France's extensive coasts have also been well developed for recreational activities, and this is especially true in the south. Although in summer, you can swim just about anywhere from Normandy to the Mediterranean, the Côte d'Azur and Corsica are justly reputed as the best for beaches. In the towns and resorts of the Mediterranean coast, you'll find every conceivable sort of beachside activity, including boating, sea-fishing and diving. If you don't mind high prices and crowds, its too-blue waters and sandy coves are unbeatable. The western Mediterranean coast is much windier, and windsurfers delight in the calm of the broad salt-water inlets (étangs) which typify the area. The best conditions for surfing, however, are to be found along the rougher Atlantic coast, where Biarritz is something of a Mecca for the sport, hosting a lively annual championship; Anglet and Hossegor, a little to the north, are also excellent surf spots. The Atlantic coast is good for sailing too, particularly around Brittany, while the waters around Corsica are popular for diving and snorkelling.You can also swim at many river beaches (usually signposted) and in the real and artificial lakes which pepper France. Many lakes have leisure centres (bases de plein airs or centres de loisirs) at which you can rent pedaloes, windsurfers and dinghies, as well as larger boats and jet-skis (on the bigger reservoirs). Canoeing is hugely popular in France, and in summer practically every navigable stretch of river has outfits renting boats and organizing excursions. The rivers of the southwest (the Dordogne, Vézère, Lot and Tarn), in particular, offer tremendous variety. For the more adventurous, there are plenty of opportunities for rafting and canyoning in the gorges and ravines of the Pyrenees, the Alps and the Massif Central. Opportunities for canal-boating have increased as canals and rivers have been opened to navigation. Popular routes include the canals linking the River Marne to the Rhine, which pass through the Champagne region; the Canal de Bourgogne, through Burgundy; the waterways crisscrossing Brittany; and the combination of canals and rivers cutting across from Bordeaux on the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean. Note that, while no licence is required for canal-boating, the skipper will need some recognized form of certificate for navigating the main rivers. Another relatively placid inland activity is fishing on permitted lakes and rivers. Brittany is one of the biggest areas for carp fishing. Salmon and trout can be caught in several rivers in Brittany and Normandy, and in the River Loire, but by far the most varied – and scenic – salmon rivers are those of the western Pyrenees. The rivers Lot, Tarn and Garonne, in the southwest, and the Saône are well stocked with bass. Local tourist offices and fishing shops will assist you in obtaining a licence. Sea-fishing in the Mediterranean or off the Atlantic coast offers grey mullet, bass, mackerel, bream or sardines as well as lobster, crayfish and scallops. Night-fishing expeditions are becoming increasingly popular.
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