A trip to Europe has so much to offer, such as historical castles and forts, beautiful beaches and mountains, and quaint towns and villages. A perhaps lesser-known pull to the continent is the many high-octane experiences, attracting adrenalin junkies to Europe from far and wide.
Europe is notoriously easy to travel, with great transport links by flight, train and bus, allowing you to travel great distances with relative ease. For this reason, it’s a great place to spend some time on vacation, allowing you to explore its varied and expansive landscapes and thrill-packed locations.
So if an adventure holiday is your thing, we’ve got your next trip to Europe covered! Here is our list of top adventure sports vacations just waiting for you.
Skydiving in Interlaken, Switzerland
They say that skydiving is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and if you’re going to give it a go, you’ll want it to be somewhere spectacular. Enter Interlaken, Switzerland—a freefall over the stunning Swiss Alps.
With several local skydiving schools to choose from, a short fifteen-minute flight will take you up into the clouds, from where you’ll make your jump over the vast complex of lakes and the many peaks of the iconic Alps.
Jumps from this location go as high as 14,000 feet, giving you a 45-second adrenalin-filled freefall, before your instructor will guide you down to safety with a parachute, allowing you to take in the epic scenery as you catch your breath back!
White Water Rafting in the Tara River Canyon, Montenegro
The Balkan country Montenegro is a less talked about spot to visit on a trip to Europe, but it certainly shouldn’t be overlooked. The Tara River is 140 km long and flows from Montenegro into neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina with epic scenery throughout.
The Tara River Canyon is the second biggest in the world, second only to the Grand Canyon, making it an incredible spot for white water rafting, packed with rapids along the 82-kilometer canyon stretch. The season runs from April through October, with different routes available for all levels of thrill-seekers.
Canyoning in the Azores, Portugal
Adrenalin junkies heading to Europe shouldn’t miss the opportunity to go canyoning and rappelling on the picturesque Azores Islands in Portugal. The Azores is the perfect spot for canyoning, with cascading waterfalls, bubbling springs and mountain peaks. Take a tour that
will guide you safely along the waterways and scale up and down the rock faces for a high-paced adventure!
Ziplining in the French Alps, France
If mountains are your thing, we’d recommend checking out the Tyrolean zipline in the French Alps, with its start point at an altitude of 2,665 meters! The 1.9 kilometer-long zipline is perfect for adrenalin junkies and will have you racing through the Alps on an adrenalin-fueled ride, reaching speeds of up to 130 kilometers per hour! To get up to the start point, you’ll need to hop onto a ski lift up into the mountains—an adventure in itself, before your 70-second ride of a lifetime!
Via Ferrata in the Dolomites, Italy
Climbers, listen up! An action sports vacation in Europe wouldn't be complete without climbing the thrilling via ferratas (translation: iron path) in the Dolomites. The rope-free route is built into the limestone and involves attaching your harness to two leashes, which are quick-fastened to a cable.
It’s a thrilling experience with equally thrilling scenery to boot, with options for beginners to highly-skilled climbers available. Unsurprisingly, these routes are extremely popular in the summer months, and they do come with risks of avalanches year-round. Those with less climbing experience are recommended to book with a guide for a stress-free experience!
Wakeboarding in Lake Garda, Italy
For those who want an action sports adventure holiday in Europe, Lake Garda is a place you must check out. Italy’s north is renowned for its stunning freshwater lakes, and Lake Garda is the biggest and arguably best well-known of them all. As well as a great spot to relax and explore the wine region and historical offerings, Garda is a watersports hotspot.
Wakeboarding is one of the many activities that thrill-seekers can enjoy on the lake, or if you want to step it up a level you can give wake surfing a go—a combo of surfing and water skating that’s guaranteed to get the blood pumping!
Cave Diving in Vatnajökull Glacier, Iceland
Iceland is one of the most breathtaking countries on the planet, with tourists flocking there each year for their chance to see the Northern lights and swim in the geothermal Blue Lagoon.
For those who want to step the adventure up a notch, a cave diving experience inside the Vatnajökull Glacier will allow you to explore deep inside Europe’s largest glacier, seeing marvels of the earth that very few get to experience. For those without diving experience,
there are many snorkelling tours available—so long as you can brave the cold waters!
El Camino Del Rey Walkway, Spain
Adventure holidays and walking don’t seem to fit together, right? Wrong!
The Camino Del Rey Walkway in Malaga, Southern Spain is certainly not one for the faint-hearted (or those with a fear of heights). Suspended at 100 metres high along the side of a gorge, this spectacular walkway will take you 8 kilometers through a canyon and a breathtaking valley, with incredible nature and wildlife along the way. The trail takes 3-4 hours to complete and must be booked in advance.
Long story short...
Who knew...Europe is literally nature’s playground?
Your next adventure holiday in Europe is certainly going to be a fun one!
Written by Alex Callahan
