Epic Spots Globally to Paddle Board
It's time to paddle around the world! Here's our top favorites we think you should explore first!
Key Highlights
- Paddle Boarding in Crete, Greece: Explore 650 miles of stunning coastline, including sea caves and pink-sand beaches.
- The Dalmatian Coast, Croatia: Navigate through over 1200 islands with crystal-clear waters and enchanting medieval towns.
- Na Pali Coast, Kauai: Experience the challenge and beauty of paddleboarding along towering sea cliffs and secluded beaches.
- Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Iceland: Paddle among icebergs in a surreal landscape under the glow of the Northern Lights.
- The Maldives: Glide over vibrant coral reefs and enjoy the serene beauty of this remote archipelago.
- Milford Sound, Fiordland, New Zealand: Marvel at dramatic fjords and lush rainforests in one of New Zealand's most iconic landscapes.
Introduction
Paddle boarding Crete, Greece
The storied Greek Island of Crete serves up 650 miles of crystal blue waters for paddling your hard paddle board or inflatable SUP board, but it’s the unspoiled southern coast that’s worth discovering.
The region’s mountainous landscape and jagged coastline create many stunning sea caves, hidden coves and enticing pink-sand beaches that lure paddle board enthusiasts from one tiny village to the next. It’s an area that’s ripe for exploring on stand up paddle boards.
Dalmatian Coast, Croatia on a Stand Up Paddle Board
Craggy bluffs, rocky headlands, gorgeous, sandy beaches and antiquated towns that cascade toward the sea, are just part of the magnetism of paddle boarding the Dalmatian Coast.
The dazzling turquoise waters—quite possibly the bluest span of sea on the planet—that stretch between Croatia and Montenegro are also dotted with more than 1200 islands and islets which make piloting inflatable paddle boards here a seemingly infinite journey of discovery of hidden coves, grottos, and preposterously gorgeous reefs.
Na Pali Coast, Kauai
For some water sports enthusiasts, Kauai’s Na Pali coast is considered the Everest of paddle boarding. Famed for its towering sea cliffs carved by narrow valleys, the Na Pali Coast is a protected wilderness area in the northwest of Kauai.
The 17-mile voyage past the soaring cliffs, valleys ripe with guava and mangos, sea caves, and waterfalls spilling into the sea can be a peaceful float or a wrestle against the elements, depending on the whims of nature.
Because of the heavy winter surf, it is only possible to kayak Na Pali during the summer months, from May through September. While a steep footpath known as the Kalalau Trail winds through this spectacular landscape, the best way to appreciate it is from the water on a stand up paddle board.
Paddling Jökulsárlón-Glacier Lagoon, Iceland
Not all of the epic spots for to take your stand up paddle board are warm. If you ever get the chance to go to Iceland, take it - but make sure you bring a dry suit!
Combining a trip to see the famed Northern Lights and then taking stand up paddle boards to a glacier fed lagoon, is the stuff that dreams are made of!
With a maximum depth of 814 feet, Jokulsarlon is Iceland's deepest lake. It has a surface are of 11.2 square miles which has increased fourfold since the early 1970's. The glacial lagoon connects with the ocean so it is composed of both seawater and freshwater which accounts for its very unique color.
Jokulsarlon glacier first started forming in 1934, when the Breidamerkurjokull glacier started retreating, leaving the lagoon in its path. The icebergs that surround the lagoon are composed of ice that is at least 1,000 years old.
It will take approximately five hours to drive to Jokulsarlon from Iceland's capital, Reykjavik. Seals can be seen year round in Jokulsarlon but they come out in force in the winter when they head to the mouth of the lagoon to catch fish.
Maldives on Inflatable Paddle Boards
The Maldives, an ultra-remote archipelago in the middle of the Indian Ocean, is a destination that most avid paddle board enthusiasts only dream about.
Flat water SUP and SUP surf in the Maldives is truly a surreal experience: Your vantage point from a SUP above the turquoise water, over colorful reefs teeming with fish can hardly be captured in words.
Bowing palm trees create the perfect backdrop for your SUP vacation in the Maldives. The inside of the atolls serves as protection from the swell, so the inside of the islands offers plenty of flat water.
Waves are easily accessible and show many varieties in terms of reef, lefts and rights as well as perfect line ups. Boats will be sitting in the channel and on a SUP, one could be paddling the open channel into the perfect reef waves.
Milford Sound, Fiordland, New Zealand
Milford Sound attracts visitors and stand up paddle board enthusiasts from around the world on an adventure trip to New Zealand for good reason, considering you can see some of Fiordland’s most jaw-dropping scenery here, including iconic Mitre Peak.
On a clear day for your inflatable board or solid board, you can see thick green forests and sheer volcanic slopes drop dramatically from a crisp blue sky into eerily still water, and when it’s raining the magnificent waterfalls dotted throughout Fiordland National Park come to life.
Milford Sound caters well to visitors with families, too, and you’re never too far from all the amenities you could need on a trip to one of New Zealand’s best natural wonders, such as toilets and food outlets. If you are into long distance paddling, make sure that you have the right board and explore this incredible gem!
Conclusion
