Check our top five reasons to go ‘ooh la la’ over France this Bastille Day (today)! We’ve compiled a magnifique list of adventurous things to do in France this, or any, summer. Go on, hop on a plane and paint the town red, white and bleu!

Cycling the Loire Valley

Imagine the wind in your hair, the sun on your back and the hills rolling by as you cycle through the Loire Valley, the longest river in France. Live life in the slow lane as you marvel at the crumbling stone cottages or stunning ancient castles that line the roads or pick up the pace to pretend you’re in the Tour de' France! (watch the Tour de' France on TV live, right now!)

Relax between wineries with a picnic rug on the grass and some local cheese and baguette without even having to fret about your waistline – biking will take care of all your worries! Grab the girls for a wicked weekend or bring your beau for a romantic getaway you’ll never forget.

Check out RandoVelo for a great list of cycling tours and itineraries throughout the Loire.

 

Hiking the Alps

Get a different view of the Alps as you hike through the blossoms and sunshine! Throw the skis to the back of your wardrobe and pack your hiking boots to watch the snow covered hills melt away to green grass and the cool streams trickling down the mountainside!

France is home to magnificent mountain ranges that combine stunning landscape with Chateaux! Throw on a rucksack and pack your pots and pans for a hiking adventure through the pristine alpine wilderness!

DiscoverFrance.com

Kayaking in Cassis

Cassis, on the stunning Cote d’Azur, has all the natural beauty of its neighbouring towns Nice and Cannes, but it’s relative isolation means it comes without the tourists and the city feel.

For an awesome adventure, grab some girlfriends and hire a speedboat for the day, or take a ferry to remote beaches where you can join in the local culture of topless bathing without prying eyes! To slow things down a notch, try kayaking through the calm, azure waters.

Check out Cassis’s renowned hostels for economical, eco-friendly accommodation only for the adventurous: it takes an hour’s hike to reach!

Surfing in South West France

Learn to surf or simply take a surf holiday along the south-west of France. The Natural Surf Lodge, a green surf camp operating April to November is located on the Atlantic coast offering lessons and accommodation. It is situated on one of the biggest surfing hot spots, renowned worldwide for its magnificent beach breaks; Hossegor and Seignosse. Each year Hossegor is home to the popular surf contest the Quiksilver Pro.

Surf while enriching your eco-awarness and learning a little French.



Jump Aboard Ze Bus

Take a group tour and see the real France. Check out our article on Ze Bus.

 

www.ExplorerGirls.com / Gemma Considine, Courtney Crow