Whitewater Kayaking in Italy

When I think of kayaking, I think of a nice, slow ride down the river. It brings back great memories with my family and friends in North Carolina. But since living in Italy, we’ve had a hard time finding any information on where to go river kayaking (also known to some as whitewater kayaking). When I first googled kayaking in Italy, all that turned up was information about kayaking through the canals of Venice, along the Amalfi coast, around the island of Sardinia (which we did and you can read about here), or on lakes like Garda. But, I wanted more information on where to go to put my kayak in for an old-fashioned relaxing river trip. To this date, I still cannot find any information on it, so here I am filling the online world with my knowledge of kayaking in Italy.

Different Types of Kayaking

Lake Garda (Lago di Garda) is a perfect place to kayak if you fall under the “lake kayaker” aka recreational kayaker category. However, I grew up in North Carolina where we loved to go kayaking down the New River. I prefer river kayaking any day over kayaking at a lake. Usually, the lakes tend to be super crowded, and that holds just as true for summertime (and August) in Italy. From our experience, the rivers aren’t as busy and are a lot cooler – perfect for this godforsaken heat wave we’re currently having.

There are many different kayaks and you’ll see a clear difference between the two of ours in the photos throughout this post. Stephen was a river guide for many years on the Nantahala and is familiar with all class rapids. Therefore, he has a whitewater kayak. I, on the other hand, am more about leisure. I prefer to relax, have my dog by my side, and maybe drink a beer or two along the way. I have what’s known as a sit-on-top kayak. These are made for both recreational and also very specialized purposes, such as fishing, diving, and surfing. Anyone can paddle them. They are pretty much impossible to sink, and although mine filled up with water while rafting the Brenta River, it quickly dispersed because of the small holes in the bottom. If it flips over, it’s easy to upright it and climb back in. To some, kayaking appeals to their peaceful side. To others, it provokes adventure and excitement. It can be fast paced or laid back and everything in between.

Kayaking the Astico River

There are many rivers in Italy, especially in the Veneto/Vicenza area. The first river that we went kayaking on was the Astico River (Fiume Astico). We put our kayaks in at a nature pool park, Contrà Pria. The river was nice but was slow moving and I had to do a lot of walking/dragging my kayak because of the water level being so low. We never passed another person the entire time we were on the river that day for the almost 4 kilometers.

• Starting Point: Contrà Pria (Pria Park) – free parking here
• Exit Point: Steps to get out of the river here, park here at Trattoria All’Isola
• Length: ~4 km
• Difficulty: Class I – Easy
• Method: Stephen dropped the kayaks and me off at Pria Park, then drove down and parked the car at Trattoria All’Isola. Then, he biked up to Pria Park (about 30-45 min bike ride) and left the bike there. After kayaking, we loaded up the kayaks on the car and returned to get the bicycle.

Kayaking the Brenta River

The second, and most recent, time we went kayaking was on the Brenta River. We were putting our kayaks in further north and we figured there was a chance that the waters would be rougher – considering there are many white water rafting centers along the way. We came prepared with our helmets, water shoes, life jackets, wetsuits, spray jackets, and a packed lunch! I’ve never been on any sort of whitewater trip or even experienced class rapids so this was all new to me!

Stephen gave me the speech on the way there about what to do if my kayak flips – grab my paddle first, pick up my feet and just float, and then make my way with my boat to the side of the river to get back in. I’m lucky that he went over those things because within the first two minutes of us kayaking, I hit the rapids, flipped, and man was that water cold. Shock hit me and I was having a hell of a time breathing (also slightly panicking), but I finally made my way over and got back into my kayak. That happened a few more times, but each time I was faster and able to flip my kayak back over myself and climb in without any help. It was a rush and thrilling all at the same time.

• Starting Point: Valstagna – free parking here (to the left of the bridge behind the building is a small beach area and a great place to put in or take out kayaks or other rafts)
• Exit Point: Spiaggia – Campolongo sul Brenta (beach area and parking here)
• Length: ~5 km
• Difficulty: Class II/III – Moderate/Moderately Difficult
• Method: We borrowed a friends car. Dropped it off at the exit point in Campolongo. Then we drove the kayaks up to Valstagna, put the kayaks in there and left the car. When we arrived in Campolongo, we left the kayaks on the bank, then Stephen drove me up to Valstagna to pick up our car and return to load the kayaks.

Rafting Centers

If you’re looking to go with a guide or group, there are plenty of locations, especially along the Brenta River. You can participate in a range of adventures – from canyoning, whitewater rafting, and hydrospeed, to canoeing. Here’s more information about the local Rafting Centers along the Brenta:

• Ivan Team: visit their website here for more information about rafting rates and to book online
  • Location: near Campolongo here
• Onda Selvaggia Rafting Kayak Hydrospeed
  • Location: just south of Valstagna here

I hope this information has helped you because if you’re reading this post, chances are you’re interested in kayaking in Italy. I will keep this post updated for more kayak adventures and add information as we discover new spots and locations. If you have any recommendations or areas that you think we should check out, please let me know in the comments below! I’m always up for a new adventure!!