Kayak tour through Doñana Natural Park on Guadalquivir river

Price overview

• Sightseeing kayak tour - approx. 2 hours - per person from 6 years 30.-€
• 6 km kayak tour - approx. 2 hours - per person from 6 years 35.-€
• 17 km kayak tour - approx. 4 hours - per person from 6 years 35.-€

Overview / General Information

Kayak excursion on Guadalquivir river with amazing views

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Explore wonderful Andalusian landscapes on the waterway: Drive by kayak over the Guadalquivir river to idyllic places in Doñana Natural Park. Meeting point for all guided excursions by kayak on Guadalquivir river is the beach of Sanlucar de Barrameda. In case you have no prior knowledge of kayaking, the guide will of course show you the right and easy-to-learn paddeling technique upfront.

Overview

• Days: daily
• Months: possible all-year
• Languages: English, Spanish
• Starting points: Sanlúcar de Barrameda

Included

• Life jacket, kayak, professional guide, introduction, third party insurance, complete equipment
• waterproof bag / container for protecting smaller items of value

Option 1: Sightseeing kayak tour on Guadalquivir river in Doñana Natural Park

On this kayak route, you will get to know the mouth of the Guadalquivir and the magnificent views of the Doñana nature reserve and the town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, a historically very important enclave, as expeditions such as Magellan's first circumnavigation of the world or Christopher Columbus' third voyage started from here. It is also the port of entry for all trade with America.

Our starting point is the beach of Bajo de Guía, we cross the Guadalquivir from the shore of Sanlúcar in Cádiz to the shore of Doñana in the province of Huelva, from here we have a view of Sanlúcar, distinguishing between the upper and lower part of the city, the castle of Santiago and the main churches.

After a short briefing from the experienced guide, we head downstream to the Atlantic Ocean and around Cape Punta de Malandar. If the swell is strong, you will paddle to the ancient fishing harbour or to the wetlands of the Doñana Nature Park instead. Along the way, you will be accompanied by fantastic views of the town of Sanlucar and the unspoilt nature of the landscape park. The excursion, which is also suitable for absolute beginners, is 4-5 kilometres long and is possible all year round, with the best time being from March to October.

Overview

• Duration: ~ 2 hours
• Hours: at noon
• Difficulty level: easy

Option 2: 6 km kayak tour on Guadalquivir river

To get to know the surroundings of the Doñana Natural Area, what better way than kayaking the last 6 kilometres of the Guadalquivir River. The route is always done downstream, being easy to do as we take advantage of the tides, being upstream from Bajo de Guía to the marshes of Doñana if the tide rises and downstream from the marshes of Doñana to Bajo de Guía if the tide is low. To do the activity in descent we will leave with the kayaks at the height of "La Plancha".

We will paddle the kayaks very close to the shore of the Doñana National Park, enjoying the beautiful views we have. In the first part the pine forest reaches the shore, but closer to Sanlúcar it moves away creating a marsh where we can see numerous aquatic birds, deer and wild boars. Once in front of Sanlúcar we cross the Guadalquivir again to end up on the beach of Bajo de Guía.

In case of ascending because the tide is rising, the route is done the other way round. Remember that although it is an ascent, we are taking advantage of the current and it is easy to do. The time to start this kayak route depends on the tides.

Overview

• Duration: ~ 2 hours
• Hours: in the morning, at noon
• Difficulty level: easy

Option 3: 17 km kayak tour on Guadalquivir river

On this exciting kayak trip we will cover the last 17 kilometres of the Guadalquivir. We will explore different ecosystems of Doñana while enjoying a good kayak trip. Access to the Guadalquivir is via an important canal that regulates the water level of the marshes through sluice gates. This canal on the banks of Sanlúcar takes us to the River Guadalquivir. From here, we paddle our kayaks first along the banks of Sanlúcar and then a few kilometres further along the banks of the Doñana National Park.

The route is always travelled with the current of the river in our favour, which makes it easy. Along the way we can observe many water birds, including the famous and spectacular flamingos. We will also come across old constructions dating from the time when Doñana was not yet a national park and its natural resources were heavily exploited.

The transfer to the jetty takes about 40 minutes and is done in the participants' vehicles. During the journey, we will visit the Pinar de la Algaida pine forest and the marshes, both of which are part of the Doñana Natural Park.

Overview

• Duration: ~ 3 hours
• Hours: in the morning, at noon
• Difficulty level: medium

Detailed description

Explore the Guadalquivir by kayak on a tour through the marvellous landscape

Once the estuary area of Guadalquivir river was a huge river delta at the Atlantic Ocean: The natural harbour was already a busy trading centre at the Roman times. In the 15th and 16th century, the ships of Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan startet their voyage of exploration from there. Nowadays there's a almost 100 km long sand bank laying over the historical place. Behind this, one of the biggest natural reserves of Europe is located: the Natural Park Doñana.

Where once the famous navigators started their expeditions, you can start your own journey of discovery by kayak. During the whole tour, you'll be able to spot numerous idyllic and special places along the natural park. Depending on the current and weather situation, the sightseeing kayak tour on Guadalquivir leads along three different routes.

• The route Baluarte de San Salvador leads you past fishing houses of the city part Bajo de Guia to the fishing harbour of Sanlucar-Bonanza. Get to know more about the traditional fishing in Sanlucar and spot a castle from the 17th century along the way. The guide will give you lots of interesting information about the harbour and the fishing methods.
• A cape in front of Sanlucar is the name giver for the route Punta de Malandar. At this tour, you'll cross the Guadalquivir river and drive along the beach of Doñana. From here you'll have fantastic views over Sanlúcar de Barrameda and some of its sights. With a bit of luck you'll be able to see some deers or boars walking down to the beach.
• At the route Espíritu Santo you'll be paddling along the riverside where the traditional horse races of Sanlucar take place every summer. On this kayak tour, you can see antic stone hurdles used for simplificating the work in the fishing- and mussel cultivation. At a stop you'll have a gorgeous view over the mouth of the river Guadalquivir and Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

Passionate kayakers can also choose two differently long kayak tours in Doñana Natural Park in different length that require a certain fintess level and endurance at kayaking. In case you don't know the paddling technique yet, the guide will of course give you an introduction upfront and show it to you.