There are a host of water sports available in Andalusia, both on its ample coastline and in the many rivers and reservoirs to be found in the region.

Andalusia has a very special relationship with the sea, offering enthusiasts a multitude of possibilities where they can relieve tension, enjoying sailing or windsurfing. There are many other water sports available on Andalusia's numerous beaches. There are a host of beautiful rugged, rocky seabeds to delight snorkelling and scuba diving enthusiasts.

Clubs to be found next to rivers offer mainly activities such as kayaking and rowing, with full facilities and options for beginners and experts alike.

There is a rich, varied array on offer. Come and enjoy the open sea of Andalusia, its rivers and the depths of its seabeds.

Five of Andalusia's eight provinces have coastline. Huelva is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean; Granada, Almería and Malaga by the warm Mediterranean Sea; Cadiz, meanwhile, shares both seas at the Straight of Gibraltar.

In Andalusia you can also see major sporting events on the water, such as sailing regattas, surfing championships in all disciplines, angling, etc.

More than a thousand kilometres of coast are the setting for endless activities, available all year round, either for pure leisure or participating in competition.

Surfing involves using waves in the sea to move forward on a board, changing direction using fins on the underside.

There are many different shapes and sizes of boards, according to the kind of surfing, the type of wave and the build of the surfer. These designs have gradually evolved over time.

The great popularity of surfing has led to different disciplines depending on the manner of surfing (kneeling - boogieboard, lying down - bodyboard, etc.), on the technique used, on the type of waves and on the type of board used (shortboard and longboard).

The difficulty of surfing varies according to the size, speed and shape of the waves. The best ones are those that break forming a "wall", with foam spreading to the right or left in a progressive manner.

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Where to go surfing

Five of the eight provinces in Andalusia have coast, and you can go surfing in any of them providing there are sufficient waves on the day in question.

Nevertheless, Malaga and Cadiz are the most popular provinces for the sport, where you will find most surfing tradition.

In fact, it is the town of Tarifa (Cadiz province) which is considered the birthplace of Spanish surfing. Here you will find national and international surfing championships and events.

Water skiing is a sport that combines surfing and skiing, reaching high speeds over the water. 

The skier needs good balance and reflexes to ski over the water at high speed, holding onto a rope pulled by a motor launch.

There are four disciplines within water skiing: slalom, which is a high speed race on a monoski; trick skiing, with acrobatic manoeuvres; wakeboarding, where the feet are attached to a board in the same way as snowboarding; ski jumping, which consists of jumping a ramp to cover the greatest airborne distance possible.

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Where to go water skiing

Water skiing can be done both on the sea and on lakes and reservoirs. 

This makes Andalusia an ideal destination, not only for its long Mediterranean and Atlantic coastline, but also for the quantity and variety of its lakes and reservoirs.

Areas such as Almuñécar and Motril in Granada, San Pedro de Alcántara in Malaga, or Cabo de Gata in Almería, are amongst those that have specialist centres offering water skiing outings.

Kitesurfing or Flysurfing stared in the USA during the mid-1980s. It is an enjoyable variant of traditional surfing that has quickly become very popular with thrill-seekers.

It consists of surfing on a board, propelled by a large kite, attached to the surfer by cables of some 30 metres, using the wind to move and do spectacular jumps. Kitesurfers can attain great speeds on the water and in the air, combining two great pleasures: flight and sailing. 

This is, in short, an interesting sport that combines speed over the water with the freedom of flying through the air.

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Where to go kitesurfing

The long Andalusian coastline is ideal for this sport. On the Costa Tropical, Costa de la Luz, Costa del Sol and Costa de Almería you can see many a kite adding colour to the skies.

Tarifa, in Cadiz province, is one of the most popular destinations for kitesurf and other water and semi-aerial sports on account of the good weather and favourable winds.

Sailing is a sport that consists of controlling the movement of a vessel via the action of the wind on its sails.

These vessels have different denominations according to their dimensions, the number of hulls or their morphology. 

This is a recreational or competitive sport that requires the use of certain specific terminology to avoid errors in its complicated manoeuvres.

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Where to go sailing

There are many places to practise sailing in Andalusia, as with other water sports.

The Andalusian coast, from Almería to the Costa de la Luz, is a beautiful setting where you can enjoy a warm climate and all the necessary services at its different sailing clubs, ensuring a pleasant stay while you practise the sport.

Windsurfing is a sport that combines surfing and sailing. It started in the United States at the end of the 1960s, and just one decade later was a highly popular sport in Europe as well.

It involves riding a board with an articulated sail that rotates on a fixed pint at the foot of the mast. It can be manoeuvred according to the wind direction.

Windsurfing requires certain techniques that need to be learnt, as well as a good deal of patience to become more expert and be able to do impressive jumps. As wind strength is so important, favourable meteorological conditions are vital.

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Where to go windsurfing

Windsurfing is a kind of surfing, and as such the Andalusian coast is an ideal destination.

Tarifa, in the province of Cadiz, is especially good. This is a centre for surfing and all its variants. However, with a good wind, anywhere on the coast of Andalusia is perfect for windsurfing.

Diving is an exciting sport that is becoming more and more popular on account of the beauty and tranquillity to be found on the seabed.

This activity has been of interest to man since ancient times, and is now a highly popular leisure pursuit. 

There are different ways to dive: free diving, snorkelling and scuba diving, which allows divers to reach greater depths.

Diving is recommended to combat stress, tension and to forget about your worries as you share amazing experiences with the plants and animals of the seabed.

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Where to go diving

The Andalusian coast is ideal for diving. There are many companies and specialist centres that organise outings to the most beautiful, abundant areas of the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts.

Estepona, Nerja, Tarifa, Almuñécar, Cabo de Gata... these are just a few of many sites where there are companies and organisations offering diving services and know-how.

Hundreds of stunning locations to go diving and discover the fascinating marine life.

Kayaking came into existence in response to man's need to dominate water. All the different civilisations designed their own vessels to move through the medium as best as possible. Nowadays, this is a sport for the more adventurous, and enthusiasts who like to travel while they enjoy nature in this special way.

The vessels used for this sport today are made of wood, fibreglass or plastic. They are propelled using oars or paddles and there are different disciplines according to the number of people who propel the vessel (one, two or four), or to the water in question (sea, river, lake or artificial circuit).

You can, therefore, go kayaking on calm waters, white water, in the sea... There is kayak polo, sport river canoeing, or kayak trips for tourists. Calm and white water canoeing are currently Olympic sports.

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Where to go kayaking

Andalusia has many rivers, lakes and reservoirs where you can go kayaking.

The Guadalquivir is the longest river in the Region. It runs for over 600 kilometres, crossing the provinces of Seville, Cordoba and Jaén, and there are kayaking trips organised on many sections.

Kayaking has a deep-rooted tradition in Andalusia, and there are also other areas with different activities and events. In Cadiz, for example, each year sees the descent of the Palmones River (open to all). You can also do the Olive Oil Route by Kayak, from Écija to Sanlúcar de Barrameda, as well as the Kayak rally on Membrillo Beach, Puente Genil.

White water rafting is a recreational sport consisting of travelling downriver, using the current, in an inflatable raft.

One form of rafting is hydrospeed. This is practised individually on a type of float, called a hydrobob, which you control by moving your legs and the flippers on your feet.

The adrenaline rush on the way down is an exciting sensation that will free your tension and leave you feeling relaxed.

The rivers used for rafting are designated a level of difficulty according to the speed of the current, the turbulence of the water, the existence and strength of whirlpools, rocks on the route... 

In short, this is an exciting sport you can enjoy in contact with nature.

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Where to go white water rafting 

The Sierra de las Villas Mountains in Jaén province, the Guadalquivir River on its long route through the provinces of Jaén, Cordoba and Seville and the Maro-Cerro Gordo Gorge, close to Nerja, Malaga province, are some of the most popular sites that thrill-seekers choose for white water rafting.

Even in the heart of the Costa del Sol you can do exciting descents on a range of vessels. The Rincón de la Victoria Gorge also offers spectacular landscapes.

The Cabo de Gata region in Almería or the reservoir in Zahara de los Atunes, Cadiz, are other common places for rafting, with organisations and centres offering rafting services.

Andalusia is a Region with a long maritime tradition. It lives alongside the sea and has a privileged climate. This makes it an ideal destination for angling. Proof of this are the more than 300,000 Andalusian enthusiasts who now enjoy the wonderful locations to be found here.

Whether in the many reservoirs, hundreds of rivers, on the sea shore, in the open sea, or underwater, Andalusia has a wide variety of locations for fishing, in fascinating union with nature.

Areas dedicated exclusively to angling are called "Cotos de Pesca" and are divided into different disciplines according to the aim of the catch. In general, Andalusian reserves are Traditional, allowing for catches to be used according to the annual fishing regulations. There are also Cyprinidae fishing reserves, with carp, barbell, pike and black bass; common and rainbow trout are the most abundant in Andalusia's river reserves.

All reserves have a stipulated number of fish that may be caught by each angler, along with minimum size and the type of bait that can be used. There is also a maximum limit of daily permits for fishing in the waters of each reserve.

In most cases, the fishing season starts in mid-March and lasts until the end of the August or September, although there are some reserves where fishing is permitted all year round, such as the Santa María Reservoir in Pozoblanco (Cordoba province).

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Where to go fishing

Andalusia is an ideal place for fishing - it has a total of 49 fishing reserves on the rivers and reservoirs of its eight provinces.

You can also go underwater fishing all along the coast of Andalusia. There are 69 registered clubs promoting this exciting sport. As far as Andalusian fishing events are concerned, there are a range of competitions, defined according to the environment, the type of bait and the techniques used. There is a highly varied competition calendar, open to all types of fishing enthusiasts.

All forty-two pleasurecraft harbours that can be found in Andalusía provide the nautical visitor with everything they may ask for: First class services, modern and clean facilities, an infrastructure suited to the size and relevance of each harbour, petrol, mechanical workshops, dry docks, covered hard standing and, above all, quality and a friendly staff that will be delighted to assist you.

Most of these pleasurecraft harbours host Navigation Schools and Nautical Clubs that will assist you in getting the diplomas or in improving your abilities along with connecting you to the local nautical scene. You will discover new places and make new friends.

Andalucía has a rich culture, with many traditions and monuments, the best way to get to know it is by visiting the many pleasurecraft harbours that can be found along the whole of the coast. Antique civilisations have sailed along these coasts and many Phoenician, Roman and Arabic remains are scattered under these waters. Those keen on diving will be able to see ship wrecks together with their cargo scattered over the sea bed, witnesses to great sailing epics during the history of the world and of Andalucía.

You can sail through the Estrecho de Gibraltar passing by the Cabo de Trafalgar, renown for the famous battle with the same name. Drop Anchor in one of the concealed coves of clear waters, shelter in any of the harbours of an unique spot like the "Puerto Deportivo de Punta de la Mona" or the "Puerto Deportivo de San José", join the Andalusian scene and see the glamour of "Puerto Banús" or of the "Puerto de Benalmádena", sail up the river Guadiana and anchor in "Sanlúcar the Guadiana", or sail through the Guadalquivir river to reach the mythical Sevilla.

Pleasurecraft harbours can be considered the backbone of all nautical sports, a flagship for tourism.