There are some breathtaking places to get away from it all on the water around the Midlands.
You can kayak, canoe and paddleboard in the heart of Birmingham city center to the beautiful Worcestershire and Herefordshire countryside.
This is not only a nice way to get some fresh air and enjoy a bit of rest, but also a great way to keep fit.
READ MORE: Check out the city’s historic roundhouse open as a tourist attraction
Some of our favorite places are outdoor adventure centers, aqua parks, cultural centers, and more.
Many of these places sell out quickly, so book ahead to avoid disappointment and remember to stay home if you have Covid symptoms.
Find out all about the best things to do this summer on Brummie Mummies’ podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Roundhouse Birmingham
Here is your chance to see Birmingham from a completely different perspective! Head to Roundhouse Birmingham for a kayak tour to explore the local canal network.
The National Trust has teamed up with the Canal & River Trust to bring one of the city’s most picturesque sites back to life with £ 3 million in heritage funding and a kayak tour.
A guide will take you by water through the city, along James Brindley’s first canal to the International Convention Center, The Cube, The Mailbox and Gas Street Basin.
In addition, no prior experience is required to take this three mile tour.
Sheepcote Street, Birmingham B16 8AE
Roundhouse Birmingham Kayak Guide Keith Wraight and BirminghamLive Reporter Graham Young go kayaking
(Image: Jonathan Hipkiss / BirminghamLive)
Acker’s adventure
The Grand Union Canal runs through the grounds of Ackers, making it a great place to get on the water.
Ideal for beginners, you can canoe in open canoes for one to three people in Ackers. Ideal for small groups who want to try something new.
Kayaking is also possible – for both beginners and advanced paddlers.
You can book individual and family lessons. And on Wednesday evenings during the summer months there is go paddling which costs £ 14 per person and includes all instruction and equipment.
Suitable for people from 8 years of age and for all levels, you can try canoeing or kayaking in these sessions.
Golden Hillock Road, Birmingham, B11 2PY
Enjoy the water at Ackers Adventure in Sparkbrook
Canoe rental in Hereford
Hereford Canoe Hire offers half-day canoe tours on what has been called “the quietest stretch of the Wye”.
The drive from Lucksall to Hoarwithy takes you through gentle rapids, winding curves and spectacular scenery before ending on the shingle beach of the Hereford Canoe Hire base at Tresseck campsite.
There are those too Hereford to Lucksall trip included in the Hereford cathedral city under bridges and through the countryside.
These three-hour excursions sell out quickly, so it is best to book well in advance to avoid disappointment.
Hoarwithy, Hereford HR2 6QH
Half-day trips with Hereford Canoe Hire include rapids, bridges, countryside and city backdrops
(Image: Hereford Canoe Hire)
Edgbaston Reservoir
Edgbaston Reservoir is a vast 70 acre site of mostly open water surrounded by forests and grasslands.
Here you will find Edgbaston Watersports, where you can go canoeing, kayaking, sailing, windsurfing and paddle boarding.
Head into the reservoir on Ickniald Port Road to find this center.
Icknield Port Road, Birmingham, B16 0AA
Summer 2021 activities in the Birmingham area
Aztec adventure
At Aztec Adventure, you can rent double and triple kayaks, as well as standard seat-on-top single kayaks.
You can also rent paddleboards here and take British Canoeing accredited paddling courses.
The park in Upton Warren also has an Aquaglide Aqua Park full of slides, trampolines, climbing walls, ropes and stepping stones for splashing around with friends.
You can also rent kayaks on the Lower Moor from Atzec Adventure near Fladbury.
Worcester Road, Upton Warren, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B61 7ER
Salters Lane, Lower Moor, Worcester, WR10 2PD
Surf Shack at Aztec Adventure
(Image: Birmingham Mail)
Bosworth Water Park
You can try canoeing with special taster courses at Bosworth Water Park. If you like it, there are canoe courses CU One-Star and BCU Two-Star.
There are also opportunities for sailing, kayaking and motorboat courses.
Bosworth is famous for its Blue Lagoon Beach, which brings the coast inland and is great for buckets and spades. Here you can rent pedal boats, play in the Black Pearl adventure playground and play a round of pirate mini golf. Camping is available if you want to turn it into a weekend.
Wellsborough Road, Market Bosworth, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV13 6PD
Bosworth Water Park
Cotswold water park
From a leisurely hour paddling in a kayak to completing an advanced canoeing and kayaking course, there are plenty of options for all levels and ages at Cotswold Water Park.
You can also go paddleboarding, sailing, wakeboarding, water skiing, windsurfing, and rent a boat and inflatable dinghies here.
There is also a beautiful beach and a huge aqua park with floating obstacles.
Spratsgate Lane, Shorncote, Cirencester GL7 6DF
Cliff lakes
Against the breathtaking backdrop of the Cliff Lakes, you can learn Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP), along with wakeboarding, water skiing.
There’s also a huge water park where you can hop, slide, swing, balance, and climb the floating obstacle course.
There is a large observation deck and you can buy drinks and snacks.
Tamworth Road, Cliff, Tamworth B78 2DL
Spot on wake
You can go paddleboarding and wakeboarding at the Spot on Wake in Henley-in-Arden.
There is also an aqua park with a balance beam and water trampoline, as well as plenty of climbing and jumping. And if you want to turn it into a weekend, Wootton Park is home to Britain’s first hot tubs tree pods.
Wootton Park, Wootton Wawen, Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire, B95 6HH
Spot on Wake at Wootton Park in Wootton Wawen
(Image: Dan Jordan)
Royal Sutton Coldfield Canoe Club
Canoeing at the Royal Sutton Coldfield Canoe Club every Saturday afternoon and Wednesday evenings from April to late September.
To give it a try, join a day membership for £ 7 and enjoy two hours of canoeing and all of the kit. If you enjoy it, you can take out an annual membership and pay a small rental fee for all equipment.
Silver Street, Brownhills, Walsall, WS8 6DZ
Conkers
Children ages five and up can try kata canoeing in Conkers near Ashby-de-la-Zouch.
This huge activity park offers many activities including bushcraft survival, pedal karting, archery, high and low ropes, a barefoot path, and a fairy maze.
Rawdon Road (B586), Moira, nr Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Derbyshire, DE12 6GA
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