Best places to go canyoning in Europe

Canyoning is your ticket to the ultimate summer adventure. Learn to abseil rocky waterfalls, slide down smooth slippery rocks in to cool mountain pools and jump from cliffs! Here are the best places to go canyoning in Europe and what you need to know about this cool new sport.

What is canyoning?

Canyoning is an ingenious hybrid of rappelling and rock climbing through tunnels carved by rivers and over waterfalls. It’s a wet sport so it’s perfect on a hot summer’s day. The sport is gaining in popularity year by year as equipment get safer and guides become more experienced. The sport does require a certain level of physical fitness but generally if you can run a mile or two without getting winded then you should be fine.

It’s good to know that canyoning generally has some age restrictions, as it’s not suitable for children. Some countries even have restrictions so it’s a good idea to do your research before you book those flights to Switzerland or wherever your canyoning adventure will take you.

Interlaken – Switzerland

Interlaken is probably one of Europe’s most famous canyoning spots, along with plenty of other adventure sports which attract thousands every summer. The half-day tours are the most popular, bringing groups along through tall, narrow gorges, in the heart of Switzerland’s gorgeous landscape. This is a must when you book flights to Zurich.

Lake Garda – Italy

Italy’s Lake Garda is one of the best places in Europe to go canyoning as the location suits all skill levels from beginners to advanced professionals. Torrente Brentino is perfect for beginners with 15m abseiling and 5m high jumps into deep-water pools. Torrente Tuffone is a bit more difficult, with 8m slides and 15m jumps. If you’re really up for a challenge, try Rio Nero with 40m abseiling points, and jumps and slides that are more than 15 metres!

Sierra de Guara – Spain

Located in Spain’s Pyrénées Mountains, Sierra de Guara is a fairly new sport in this part of Europe so booking a tour shouldn’t be too difficult, even at the last minute. The canyons are easy to access and are incredibly pristine, due to lack of tourism in this region. Who wouldn’t want to enjoy a day in a settling like this? Just incredible.

Tirol – Austria

Oetztal in Austria is one of the most popular places to go canyoning in this part of Europe with some major places for tours and trips. Auerklamm is Austria’s most famous canyoning tour, located in Haiming Oetztal. Wander through totally unspoilt natural canyons, climbing over cliffs and sliding down into deep-water pools. Most tours will combine climbing, jumping and abseiling.

All you need for a canyoning tour is a swimming costume, towel and a sense of fun and adventure. Are you ready?

Imgs: kanjiroushi, flem007_uk, mgworld, trailsource / Flickr cc.