Rowing and Canoeing

Rowing on the River Guadalquivir in Seville. © MIchelle Chaplow
Rowing on the River Guadalquivir in Seville.

Rowing

By its very nature, rowing is an inland waterway sport and is immensely popular along the River Guadalquivir, especially in Córdoba and Sevilla, where major international competitions and training camps are often held. It is mainly practised on straight, wide, flat (calm, smooth) stretches of water, hence the popularity of the Guadalquivir, but can also be found on inland lakes and reservoirs. Many of the latter also have small rowing boats available for hire by the hour, but these are for fun, whereas rowing on rivers tends to be the preserve of more serious, professional or skilled amateur oarsmen and women belonging to specialist clubs.

Anyone who can demonstrate sufficient skill levels can often join one of these clubs on a temporary basis and row in a full eight, a four or a double skiff. Single skiffs are, on occasion, available for hire, although it is obviously necessary to be able to prove due competence.

Further information is available from the Instituto Andaluz del Deporte (the Andalusian Sports Institute), or the Federacion Andaluza de Remo (the Andalusian Rowing Federation).

Canoeing

Much as rowing, canoeing (piraguismo in Spanish) tends to be mostly an inland sport, although it is possible to take a craft out in the Mediterranean or Atlantic, keeping within clearly defined safety parameters, such as distance offshore, and knowledge of sea currents and wind strengths.

Again, anyone wishing to hire a canoe from one of the centres located all along the Andalucian coast, from Huelva to Almería, will have to convince the hire operator that they can handle the craft competently. All canoeists, for example, should know how to right a canoe that has turned upside-down (known as an eskimo roll) and, needless to say, being a reasonable swimmer is absolutely essential.

 

 

You can also go canoeing on one of the fast-flowing inland waterways in the hills behind the coast, always under the watchful eye of experienced instructors from a specialist activity company, as it presents far more danger than pottering about on the placid waters of a lake or reservoir.

Inland marinas at Sevilla and Gelves offer docking facilities for those wishing to sail on the River Guadalquivir near its mouth at Doñana National Park. You can also find boating facilities near the source of the Guadalquivir in Tranco de Beas Reservoir in the Nature Park of Cazorla, Segura (Jaén province), and also at Las Villas. Similar facilities can be found on the Iznájar Reservoir, which covers parts of three provinces - Córdoba, Málaga and Granada.

Seville by kayak Smart Start

Seville by kayak Smart Start Seville by kayak Smart Start

Enjoy a unique experience discovering Seville in a Sporty and ecological way. Try kayaks that are sit in and sit on top , double and sigle and are specifically manufactured for recreational activity and initiation. Learn from guides who are international kayak guides and have international qualifications and speak English. Explore the waters of the Guadalquivir as it passes through the city are among the best in Europe to practice canoeing.Book tour now