Boating in Holland
The one-week cruise on a Penichette canal boat starts and ends in Loosdrecht with its unspoiled islands, and passes through Amsterdam, Edam, and Gouda. At least one member of the party needs to be fit - working lock gates can be demanding. A one-week journey takes you through at least 14 locks and 28 lifting bridges.
Where to book: Locaboat Holidays (01572 821330). From £441 per week for a boat for two people, £930 for two adults and two children.
Diving in Gozo
You can dive in the clear blue waters of the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, or the Great Barrier Reef, but for a short break the Maltese island of Gozo is closer. The rugged coast drops away steeply to form walls that are perforated by caves, grottoes and natural archways. Frankie's Divers Lodge at Xewkija has a deep swimming pool, a wine bar, and two adjoining restaurants serving home cooking.
Where to book: Regaldive (0870 2201777). From £289pp for four nights' B&B, £319 for seven nights. Includes flights and transfers. Equipment hire costs extra. Six shore dives £73, PADI open water course £210, PADI advanced course £145. Suits novices to experienced divers.
Going downhill
Summer activities are on offer around the winter ski resort of Les Gets in the French Alps. Join mountain bike tours, learn to abseil a gorge, raft the river Dranse, waterski, paraglide, bungee jump, play tennis or golf, and rock climb. All activities are available to over-12s, and a children's club organises a programme including archery, grass skiing, and swimming in the lake for the younger ones. Accommodation is in a choice of self-catering apartments, the beautiful Chalet Gueret, or three-star Hotel Sabaudia.
Where to book: Alp Activ (01223 568220). From £199 per adult and £119 per child, both self-catering, including channel crossings and child care. Activity sports packages £25-£60 including instruction and qualified guides.
Golf in Provence
Domaine de Massane is a golf resort close to the lovely old town of Montpellier and Baillargues, yet within easy reach of the beaches and the wild marshes of the Camargue. The 18-hole course is long and testing with plenty of water hazards. The bedrooms are grouped around the main reception area, pool, restaurant and clubhouse.
Where to book: Golf Par Excellence (01737 211818). From £149pp for two nights or £227pp for four nights in the three-star resort, including B&B and channel crossings. Green fees £25 per round.
Gypsy caravanning through France
Follow a route along the back roads and trails of the Lot Valley in a self-drive caravan for four. Stop off at the towns and villages of Rocamadour, Loubressac and Padirac where special sites cater for the horses - and their drivers.
Where to book: Midi Pyrenees Tourist Office (0033 534 25 0505). £405 for the gypsy caravan for one week, including overnight stops, a training session, and hay.
Salsa in Cuba
Cuba is where this irrepressible rhythm was conceived. Dance the day and night away with expert tuition from local maestros as well as international performers. For those who can keep pace, the holiday combines salsa with scuba diving lessons.
Where to book: Dance Holidays (01293 527722). From £1,295pp for nine nights in a three-star hotel in Santiago de Cuba. Price includes flights, courses, as well as escorted tours of salsa clubs.
Tennis in Tenerife
Set on the southern part of the island, t he Club Med's Tenerife Country Club runs courses designed in conjunction with professional coaches. The programme offers three hours' tuition a day for three days, along with video analysis and fitness exercises. Individual tuition is also available.
Where to book: Club Med (0700 2582633). From £464 per adult, £75-£441 per child depending on age. Includes flights, transfers, seven nights' full board, and all evening entertainment. Tennis course (adults and children from 11 years' old), £87 for all levels.
Windsurfing and waterskiing in Turkey
While skiers need still water, windsurfers, obviously, need wind. Altinel, near Bodrum in western Turkey, has both. Conditions are usually calm enough for its three ski boats in the mornings of the main holiday months. In the afternoons the wind rises to force 2-4. A range of windsurfing boards are available. Air-conditioned rooms include interconnecting family units. A large freshwater swimming pool has a separate children's area. Sailing, scuba diving, tennis, and Turkish baths are also on offer.
Where to book: Mark Warner (0870 7704222). From £468 per adult, £75-£281 per child (depending on age), including all activities, flights and transfers.
Wine tasting in Burgundy
Starting in Dijon, the seven-night wine and walking tour takes you south through the forested hills of the Saone Valley. The trip includes gastronomic lunches, copious tastings, and a chance to explore the cellars of many of the great names of Burgundy.
Where to book: Winetrails (01306 712111). £645pp for seven nights, with most meals.
Canoe descent of the Ardèche
The two-day journey covers 27km of river with an overnight camp, and is part of a longer holiday at a choice of two camp sites in the Ardèche, France. Staff guide you down the river and prepare all meals. Other activities include archery, river trekking and snorkelling.
Where to book: Acorn Family Adventure (0800 0749791). From £824 for a family of four in two tents for seven nights, including two-day canoe descent and ferry crossings.
Outdoor adventure in Cumbria
Families can join a two-day Outward Bound course in Ullswater, Cumbria. Accommodation is in a Georgian manor house on the northern shore of the lake and surrounded by 18 acres of woodland. The two full days are packed with activities including canoeing or kayaking, rock climbing, abseiling, raft construction, a high challenge ropes course and the trapeze. No experience is necessary.
Where to book: The Outward Bound Trust (0870 5134227). £125 per adult, £80 per child, for two nights. Includes full-board accommodation in dormitory-style family rooms, all activities, equipment, and tuition.
From kayaking to paragliding in Spain
Claiming to be "the cure for adrenalin junkies", these holidays offer a variety of exotic locations from the Pyrenees to the Arctic. But Andalucia is the ideal base for scrambling, climbing, horse riding, caving, biking, tandem paragliding, canyoning and watersports.
Where to book:
Exodus Discovery & Adventure (020-8675 5550). From £695pp in a three-star hotel with swimming pool and tennis courts, including most activities. Extras: €35 for horse riding, €45 paragliding, €40 quad biking. Local payment of €105 covers most food.
