Check out our list of outdoor sports in France: from bungee jumping to paragliding, there are so much outdoor sport in France to experience.
Remember the iconic song ?
Even the young generation, who knows nothing about Van Halen, could hear that incredibly energizing piece of music in the recent Spielberg’s movie “Ready player one”. But I’m not here to talk about movies or music, I’m here to talk about getting real rushes of adrenaline in some extreme sports in France where the only thing you have to do is… JUMP!
There’s nothing quite like standing on the edge of a sheer drop with your feet attached to a bungee cord to get the heart pumping. Let’s take a look at the first outdoor sport in France on our list.
Bungee jumping is one of the world’s most popular adrenaline sports, with options to leap from everything from bridges to cranes. While New Zealand is the birthplace of the sport, and China has the world’s highest bungee from a building (the Macau Tower at 233m), France can boast of a few spots where you’ll have your ration of adrenaline and feel your heart reach your stomach…or maybe it’s the contrary ?! At the Artuby bridge, in the majestic Gorges of Verdon, you’ll have the chance to jump from the highest bridge (182m / 600 ft) in Europe. The little extra? From above and below the Artuby bridge also called “pont de Chaulière” you will have an incredible view of the Gorges of Verdon, which are also the highest and most spectacular in Europe.
Between preparation, jumping, and climbing, you will have about 1 hour of activity. However, it’s highly recommended to plan your whole day because your jump will be scheduled depending on your arrival time. After the jump, you will go up the Verdon canyon by a path that offers again some breathtaking views of the Gorges. The ascent is quite sporty, it is essential to come with a good pair of shoes (30 minutes walk).
A second great spot for this amazing activity is the Ponsonnas bridge, close to Grenoble, the gateway city to the Alps : It is in a wild and mountainous environment that you will do your bungee jump. Perfoming a jump from The Ponsonnas Bridge (103m / 338 ft) is an absolute MUST for every bungee jump fan or thrills-seeker.
Didn’t have enough with jumps from bridges ? Why not trying to jump from a cable car in les Deux Alpes, a famous winter and ski resort in the French Alps, and also a paradise for MTB lovers and outdoor addicts in general. The jump height is higher than at the bridge of Ponsonnas at 139m / 459 feet. You should be aware of the fact that this spot is actually the highest jump from a cable car in the world. It is in the top 20 high jumps from anything. What is interesting is the altitude where the cable car drops you from: 2200 meters. You can easily imagine what a sensation it is. More than one reason to gasp! The team on site is highly experienced and the memories made will last forever.
Are you a lover of heights, water, and an extreme passion for adventure and fun? Imagine you get all these adventure activities in a single challenge? Well, that’s canyoning summed up. A mix of deep dives into turquoise blue waters, abseiling, zip-lining from the middle of waterfalls and climbing rocks makes canyoning such a superb experience. Canyoning in France is among the major attractions for adventure junkies as it has an extraordinarily beautiful landscape of narrow gorges created several centuries by erosion. Explore the natural beauty, and you may end up with hidden treasures.
Extreme canyoning in France is highly adventurous, and the weather may play spoilsport with you. Ensure the weather conditions are right over a few days, or else you might end up canceling the adventure due to sudden change in weather. Let us look at favorite spots in France for canyoning.
As you can guess, most of them are in mountainous regions, either the Alps, Pyrénées, Cévennes, Jura or Corsica…There are hundreds of them, so of course the following list is not exhaustive!
Maglia canyon in Roya Valley (Southern Alps): This canyoning site in this valley involves high jumps, climbs, swimming, abseiling, and sliding. For more adrenaline, you can go for a 60 m abseil. It is considered to be a bit technical one, so you must have a canyoning experience before.
- Difficulty level: Medium to difficult
- The time required: 5-6 hours
Haut Jabron canyon near Castellane in the Gorges of Verdon (Provence, at the foothills of Southern Alps): A 10 km drive from Castellane, Haut Jabron is a descent in the famous and spectacular Gorges Du Verdon grand canyon. It offers you a variety of adventure activities like jumping, abseiling, natural slides, and beautiful limestone carvings to glance upon. It is considered among the best places for canyoning in France if the water level is low, letting you see the sparkling green water shining in the sunlight.
- Difficulty level: easy
- The time required: 1 ½ hour
Le Llech (Eastern Pyrénées): This spot is located in Prades, in the Eastern Pyrénées and more precisely in the Regional Natural Park of the Catalan Pyrenees. For all the fans of spots that are practiced in the countryside, the Canigou massif will impress you. On this canyon you will have a multitude of jumps (up to 9 meters), all optional – you can descend with a rope if you don’t « feel it » -, natural slides and abseiling.
- Difficulty level: easy to middle
- The time required: 2 hours
Riolan canyon (region of Nice): Undoubtedly, Riolan canyon is among the best canyoning in France, and we think it is a real marvel. The 2.6 km long canyon is packed with 210 meters of vertical descent, 15 minutes of natural trail along with long whitewater swimming sections. It would be best if you had the right level of fitness to conquer the canyon.
- Difficulty level: Medium to difficult
- The time required: 2.5 to 5 hours, depending if you spend some time to swim or relax in the swimming sections.
Cramassouri Canyon in Tinée valley, at the foothills of Southern Alps: This one is best for kids as well as families who have started to incline canyoning.
- Difficulty level: Easy
- The time required: 2 ½ hours
Paragliding is a hugely popular sport in France, especially in the South, and for good reason. This is where mountainous terrain meets the sea creating world-class flying conditions and ample opportunity to take to the skies all year round. Hot sun draws warm air up south-facing slopes creating thermal rockets perfect for epic cross-country paragliding.
Mieussy: Mieussy is 50km west of Chamonix. It is the birthplace of paragliding in 1974. The Chamonix region is viewed by many as the Mecca of paragliding with many people flocking to the region to enjoy the sights and scenery that include huge thermals and enormous peaks each year.
Annecy: Other major hotspot for paragliders are Annecy and Lake Annecy. The best time to paraglide in this region is in the summer. This is mainly because the weather is warmer during this period of time. The registered temperature is usually above 25 Celsius in the summer. A popular take off location is Montmin on Col de la Forclaz at a height of 2750ft above the lake. Montmin is the main paragliding site in Annecy.
Region of Languedoc (close to Eastern Pyrénées): Paragliding is also popular in Languedoc. Fewer people venture to this region so there is actually less air traffic here. There are stunning mountain ranges as well as castles, including the Cathare castle of Quéribus that can be viewed in this amazing region. However care needs to be taken in this area as there are fields of vines which would not be comfortable to land in. It is more the region meant for paragliding experts who know how to follow all the necessary steps in order to have fun and be properly secured during paragliding.
Probably for the most adventurous adrenaline seekers, as you have first to make a short flight to gain elevation, and you don’t see where you’re going to land before you jump. Only the void awaits you! Of course, if you’re a beginner, you have the possibility to jump in tandem with an instructor so that you don’t have to make anything… except jump!
While France offers many locations for indulging in skydiving, here is a list of the five best places that you can consider for a breathtaking experience.
Cannes: The city where stars come down
The best place to skydive in France, Cannes is a beautiful city that offers a mind-blowing diving experience which you may not get to have anywhere else. Being the city where the stars from both whole Hollywood and Bollywood come together, jumping from the airplane at 13,500 feet would make you feel like a star too!
Paris, the city of romance
Fly over the city of romance like a free bird, where even the strongest of hearts skip a beat to its charm. Imagine yourself hovering over the famous attractions like the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame, sounds like a dream, right? But you very well can live it.
Mont Blanc : the roof of Europe!
You can experience free fall at 5000 m (16,400 ft) during which you can take in all the beauty of the Alps. As the Mont Blanc unfolds before your eyes, you can almost touch the Aiguille du Midi, the Drus, and all the other Chamonix summits. Your jump takes place from a helicopter and thanks to a helmet-mounted camera, you’ll have a priceless souvenir to take home.
If you are tempted and want to catch an adrenalin rush during your trip, simply ask us to scope one out for you during your tailor-made trip in France.
If you enjoyed this blog post on Outdoor sport in France, read more about the 10 best ski resorts in France.
