Kimberley Woods and Adam Burgess have already medalled for Great Britain at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
With two more sets of Canoe Slalom medals up for grabs, we thought this would be the ideal time to share some of the best places to paddle in the United Kingdom.
Here is the International Canoe Federation’s official list.
Isle of Wight, England
Off England’s south coast near Hampshire, the jolly Isle of Wight draws holidaymakers with its beaches, bays and coastal walking. Paddlers with sea experience can head out under high white cliffs and around The Needles chalk stacks. Solid kayakers have been known to tackle a 60-mile circumnavigation of the island in a day, or cross the busy shipping canal to the Isle of Wight from Hayling Island, attached to the mainland. Photographers Leon Butler and Stephen Perfect both tipped about loving it here.
South Devon, England
The charming south Devon coastline is pocked with pretty bays and coves that are a joy to explore for paddlers of all standards. Beginners might prefer the calm water of the River Dart, which winds from the fishing and sailing harbour of Dartmouth past pubs and historic buildings to the hippyish town of Totnes. Our tipper Rhi recommends the gorgeous beaches of Blackpool Sands, to the south of the river, and Broadsand Beach to the north.
Lake District, England
There’s no shortage of good paddling in this rainy, mountainous region and national park in the north of England— the clue’s in the name. From the deep and somewhat intimidating Wastwater, backed by near-vertical scree slopes, to Windermere, England’s largest lake, there are many stunning waterbodies for hammering out distance sessions or trying a beginners’ trip.
Old Harry Rocks, England
The paddle out to Old Harry Rocks, a series of prominent chalk tower-like formations off the white-cliff coast of Dorset, is a favourite among locals, including paddling twins the SUP Sisters, and a fun short expedition for families with older children to try. Nearby Studland Bay has gorgeous beaches to cruise by, and lies at the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast, where dinosaur fossils are frequently revealed.
Durdle Door, England
The iconic Durdle Door on the Jurassic Coast is one of Dorset’s, and indeed, the United Kingdom’s, most celebrated coastal beauty spots, a perfect limestone arch rising above the waves next to a golden crescent beach. Paddling through the gap under the arch and getting a photo while doing it is a must-do for kayakers and SUPers coming to the area.
Cape Wrath, Scotland
Wildly beautiful and one of the most remote parts of mainland Great Britain, Cape Wrath, at its most north-westerly corner, with the vast white sand beach of Sandwood to the south, is an otherworldly outpost. Huge cliffs topped with an iconic lighthouse are spectacular for an expert sea kayaker to survey from beneath.
