- All-inclusive mountain activity holidays starting from £329pp (6 nights, full-board accommodation, lift pass).
- Water sports holidays including Kitesurfing, sailing, diving and windsurfing, from £398pp (6 nights, full-board accommodation, water sports taster).
- Other holidays include Golf, Tennis, Horse Riding, Wellness and Cycling.
- Centres across France but also UCPA Planete with holidays in Morocco, Greece, Portugal, Lanzarote and Sicily.
Action Outdoors, the UK arm of the not for profit organisation, the UCPA, has launched its 2023 summer programme that includes a variety of activity holidays for all ability levels.
The holidays are all-inclusive, with accommodation and three meals a day always included, and instruction, equipment and necessary passes normally always included too.
Most of the holidays are based in the UCPA run centres across the French Alps and the Atlantic and Mediterranean coastal areas of France, but UCPA Planete offers holidays further afield in partner hotels and resorts.
There’s 100’s of holidays with dates across the spring and summer months, with many different activities on offer, but here’s a small selection of some of the new holidays available for 2023:
E-Mountain Biking
Spend a week riding through the Chamonix Valley on an electric mountain bike. Suitable for cyclists with some mountain biking experience. One night is spent in a mountain refuge.
UCPA Argentiere. E-Mountain Biking in the Mont Blanc Valley. From £676pp, including 6 nights accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner, guiding and instruction, equipment rental including e-mountain bike and helmet, lift pass. Dates throughout June, July and August 2023.
Rock Climbing
Learn to rock climb in the Verdon Gorge, France, with a full-time climbing course for beginners and those with some experience too.
UCPA Verdon. Rock Climbing Full Time course. From £625pp, including 6 nights accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner, guiding and instruction, equipment rental including climbing shoes, harness and helmet. Dates throughout July and August 2023.
Trail Running
A trail running course aimed at intermediate and advanced level runners keen to improve their form and increase strength on the Chamonix Mont Blanc trails.
UCPA Argentiere. Trail Running in the Mont Blanc Valley. From £491pp, including 6 nights accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner, guiding and instruction, equipment rental including trail running vest, heart rate monitor and poles, lift pass. Dates throughout June, July and August and the first week of September 2023.
Trekking (with culture and history)
5 days of hiking whilst exploring UNESCO sites of the Southern Alps. This course is a mix of excursions and easy walks including along the way: the classified site of the Clarée Valley, the Guisane Canal, the natural thermal spa of Monêtier and the old town of Briançon fortified by Vauban.
UCPA Serre Chevalier. Trekking with Culture and History. £463pp, including 6 nights accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner, guiding and instruction, equipment rental including hiking boots and backpack. Dates throughout May, June, July and August, 2023.
Surfing
A week of surfing on the Atlantic coast of France for all levels, including beginners up to experts. Note, this is a half time course but full time courses are also available.
UCPA Lacanau. Surf Half Time. From £563pp, including 6 nights accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner, instruction (5 surfing sessions), surfing equipment. Dates throughout the summer from April to September.
Kite Surfing
Learn to Kite Surf in El Gouna, Egypt – course suitable for complete beginners (other courses available for more advanced kite surfers).
UCPA El Gouna. Planete Kitesurf Full Time – Beginner. From £903pp, including 6 nights accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner, instruction, all technical equipment needed for kite surfing. Dates throughout the summer of 2023 from April to October.
Tennis
Play tennis on the Atlantic coast in France – suitable for all levels including beginner to advanced. Note, this is a half time course but full time courses are also available.
UCPA Lacanau. Tennis Half Time. From £467pp, including 6 nights accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner, instruction, tennis racquet. Dates throughout the summer of 2023 from May to September.
Wellness
A week spent at UCPA Hyères alternating between wellness sessions, spa trips and exploring the Giens Peninsula with its beautiful beaches, bays and natural settings.
UCPA Hyeres. Zen & Wellbeing on the Mediterranean Coast. From £523pp, including 6 nights accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner, 3 wellness sessions, (yoga, pilates, coastal water walking), 1 snorkelling trip and 4 activity sessions including a day trip to the island of Porquerolles and 1 entry to the Thalasso Spa at the Ibis hotel in Hyères which includes 2 treatments. Dates throughout July, August and September 2023.
Under 25’s Only
Learn to scuba dive in the Mediterranean at a special price for 18-25 year olds.
UCPA Sanary. Scuba Diving Full Time Beginner – Under 25’s. From £641, including 6 nights accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner, instruction, scuba diving equipment, 8 scuba diving excursions on the dive boat, level 1 certificate. Dates throughout July, August and September 2023.
