We always have an active summer, despite the scorching heat. In fact, because of the hot weather going on a kayaking trip is a very good idea. You exercise, and the cold water of the river is refreshing and welcome. There are many, many kayak rentals in Languedoc-Roussillon. I went to the one in Roquebrun.
The right gear
My brother, sister-in-law and cousin were visiting, so along with our little family, we went off to beautiful Roquebrun. In total we were with eight people, so we reserved three kayaks: two kayaks for three people (two adults with one of our eight-year-old twins in the middle) and one kayak for two people with the tough guys (the cousin and our oldest of 11 years old). As soon as you arrive at the rental place, they provide you with all the right gear. Basically, you will get a lifejacket, a waterproof storage container and of course the kayak with a pair of paddles.
Just in time
You can make several kayaking trips, from 5 to 21 kilometres, and even two or three-day trips. We went for the shortest one of 5 kilometres. A shuttle bus drives you up and down between the different starting points. Our shuttle bus left at half past 12, and we were requested to be present at 11 o’clock. This left us enough time to fill out a form, pay and get our gear. We arrived quite late but fortunately, it all went very fast, and we were still in time for the shuttle bus at 12h30.
Excitement
After arriving at Ceps, we received a brief explanation from our kayaking instructor (in French and English!). And off we went! Lifejackets: check; paddles: check; helmets for the little ones: check, double-check. We didn’t get much time to slowly become familiar with the kayak, as soon enough we encountered our first rapid. Phew! As I don’t kayak very often, I thought it was quite exciting. And I was not the only one… It went fantastically well; we did not hit a rock or fall into the water. We even had time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
Fantastic view
After a while, it was time for a swimming break. Kayaks ashore and – hop – dip in the river. The water is really refreshing, nice and cool! It gave us new energy to continue our trip. You will meet other kayakers; however, this won’t bother you at all as everyone kayaks at their own pace. After about two hours we arrived in Roquebrun again. After handing in our gear, we felt quite hungry. So we decided to eat at the restaurant right there on the spot, called the Guinguette. A tasty salad for the ladies and the men and children were served with hot dogs and fries. And to top it all off- a fantastic view of the Orb and Roquebrun. What a perfect day!
