Canoe Adventures

About

Beautiful River.  BIG Canoes. Great Fun.  

We offer guided river adventures on the beautiful River Dart estuary, between the historic towns of Dartmouth and Totnes.   Longer than ordinary outdoor activities, we’ll take you on a real adventure with pubs, wildlife, secret places, campfires, shipwrecks and stories along the way.   

Our canoes are really BIG, designed and built right here on the River Dart.  They are also really safe and sturdy.   No prior experience is necessary; we will provide everything you need, and you will be well looked after by your experienced Skipper. 

Ideal for mixed groups and people of all ages and abilities; the oldest we have taken is over ninety and the youngest was just two weeks old!   Likewise, strong and experienced paddlers will find they can go further and faster than in ordinary small canoes; ideal for exploring the full length of the River Dart estuary. 

Wanting to get your party out on the water?   The maximum we can take is 60 adults in six canoes, 69 if you have little children with you.  The minimum we can take on a group booking is five or six people in one canoe.   We are used to being called into action for a range of reasons to party, celebrate and get out on the water.  We are very popular with family reunions and family gatherings, and company teambuilding and away days. We also do a lot of birthday parties, hen and stag parties, schools, youth groups, church groups and scout camps.   We also cater for clubs, societies and special interest groups such as cycling groups, Ramblers, Rotary, WI, U3A. 

Book your own canoe or join a shared ‘by-the-seat’ adventure?   Fewer than five people, the minimum needed to book one canoe?  Check out our ‘by-the-seat’ options where we put people together to make a larger crew, so you enjoy your Canoe Adventures experience in good company, making new friends along the way.  For a ‘By-the-seat’ adventure, look out for ‘Friends and Family’ trips during holidays and half-terms, ‘Pub-to-pub and home by moonlight’ adventures between April and October, and other specials, such as the Dartmouth regatta fireworks, posted throughout the year.  

Evening paddles are a really special way to experience the River Dart.  Enjoy the peace and quiet, with only the sounds of nature around you.  Stay out long enough for the sun to set while you sit around a fire, and then paddle home in the dark for a truly magical experience.  

If you’re after wildlife, whichever Canoe Adventure you come on, we regularly see seals, buzzards, shellduck, kingsfisher, egrets, cormorants, fish jumping, and much more. 

The River Dart in South Devon is one of England most beautiful rivers, ending in  a stunning 12-mile estuary.  Its banks are lined with ancient woodland, broken by the occasional castle, historic mansions, farms and vineyards, and traditional riverside villages.  

This makes the perfect setting for school and study trips.  Most of our skippers have backgrounds in education or youth work so know how to bring the landscape alive for young people and facilitate a particularly powerful experience for the young people.    We're a fantastic way to get youngsters outside and into nature; learn about their history, geography, ecology and more, whilst engaging in healthy exercise, breathing fresh air and reaping the mental benefits gained by spending time in nature.    Exercise whilst sitting down!  What’s not to like?   

Corporate and charity challenge events.  The River Dart in Devon runs through a constantly changing landscape as it journeys from its source on Dartmoor to sea level when it reaches its climax in the stunning 12-mile estuary that we explore.  Groups looking for a challenge exploring this landscape often call us in to provide the canoe logistics section of their multi-activity event.  We’re a great way for people to paddle from Totnes to Dartmouth or vice versa, providing enough of a challenge whilst also ensuring everyone keeps together, and anyone really struggling still manages to complete the event.