Are you looking for a thrilling outdoor adventure that the whole family can enjoy? Look no further than family-friendly white water rafting in Slovenia. This picturesque country is home to the stunning Soca River, which winds its way through the Julian Alps and offers a range of rapids for all skill levels. From easy beginner sections to more challenging Class 4 and 5 rapids, the Soca River is the perfect destination for a family rafting trip. In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know about family-friendly white water rafting in Slovenia, including tips for choosing a rafting company and what to expect on your trip.
The Julian Alps
We had 6 days to spare and no fixed itinerary toward the end of our Central European road-trip. While holidaying on the Slovenian coast at this point, we still felt strongly fascinated by this beautiful country. We decided not to leave without spending time in the alpine region of Slovenia, so we plugged some coordinates into the car’s GPS and headed off!
We headed toward the village of Bovec, which nestles in the Julian Alps and is known for its exciting menu of adventure activities, particularly whitewater rafting and canyoning. Although adventure activities aren’t exactly something a 4 and 6 year old can fully explore, we still visited Bovec. The plan was to admire the beauty of the Alps and spend some time hiking in the greenery before heading back to our desert life in Dubai.
The Soca River
The Soca River is the definite star of the show in this region. The locals know it as the ‘Emerald Beauty’, and it’s a stunning, albeit ice-cold, river. The Soca snakes its way from its source high in the Julian Alps all the way to the Adriatic Sea. It retains a clear emerald color along its entire icy length, which is rare in the world. Adventurers from all over the world who enjoy whitewater rafting are drawn to the river to experience its varying grades of rapids. It has easy beginner sections right through to more difficult Grade 4/5 sections.
Before we departed from the Slovenian coast, someone gave us the contact information of a person in Bovec who managed a whitewater rafting company. They told us that this company, called Sport Mix and based in the center of Bovec, might be able to arrange a short and safe raft ride suitable for a family with young kids. There are also many other companies that specialize in family rafting experiences. Sport Mix assured us that they would only take us along a short calm stretch of the Soca River to provide a taste of the whitewater rafting experience. Despite the photos on the wall showing gravity-defying paddling down rocky cascades, we donned our helmets and wetsuits and jumped into the rafting pontoons to experience the hype.
Is White Water Rafting Safe?
It turned out that this activity was one of the highlights of our trip! Our guide, Bari, was passionate about the sport and extra vigilant about safety, particularly as there were children in his care. Although we were going to be guided along a very tame section of the Soca, Bari still gave us a full safety briefing with all the proper rafting commands and paddle maneuvers beforehand. We also traveled in a flotilla of two boats, which added to the safety. Most of the section of the Soca we experienced was indeed pretty calm, but there were moments when the current and speed raised the heart rate a bit. Fortunately, we felt we were in capable hands as Bari knew the river well and was very technically knowledgeable.
Whitewater rafting is often considered a sport for adrenaline junkies, but we were pleasantly surprised that it was something our entire family could enjoy together. Our guide made the kids in our group feel like active partners in the experience and even invited them to paddle along certain sections of the river where the current was weak. They were also given the opportunity to play in the water and use a water slide made from the inverted rafts propped up against the boulders along the river’s edge. Our kids found the water play to be a highlight and were quite astounded that they could enjoy it even at such a cold temperature!
Bovec provided us with a memorable and fun experience during the last few days of our 6-week road trip! We will definitely return to repeat it.
Thank you for reading!
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7 Comments
Love the pictures! So fun. I have a 2-year-old and can’t wait to do this kind of stuff with him.
Bold decision!
Traveling with children in the river.
Of course it needs careful preraration.
Thank you!
What a cool experience! Our little girl just turned 1 and I’m counting down the days until she can do all of the active adventures that my husband and I enjoy. It’s great to see another expat family getting out there with their children!
That looks like you guys had a blast. It is great when the guides make the younger kids feel like they are apart of the crew. It makes the little guys day for sure.
That looks like such a fun time. We love rafting in Colorado often.
We vsitied the Soca Valley and missed the rafting, because we were there with our 1.5 year old. Looks like we only need to wait a few years! 😀 We loved hiking the Soca Valley Trail, and rafting on the river could be so special.
Family rafting is a great activity to do with family and kids. very nice post.