of Zonza and Alta Rocca, a region strewn with mountains, canyons and rock pools. Activities include a tree-top go-ape adventure, a forest walk to the rock arch, the Trou de la Bombe, and canyoning in the Bavella mountains, with time to participate in other activities such as horse-riding and rock-climbing. There’s also a drive to Porto Vecchio for a day of swimming, snorkelling and exploring the town.
Departures between May and August, from £1,079 including flights and some meals. Families Worldwide (01962 737560; familiesworldwide.co.uk).
The imposing Bavella mountains in Corsica
7. Scandinavia in summer
This new eight-day "Finland Family Summer Adventure" is based in Kylmaluoma. The itinerary focuses on wilderness activities, such as lassoing lessons on a wooden reindeer figure at a farm and a guided walk through pine forests. The last day is spent learning wilderness skills, such as orienteering, fishing at a nearby lake and fire-making using natural materials gathered from the woods. The tour also includes a Finnish Wilderness 'Olympics’ where participants compete at games including molkky, a traditional Finnish throwing game involving wooden pins, tandem skiing and Finnish darts.
23 July, from £1,399 including flights and most meals. Explore (01252 888 548; explore.co.uk).
8. Dordogne at one's own pace
This itinerary offers three activities in one holiday: walking, cycling and canoeing in Perigord Noir, arguably one of the most attractive parts of this department. This eight-day self-guided tour includes cycling past the villages of Gluges on the banks of the Dordogne River, walking along south of the river at Meyronne to Rochers Ste Marie and the Grottes de Lacave, and canoeing down to Grolejac through the Perigord countryside, with plenty of time for swimming, picnicking or just lazing by the river.
Departures between June and September, from £1,147 including some meals but excluding flights. Headwater (44 1606 720199; headwater.com).
This itinerary includes walking, cycling and canoeing in Perigord Noir, one of the most beautiful parts of the Dordogne
9. Equestrian Cuba
This 13-day itinerary explores the Pinar del Río Province on horseback, following in the footsteps of the country’s traditional vaqueros, or cowboys. The tour spends up to five hours in the saddle each day as it travels through the foothills of the Alturas Pizzarosas, taking in the Viñales Valley and Cuba’s most famous tobacco growing region, with a brief stop at a beach before heading over to Trinidad to ride through the Escambray Mountain range. Other highlights include snorkelling at Playa Giron and a visit to Havana.
April 21, from £3,115 full board but excluding flights. Wild Frontiers (020 7736 3968; wildfrontierstravel.com).
Follow in the footsteps of Cuba's cowboys on a Horse Trek tour of Pinar del Río Province
10. Ecuador and Galapagos
A new 15-day Ecuador and Galapagos tour offers plenty to occupy adults and children alike. The itinerary starts with a tour of Quito before it heads into adventurous ground. There’s a Cotopaxi ropes course and horse-riding through the Avenue of Volcanoes, a cycling adventure around the Cotopaxi Volcano and a mountain bike ride down the Tungurahua Volcano. On water, the tour includes white water rafting in the Amazon Basin, snorkelling in Charles Darwin Bay and sea-kayaking in Tortuga Bay.
Departures between July and August, from £3,495 including flights and most meals. Activities Abroad (01670 789991; activitiesabroad.com).
This tour includes a bike ride around the Cotopaxi Volcano
Tips
- Child rates are often lower than adult prices, but double check.
- Check if your travel insurance covers all the activities you’re expecting to undertake.
- Don’t forget to pack hiking boots or sturdy walking shoes, trainers and waterproof over-trousers.
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