Book excerpt: Bradt’s Paddling France is the first practical guidebook to explore the whole country by SUP (stand-up paddleboard), canoe and kayak – waterborne activities enjoying a popularity boom. Experienced paddleboarder, travel writer and local resident Anna Richards has toured the country’s rivers, lakes and coasts to handpick 40 outstanding itineraries for water-based exploration that suit all abilities from novice to expert, enabling readers to experience Metropolitan France as never before! Suggested routes extend from Brittany to the Spanish and Italian borders, and encompass some of France’s best-known tourist attractions – from the châteaux of the Loire Valley and Mont Saint-Michel to the Pont du Gard and Dune du Pilat – as well as less familiar destinations such as Der-Chantecoq Lake, Txingudi Bay and the Glénan Islands. Itineraries occupy dramatically varied landscapes: choose between paddling past coastal cliffs, small islands and steepling gorges, across twinkling lakes and down sparkling rivers, through wine regions, and even around urban surprises such as Lille’s five-point citadelle. Compared to the UK, paddleboarding is in its infancy in France, but hundreds of paddleboard clubs have opened in recent years. Join its members in experiencing a new take on France. Enjoy spectacular views of some of the country’s grandest châteaux; spot seals, beavers and griffon vultures from the water; and choose between paddling a lake in a red landscape that will make you feel you have landed on Mars, or gawping upwards at chalky-white cliff arches. Whatever your level of confidence on the waterways, there are suggestions for you: from free paddles without a fixed route, to short routes and routes taking a full day. Routes are marked on maps and illustrated by photos, and complemented by cultural, historical and geographical titbits. Accompanying information and advice is geared towards the independent traveller, covering travel logistics, equipment rental, accommodation options and food, plus handy vocabulary and need-to-know sections. Building on the intense commercial and critical success of Bradt’s Paddling Britain, this brand-new guidebook to Paddling France is a unique almanac that equips any watersports enthusiast travelling to or around France with all the practical knowledge necessary to plan their adventure.