10 of the best European activity breaks with a spirit of adventure
‘Slow happiness’ in Italy, Finland, Sweden or Iceland
The Scotland-based company Slow Adventure advocates a more mindful approach to activity holidays. Options include climbing and yoga in the Italian Alps, mountain biking in Sweden and horse riding and rambling in Iceland. On the Finnish Happiness trip, guests stay in log cabins by a lake in Lapland and activities include canoeing under the midnight sun, hiking, swimming, swamp foraging and daily saunas. On all trips, 5% of the fee goes to local conservation projects, which in Finland could mean helping protect the rare Saimaa ringed seal, preserving forests or supporting a children’s environmental charity.
From £876 for five nights, slow-adventure.com
Swim, snorkel and hike in Croatia, Italy or Sweden
The new, sustainable sport of seatrekking involves moving along a coastline in water and on land, leaving no trace – swimming, snorkelling and hiking, and sleeping in the open air. SeaNomads is one of a number of companies now offering guided tours: on Cres, Croatia; in Kullaberg, Sweden; and in Portofino and Elba, Italy. A typical day starts with yoga and breathing exercises, followed by swimming and hiking, then setting up camp, eating around the fire and sleeping on an airbed (under a tarp if it’s raining).
There are also free-diving and cliff-jumping sessions. Beginners’ tours include an extra introductory day, and all equipment – wetsuit, fins, snorkel, sleeping bag, mattress, stove, water bag – is provided.
From £392 for a four-night beginners’ tour, next trip 12-16 June, seanomads.de
Boots or bike – and a raft, France
Another up-and-coming adventure sport, packrafting involves hiking with a portable inflatable one-person boat for crossing lakes or navigating rivers. Secret River Expeditions runs two-day trips around the Verdon Gorge, south-east France, either exploring lakes just north of the gorge or entering the canyon itself for a more advanced journey with rapids and abseiling.
It also runs two- or three-day bikerafting adventures in Annecy and Aix-les-Bains, where you cycle rather than hike, and paddle along rivers, canals and lakes (the bikes are carried on the boats). Some trips feature bivouacs or camping; others have options to stay in lodges or a hotel. One-day or half-day tasters are also available (from £73/£43).
From £330 for two days or £407 for three, secretriver-expe.com
On the ropes in Poland
“Aerial movement” combines acrobatics, fitness training, pilates and yoga, using a kind of hammock to support the body. Beginners can try it on a week-long woodland retreat in the Beskid mountains of southern Poland. There are daily skills sessions using silks, hoop, trapeze, rope and bungee, and daily aerial yoga or pilates classes.
In between, guests can hike the forest trails, perhaps to the summit of Barania Gora (1,220 metres). Participants follow a 16/8 intermittent fasting diet, with brunch at 11am and dinner at 7pm, followed by a 16-hour fast. The new-build retreat centre has shared and private rooms.
From £1,150 for seven nights, 10% off for bookings 90 days in advance, next retreat 2-9 April, flowmove.eu
Paddleboarding Norway’s fjords
Standup paddleboarding is booming, and SUP-focused holidays now range from mindfulness to fitness. SUP & Soul’s Norwegian retreat combines paddleboarding with nature connection in a forest near Ekne, north of Trondheim. SUP sessions take place on fjords and a mountain lake.
Other activities include hiking and swimming; forest yoga and qigong; and art, music and dance workshops. There is also a summer solstice ceremony. Guests stay in tree tents, yurts or cabins.
From £1,450 for six nights, 17-23 June, supandsoul.co.uk
Spain’s three peaks challenge
Those who’ve done the British Three Peaks Challenge (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon) may be tempted by the Spanish equivalent – though Los Tres Picos are considerably higher. Adventurous Ewe runs a four-night trip in Sierra Nevada, home to the three highest mountains in mainland Spain: Alcazaba (3,371m), Veleta (3,394m) and Mulhacén (3,482m).
The group climbs a mountain a day, trekking for seven to 10 hours each day and staying in remote huts. It is a tough challenge with some scrambling, but no climbing experience is needed – and the views over mountains to the Mediterranean make all that effort worthwhile.
£725 for four nights, next trip 27-31 May, adventurousewe.co.uk
Horse riding in Albania
Equus Journeys runs horseback trail rides across Europe (and the world), aimed at adventurous, intermediate-level riders. Riders move on almost every day, camping or staying in simple accommodation. Trips range from short breaks in Ireland to eight days trekking across Iceland.
On the Ancient Mountain Trails trip in Albania, riders explore hills, valleys and forests, medieval villages, ruined castles and Byzantine monasteries. The trip starts and finishes in the Unesco-listed city of Gjirokastër and nights are spent at homestays, cooking and eating with local families.
Beginners would be better with a centre-based holiday – there are options in Poland, Portugal, Ireland and Italy, some suitable for families.
From £1,061 for seven nights, next trip 23-30 March, equus-journeys.com
Surfing for newbies in Portugal
Beginners can learn to surf in a supportive, small group environment on this week-long women-only camp in Lagos, Portugal. There are five full days of surf coaching, with one instructor to a maximum of four students, one-to-one video coaching and group theory lessons. The price also includes two surf skate sessions and one surf-inspired yoga class (daily yoga is available for an extra cost, as are massages and a SUP tour).
Guests stay in a surf lodge with a pool, whirlpool bath and gardens, in private or shared rooms, safari tents or cabins. Most meals are provided, including a welcome dinner with wine-tasting and an end-of-week barbecue. Also suitable for intermediate surfers.
Seven nights from £844, 13-20 April, rideonretreats.com
Body art on the Lofoten islands
The ancient art of bodypainting is having a resurgence, with a bodypainting weekend in Hvar, Croatia, on 8 and 9 June, and the World Bodypainting festival in Klagenfurt, Austria, from 17-21 September.
A new retreat on Norway’s Lofoten islands mixes bodypainting, nature and movement. Participants learn basic body art, plus techniques such as camouflage, abstract, UV and face painting. There are hula-hoop classes, moving meditations, hiking, swimming, SUP, and a live bodypainting show night. Guests stay in beachfront cabins with use of an outdoor hot tub and sauna, and eat locally grown vegan/vegetarian food. No art experience is necessary (but you probably need to be comfortable with nudity).
From £1,670 for seven nights, 6-12 August, vilijaart.com
Swimrun camp, Spain
Swimrun is an endurance sport, usually for teams of two, combining trail running and open-water swimming. The original race, in 2002, was an island-hopping contest on the Stockholm archipelago that started as a drunken bet between friends and is now the Ötillö Swimrun World Championship.
In April, a training camp in Calella de Palafrugell on the Costa Brava will be led by Sarah Hansson, a swimrun champion, personal trainer and yoga teacher. Participants run and swim 12-18km a day around national parks, mountains, beaches and villages, with afternoon yoga sessions for recovery, and stay in a four-star hotel with pool, a few minutes’ walk from the sea. The camp is aimed at intermediate levels and above, but beginners can find UK workshops at swimrun-advice.com.
£535 for four days, swimrun-adventure-camp-costa-brava-2024
