2019 has been a great year for the Bude Canoe Experience.

After being awarded Best Guided Tour at the Cornwall Tourism Awards in 2018, early in 2019 they were placed in the Trip Adviser Hall of Fame after being awarded a certificate of excellence five years in a row. Then in July the team managed to secure a mooring and thus permanent presence in the Lower Wharf Bude, making them much more accessible.

But the icing on the cake was of course winning a gold and silver award at the Cornwall Tourism Awards recently. This year’s awards saw them receive gold in Learning Experience of the Year, sponsored by Screech Owl Sanctuary and presented by entertainer Johnny Cowling and Kevin Dyer of Screech Owl Sanctuary, and then silver in Active and Sporting Experience of the Year, sponsored by the Samphire Club.

Bude Canoe Experience is situated just outside the Olive Tree Restaurant with the amazing award winning Falcon Hotel as their backdrop on the other side of the canal. They are the only canoeing operator in Bude to have a permanent mooring on the canal which creates a fantastic start and finish to any Bude Canoe Experience.

They offer canoe experiences from 2.5 hours to 4.5 hours on the Bude Canal. It’s great fun paddling open canoes on the Bude Canal, learning about its rich history and discovering a waterway teeming with wildlife along the way.

A spokesman said: “Bude Canoe Experience teaches the basic paddling techniques to get people confident on the water before heading off on a mini adventure down the canal. There’s so much to see and explore, from endangered water voles to kingfisher and maybe even an otter. It’s a great day out for all the family. No previous experience or special equipment is required, just turn up and experience beautiful Bude from a whole new perspective.”