Canoeing the Wye

Canoeing the Wye is a perfect wild experience, and great for a family. The Wye is (mostly) a gentle flowing, wide river, with pretty scenery on both sides, and there’s nothing like paddling to make you feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere with all the time in the world, with the constant rhythm of the paddles, the slap of the wake against the canoe and the current taking you past eerie monster-like fallen trees and under old unused bridges. Birds become the traffic: mallards, magpies and circling buzzards, with the swans overseeing them all as the king of the river. If you're lucky the kingfisher will snatch your breath flying past like a bullet. There are a number of canoe hire companies to choose from, and most have plenty of ideas and suggestions of where to go and where to stay, from camping spots and sites to B&Bs. They'll also transport you to or from the location you want to start or finish at.