Stand-Up Paddling

If you can’t decide between wild surfing and weightless drifting, the Monte West Coast is a Portuguese Arcadia where both worlds flow into one another. The small river Seixe, which forms the border between the Algarve and Alentejo, not only meanders acrobatically through the dense greenery of a nature reserve, but it also flows right past the simply wonderful, individually designed holiday homes on the extensive estate. Simply get on your board at the private jetty and paddle to the secluded beach and the roaring Atlantic alongside.

After an inspiring ride on the turquoise-blue waters of Lake Kaltern, you can step onto the shore in James Bond style and immerse yourself in a film-like backdrop of mustard yellow, oxide red and olive green. At the Seehotel Ambach in South Tyrol, the SUP tour is like travelling back in time to the 1970s. Stranded on the northern shore, the ship-like futuristic building sweeps into the landscape to look out over the water and mountains through floor-to-ceiling windows. A skilful balancing act between original interior and modern design.

Villa Jones stretches long and narrow like a wooden plank into the densely overgrown hilly landscape of the Haut Var between the Verdon Gorge and the Côte d’Azur. This makes the holiday home, designed by London architects, Margot and Edward Jones, the perfect starting point for a wide variety of paddling tours – whether with light-footed flair in Fréjus in the south of France or against a spectacular Grand Canyon backdrop on the Verdon. The building is just as versatile: on the one hand clean and minimalist, on the other with a picturesque pergola planted with vines and jasmine.

Either of the Aegean Sea and the sleepy fishing village or on the daily stand-up paddling tour – because the natural stone villas of the same name in the southern part of the Pelion peninsula are just a few minutes from the sea. You can set off from the Kallithea Villas before breakfast or float comfortably back to the tranquility of the evening before grilling freshly caught fish on the panoramic terrace – the origin of today’s SUP trend, which goes back to the Polynesian fishermen off Tahiti, who manoeuvred through the waves of the Pacific while balancing upright in their canoes.

The heritage listed holiday home in Blankenberge, Belgium, is not only suitable for gathering the whole extended family around the sculpturally curving table under sophisticated ceiling paintings, but also for strengthening team spirit at work or with friends. Up to 24 guests will find an artful blend of Art Nouveau and zeitgeist here to centre themselves and relax. The latter is best done directly on the sea in front of the door. After all, stand-up paddling together strengthens the group dynamic.

Casa Navegna in tranquil Minusio near Locarno has made sure that nothing gets out of hand on holiday and has two SUP boards ready for its guests. The lakeshore is just a few steps away, allowing you to paddle off into the azure blue of Lake Maggiore at any time of day and leave the stress of everyday life behind you as you move to the rhythm of the water. The only obstacle: once you have landed in the paradise-like garden of the impressive property or in the UFO on the roof, you won’t want to leave any time soon. Because here, functional architecture, modern courage and sensual joie de vivre merge into a place to be.

The Mühlradhof and an SUP tour have a great deal in common. Both offer peace and reduction, bring us back into balance and make us happy. So just as well that the over 360-year-old, forest-covered and meticulously revitalised farm in the Raitenbuch valley is located right between Titi- and Schluchsee, the largest lakes in the Black Forest. For children and beginners, the Windgfällweiher reservoir two kilometres away offers even better conditions, including its own SUP kiosk for renting boards. Afterwards, you can dry off by the tiled stoves in the farmhouse living-room or relax on the terraces.

In Hawaii, only the king and a select few were once allowed to cross the water standing on a bamboo raft. Gliding directly into the water from the private jetty of the elegant architect’s villa Das Refugium [The Refuge] on Lake Neusiedl on one of the villa’s own two boards you are likely to feel similarly majestic. Straightforward architecture, no-frills, exquisite interiors, high-quality materials and a private pool make for a pleasant time-out at the Refugium. From the comfort of your bed, the view of the glistening green lake is enticing, allowing you to drift through the day with a sense of balance.