In addition to the old standbys - walking, cycling and skiing, and the traditional French boules - France provides a fantastically wide range of outdoor activities .

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Rafting and canoeing are growth industries in France, and practically every stretch of river, particularly in the gorges and ravines of the Pyrenees, the Alps and the Massif Central, has outfits renting boats or organizing excursions. These mountainous areas also provide prime rock climbing ( escalade ) territory. Paragliding (a combination between parachuting and hang-gliding) is another popular and stimulating option; the best areas for this are the Hautes-Alpes of Provence and Corsica.

More placid inland activities include fishing (local tourist offices will assist you in obtaining a licence) and horse-riding . Practically every town has riding stables ( centre équestre ), although the most famous and romantic region for riding is the flat and wind-swept Camargue - the Rhône Delta. On the scrappy trails of the Pyrenees and Alps, mule-trekking is also coming increasingly into vogue. You can also swim at many river beaches (usually signposted from highways) and in the real and artificial lakes which pepper France. Many of these have leisure centres ( bases de plein airs ) at which you can rent pedaloes, windsurfers and dinghys, as well as larger boats and jet-skis (on the bigger reservoirs).

France's extensive coasts have also been well developed for recreational activities, and this is especially true in the south. Although in summer, you can swim just about anywhere from Normandy to the Mediterranean, the Côte d'Azur is justly reputed as the best for beaches . In the coastal towns and resorts of the Mediterranean coast, you'll find every conceivable sort of beach-side activity, including boating , sea-fishing and diving . If you don't mind high prices and crowds, its too-blue waters and sandy coves are unbeatable. The western Mediterranean coast is much windier, and windsurfers delight in the calm of the broad salt-water inlets ( étangs ) which typify the area. The best surfing is to be found on the rougher Atlantic coast, where Biarritz is something of a Mecca for the sport, hosting a lively annual championship.

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