Whitewater kayaking, New Zealand

New Zealand is considered one of the world’s best locations for kayaking, dubbed by tour operator Water By Nature as “Paddlers Paradise”. This thrilling two-week trip – suitable for more experienced kayakers (class 3+/4-) – is led by experts JJ Shepherd, Mike Abbott and Koryn Gould, who have lived with some of the world’s finest rivers on their doorstep. The trip will include paddling the Hurunui and Buller rivers, as well as taking on the 11-metre Maruia Falls, with helicopter flights on three of the days, giving visitors plenty of opportunities to take in the spectacular views below. Granted, it’s a trip that will most likely appeal to the more committed kayakers out there. Those after a more accessible, cheaper, white-water adventure could try out a three-night rafting trip in Switzerland (from £605 including accommodation and most meals), with a chance to try some paragliding or mountain biking.
• £2,650 for 14 days, waterbynature.com

Mountain biking in Morocco

An Olympics sport since 1996, mountain biking has long been a popular holiday activity. For those feeling inspired by the pros, who will be tackling steep drops and rough terrain on the Rio off-road course on 20-21 August, it’s easy to find affordable biking holidays. Experienced cycling-tour company Skedaddle runs plenty of mountain bike holidays, many in the UK. One of the stand-out trips, however, is a nine-day, vehicle-supported tour across the stunning Jebel Sirwa mountain range in Morocco, sleeping under the stars in the Sahara and camping with nomads in the mountains. The trip will take bikers past ancient kasbahs and traditional villages, with pit stops for mint teas and in the odd oasis to cool off in.
• £945 for nine days, including all accommodation and most meals, skedaddle.co.uk

Horse riding in Italy

Olympic equestrian events can be a little difficult to relate to at times. Watching an aristocrat make a horse dance during dressage isn’t quite the same as galloping down the beach with the wind in one’s hair, while the waves crash in. With that in mind, for those looking for an Olympic-inspired horsey holiday, we would suggest opting for the latter. Horse-riding travel specialist Zara’s Planet offers an eight-day tour of Sardinia that combines country trails and beach rides, staying in an old country house, with swimming pool, jacuzzi and terrace, where fantastic Italian cooking can be sampled. But, for a horse-riding holiday that truly screams “epic”, a trip to Bitterroot Ranch (from £1,600 including all meals and accommodation in log cabins), in the heart of America’s Marlboro country in Wyoming, could be the answer.
• From £750 for eight days, including B&B, zarasplanet.com

Sailing in Thailand

It’s difficult to think of a more beautiful place to learn how to sail than in the tropical climes and clear waters of the Andaman Sea. Sunsail runs Royal Yachting Association-accredited courses from Phuket, where the competent crew qualification can be gained over five days sailing along the beautiful coastlines to picturesque islands, living on board a 43-foot training yacht. Closer to home, you can sign up to similar RYA sailing courses at most Mark Warner beach resorts, such as the San Lucianu Beach Resort in Corsica (from £700pp for one week full board including flights), where it’s just one of a long list of sports that can be tried out.
• From £497, sunsail.co.uk

Swimming the Dalmatia coast

Croatia’s Adriatic coast is dotted with more than 1,000 tiny islands with tranquil rocky beaches, warm water and small fishing communities. Swimtrek offers a seven-day guided tour based on the Šibenik archipelago, visiting islands such as car-free Zlarin, a beautiful, peaceful spot with an attractive village. There will also be a chance to visit inland sites, such as the Krka national park with its waterfalls. With 3km of swimming per day, the trip is perfect for those who are less experienced in open water but, for more challenging trips in other locations, the Guardian’s round-up includes some of the world’s best swimming holidays.
• Contact swimtrek.com for prices

Running in the Dolomites

Marathons are a popular inspiration for a running holiday, with visitors combining a trip abroad with a 26-mile run anywhere from New York to Amsterdam, Paris to Pyongyang. But running holidays can take many forms and Tracks and Trails offers trips involving hiking, trekking and trail running in beautiful, adventurous locations in northern Europe. One of its newer trips is a high-altitude run in the Italian Dolomites, through breathtaking mountain scenery that includes the iconic Tre Cime peaks and using historic paths, tunnels and past memorials from the first world war.
• From £1,395 for 13 days half board, including guide and accommodation in refuges and four-star hotels, tracks-and-trails.com

Canoeing in Scandinavia

Punctuated with thousands of lakes, the Nordic countries are full of superb locations for canoe trips. Nature Travels specialises in these, with self-guided and guided holidays that will see visitors gliding through crystal-clear waters, camping in the wilderness and catching fish for their supper. A trip through Dalsland’s Lake District in Sweden can be adapted according to paddlers’ lust for adventure, with camping spots and firewood provided, as they navigate their way through scenic waterways surrounded by rich woodland. That’s not to say an exciting canoe holiday can’t be had in the UK; Tipi Adventure (£220pn for a tipi sleeping seven) is worth checking out for a an expedition along the river Wye, with luxury tipi lodges to sleep in along the way.
• From £150 per adult, including camping equipment, naturetravels.co.uk

Archery in Austria

For the more target-oriented among us, there are few places that offer such a perfect set-up as the Tiroler Adler hotel in Waidring, Austria. The traditional hotel, surrounded by mountains and at the head of the Pillersee Valley, is surrounded by an impressive set of archery courses, where packages offering plenty of time to learn – or perfect – bow-and-arrow skills can be booked. The archery centres are not just your typical bullseye-on-haystack fare – they have targets hidden among the forests and ferns in the form of artificial deer, stags, bears and various other majestic woodland creatures to challenge the aim and help visitors get lost in a timeless huntsman (or woman) fantasy.
• €200 for three nights and free access to two archery centres, tiroler-adler.at

Road cycling in Ireland

Wild Atlantic Cycling is a new, small travel company running cycling holidays along the Wild Atlantic Way, the route from the southernmost to northernmost tip of Ireland (Mizen to Malin). The company states: “Think of it as the Irish equivalent of Britain’s Land’s End to John O’Groats, but with rugged coastline, Irish music, unique landscapes and lively pubs.” Pub stops aside, the 525-mile route is definitely a significant adventure, involving six days of cycling with around 85 miles tackled each day. Still, the trip is fully supported, meaning you can focus on the ride and the views, without the hassle of planning the trip independently.
• £795 for six days, including B&B/hotel accommodation, gear and support stops, and lunch, wildatlanticcycling.com

Cliff diving in Mallorca

If we start off by acknowledging that most of us stand no chance at all of launching off a diving board with the style and finesse of Tom Daley, then jumping off a cliff is probably as close as we’ll ever get to tasting what it’s like to be an Olympic diver. In Mallorca, this can be achieved safely while on holiday. Willing lemmings will be tutored in the best technique for launching themselves into the sea from a height, starting at three metres, before building up to an impressive 12 metres. For a more varied activity day, cliff jumping can be combined with coasteering, involving scrambling, swimming and abseiling along the coastline.
• From €45, experience-mallorca.com