Best Surfing Beaches in the UK
The UK is known for having plenty of exceptional beaches, many of which are popular hotspots with keen surfers,...
Are you looking for an adrenaline-filled outdoor activity near you? Then use our guide to find your inner adventurer and discover the best outdoor activities across the UK.
Littered with natural craggy mountains, winding rivers and sinuous caves, the UK is full of outdoor activities. From the renowned adventure capital of North Wales to the mythical landscapes of the Scottish Highlands, connect with nature as you tackle one of these outdoor activities in the UK!
Discover the best outdoor activities in the UK below…
First on our guide to outdoor activities is Alfresco Adventures, located in North Yorkshire and the Lake District. They offer a great opportunity to experience the outdoors in a new and exciting way!
What’s more, they offer experiences suitable for all, from those who have never experienced outdoor activities to regular enthusiasts. Outdoor activities include canoeing, caving, kayaking, rock climbing and gorge walking. Alternatively, stay on land and try your hand at raft building, bushcraft and mountain biking!
If you’re looking to explore a little further, try one of their guided walks and navigation courses. These opportunities offer a fun, safe, educational and rewarding day out. Choose from an array of challenging walks, including Yorkshire Three Peaks and the Lakes 3000s for a digital detox among like-minded people.
If you are seeking the best outdoor activities in the Lake District, look no further than Crags Adventures!
With Crags Adventures, you can experience the best canyoning and ghyll scrambling experiences. They are one of the few companies that hold a specific guiding qualification and a specific rescue qualification. This ensures that you can enjoy your next outdoor adventure with peace of mind!
Choose the 2-3 hour adrenaline-filled activity of Coppermines Canyon, which involves sliding, jumping and being lowered on a rope down waterfalls! Alternatively, book onto The Great BIG Ghyll Scrambling Experience, which takes up to 6 hours and involves cliff jumping, swimming and scrambling.
A few of the many superb Lake District adventure activities!
If your next getaway is in the Yorkshire Dales and you’re looking for some unforgettable outdoor activities then How Stean may be perfect for you! Their selection of outdoor activities is impressive, all of which take place within the local area of How Stean Gorge. This means, that you can sample a variety of outdoor attractions in just one day!
Explore their gorge and caves visitor attraction, which is ideal for families. Be sure to keep a lookout for deer and otters, as well as bats hanging from the caves and trout swimming in the water.
The Big 5 is an adrenaline-fuelled multi-outdoor activity, which tackles five activities in a single day! The activities include the High Ropes Course, abseiling, gorge walking/ghyll scrambling, caving and canoeing. Lunch is included to ensure that you are fuelled for a full day of fun!
Book this attraction via their website!
Next on our guide to outdoor activities in the UK is Lost Earth Adventures. You can find them high on summit tops and craggy cliffs, in wild waters and tranquil lakes, and exploring secret subterranean passages.
For over a decade they’ve been sharing their passion for adventure across the Yorkshire Dales, Peak District and mountains across the breadth of the UK.
Perfect for people of all ages and abilities, you’ll get to experience the very best of the great outdoors. Try canyoning, caving, climbing, abseiling, paddle boarding, canoeing and more on your outdoor activity day!
Looking for more Peak District outdoor activities? Use our free Peak District Travel Guide for further inspiration! Our Yorkshire Dales Travel Guide also offers lots of insights into things to do, too.
If you are looking for a plethora of outdoor activities in East Sussex, The Kite Surf Centre is ideal!
Located on Camber Sands Beach, one of the best beaches in England, the team offer a variety of thrill-seeking activities, including kitesurfing lessons, kite buggying, kite landboarding, stand-up paddleboarding and windsurfing.
With so many activities available for groups and individuals of all ages and abilities, they can help you find a new passion! Most importantly, enjoy learning something new and exciting!
Are you looking to take a quick dip on your next Cornish adventure? Then this outdoor activity community could be perfect for you. Located in Cornwall, Wild Swimming Cornwall aims to encourage more people to take part in wild swimming and experience its benefits.
They believe wild swimming enables us to achieve a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life. You can do this by finding your community, practising self-care and having an affinity with nature through cold water.
There are plenty of wild swimming opportunities in Cornwall that will allow you to take in some of the county’s most breathtaking landscapes. And if you’re looking for more adventure activities in Cornwall use our Cornwall things to do guide and our blog on the best wild swimming locations in the UK for more inspiration!
If you are looking for outdoor activities in Northern Ireland, then look no further than Eagle Divers Northern Ireland, based in Antrim.
Whether you’re an experienced diver or a beginner who has never ventured out before, Eagle Divers offers a selection of courses and levels for all, their PADI-qualified diving instructors have over 36 years of diving experience to help guide you.
This outdoor activity is suitable for all abilities and ages and includes all of the equipment you could need, so you can head out and enjoy the exploration of the sea without worrying about what to bring along!
Discover a quick and easy introduction to scuba diving and then explore the underwater world. The activity is around 2 hours and although not a scuba certification course, you will learn what it takes to be a PADI-certified diver.
Or why not head out snorkelling, an easily accessible way of exploring the ocean? This will be around 2 hours and with not much equipment needed, it is a great way to learn the techniques used by highly trained divers in only a short amount of time.
Explore the sea with Eagle Divers Northern Ireland today!
Are you up for a challenge? If so head to Limitless Adventure Centre and take part in the array of outdoor experiences on offer.
Limitless is located just outside Limavady, near Derry/Londonderry, set just a few miles off the Causeway Coastal Route, one of the most stunning locations in Northern Ireland. It is the only activity centre in Northern Ireland offering the opportunity to pilot your very own Hovercraft while taking in some of the North Coast’s most beautiful scenery.
Hairpin bends and splashes of water await on this purpose-built course! Can you beat your friends and family? There is expert tuition before you head onto the track and showcase your newfound hovercraft skills.
If you’re looking for other kinds of thrills, Limitless has a wide variety of other outdoor activities on offer, including archery, powerturn buggies, laser tag, football golf and much more. This is a perfect location for a family day out or for groups of friends on a weekend away.
Limitless Adventure Centre is the perfect place for adrenalin junkies and thrill-seekers alike.
Have you always wanted to be able to ride the waves? Well, now you can with the next entry on our guide to the best outdoor activities in the UK. At Portrush Surf School, based at Portrush Yacht Club Head Coach Martin “TK” Kelly is an 11 x Irish National Champion and is the longest established Surfing Coach in Northern Ireland.
He has represented Ireland on Euro and World Stages and he along with his expertly trained instructors can give you the best possible chance to be able to catch the waves. Portrush Surf School runs 2 daytime sessions each day, allowing for more time in the water; the perfect chance to hone your new surfing skills. All the equipment from surfboards, wetsuits and accessories are all included with the lessons too; no wonder it is considered one of the best surfing spots in the UK.
This outdoor activity in the UK welcomes a maximum of 8 people per session so you will have enough time to speak and learn from the qualified surf instructors. You can even join a group lesson on your own or with your friends. The perfect option for a family experience or as a stag/hen do activity.
Other outdoor activities include bodyboarding and stand-up paddleboarding – for a truly unique experience book stand-up paddleboarding as the sun sets for a beautiful spectacle.
Grab your surfboard and head on into the waves with Portrush Surf School!
Nae Limits is a family business, established over 20 years ago and based in Perthshire, Scotland.
If you’re looking for outdoor activities in Scotland, Nae Limits offers 16 incredible water and land adventure activities to try! Try your hand at white water rafting, canyoning, tubing or gorge walking. Alternatively, stay on land and tackle quad biking, bungee jumping or paintballing!
If you are feeling brave, why not take on the Scottish Survival Experience? Here, you can test your communication, cooperation and delegating skills. This outdoor activity will also see you use your scavenging, building, crafting, and creating knowledge. This is the ultimate outdoor experience to bond as a group!
If you are local to the Scottish Highlands and are seeking an outdoor activity near you, try Vertical Descents.
As the leading adventure company in the Scottish Highlands, Vertical Descents offers you the ultimate outdoor activity! They are located in one of the most beautiful parts of the country and have so many outdoor activities to offer.
Bring the entire family along for a fun-filled day and try your hand at canyoning and gorge walking. This outdoor activity can be done in Fort William, where you can explore the Inchree Falls, Nathrach Canyon, Grey Mare’s Tail and Ben Nevis Gorge.
Alternatively, choose a location within the Perthshire area, which includes the incredible Bruar Falls, Dollar Falls, Alva Falls, Calvine Gorge and Berwick Falls. Perhaps funyakking is more to your taste? With Vertical Descents, you and a partner can enjoy this adventurous white water activity, where you are in the driving seat!
Next up on our guide to the best outdoor activities in the UK is something a little different! Webster Adventures offers you the chance to soar through the sky in a hot air balloon flight. Enjoy the peacefulness of the sky as you look down on the stunning Scottish landscape.
Allow their fully qualified pilots to take you on a journey like you’ve never experienced before. Most flights last around an hour, which gives you plenty of time to enjoy the bird’s eye view; you can expect to travel between 5 to 15 miles depending on the wind speed.
Webster Adventures is the only balloon flight company in Scotland to offer a minimum of 2 people per flight, making the one-on-one experience much more unique. Perfect for couples or best friends looking to spend a lovely and peaceful couple of hours together. Head up in a hot air balloon today and marvel at the incredible scenery of Scotland with this fantastic and adventurous UK activity.
If you are looking for a unique outdoor experience then head to Anglesey Adventures. Based in Holyhead, Anglesey Adventures regularly runs coasteering, kayaking, gorge scrambling and climbing days so book any of these activities and more for an adventure-filled day.
They also offer a range of skill-based courses for complete beginners through to seasoned explorers, covering half-day trips and multiple-day courses. Experience the thrill of coasteering; this must-try experience is one of the fastest-growing adventure activities in the UK and Anglesey Adventures offers unique options to suit all adventurers.
Head out along the coast of Anglesey today and make a splash in one of these fantastic outdoor activities.
The penultimate entry on our guide to the next outdoor activities in the UK is based in Llanberis, in the heart of Snowdonia. Boulder Adventures has a wide variety of activities to take part in, they include areas such as rock climbing, abseiling, kayaking, canoeing and even Raft building; there is truly something for everyone here.
This fantastic UK outdoor activity provider has been providing activities for adventuregoers for the last 20 years, with highly qualified and experienced guides on hand to make sure you have an incredible day out. If you want to get the whole family involved in a day of fun, then you’re in luck as Boulder Adventure offers group activities – these could even be great for those planning an unforgettable stag or hen weekend.
Pick your ideal outdoor activity and venture into an adrenaline-fueled adventure today!
Located on the Pembrokeshire coastline is Outer Reef Surf School, Wales’ premier surf, stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking centre, and the last entry on our guide to the best outdoor activities in the UK.
Based in Saundersfoot Harbour, Tenby North Beach Harbour, Stackpole Quay and Gupton Farm in Freshwater West, find a location near you for outdoor adventure!
If you are new to surfing, beginner surf lessons are a great way to learn the basics. During this course, develop an understanding of how to catch waves, stand up and be safe in the sea. However, if you are an advanced surfer hoping to catch bigger waves, try the advanced surf coaching program.
Alternatively, explore Pembrokeshire’s unspoiled coastline on a stand-up paddle board. Paddle board into hidden caves, play alongside magnificent cliffs and jump into crystal clear waters with Outer Reef Surf School!
For further inspiration when looking for the best beaches for activities, check out our guide to the best beaches in South Wales!
If these thrilling outdoor activities in the UK have got you feeling inspired check out our activity guide for more ideas. You can also find your perfect stay with these UK holiday cottages.
Image Credits: Amy Truter – CC BY 2.0
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