The world’s best places to go sea kayaking
Fancy dipping your paddle into the world of sea kayaking? These are the top places to take to the seas – spectacular views and wildlife guaranteed
Best all-rounder: New Zealand
With jaw-dropping scenery, abundant wildlife and a proven pedigree in paddling, New Zealand is hard to beat as an all-round sea kayaking destination. You’ll find calm, warm-weather options (particularly in North Island), as well as white-knuckle paddles in more extreme locations such as Fiordland.
Where to kayak: North Island’s watery playground, the Bay of Islands, offers everything from game fishing and scuba diving to swimming with dolphins.
Top tip: Take a pair of waterproof binoculars with you – New Zealand has an extraordinary range of seabirds, including penguin and albatross.
Also consider: Australia
Boasting a diverse range of coastal scenery, from coral islands and kelp-fringed estuaries to vast bays covered with seagrass meadows, Australia’s prime kayaking locations include the Whitsunday Islands, Tasmania and the Ningaloo Reef.
Best for wildlife: Baja California, Mexico
Best for scenery: South-east Alaska, USA
Best for local culture: Vietnam
Best for warm water: Fiji
Best for budding adventurers: Scotland
Best for ultimate adventure: the High Arctic
Ready for a challenge? Travelling by sea kayak in the High Arctic enables you to experience one of the world’s least-visited places and explore a truly wild frontier with minimum impact on the environment.
Where to kayak: During the brief Arctic summer, when the sun never sets and temperatures creep up to 18°C, the fiordland of northern Ellesmere Island frees itself of enough ice to allow access to kayakers.
