Top Ten Spain Off-the-Beaten-Path Adventures

Hang on: Pyrenees rapids can shoot you through like a pinball (TURESPANA)

White-water rafting is in its infancy here, so take advantage of the sport before it becomes overly popular—and crowded. Raft, canoe, or kayak the Noguera Pallasera River through 28 miles of clear, foaming water. Or ride it, half submerged and spluttering, on a hydrospeed, a kind of aquatic boogie board. In season, the river surges down from the Pyrenees. Within its lightly populated valley, two villages—Llavorsi and the aptly named Sport—each boast several rental outfits and a fine restaurant or two serving hearty mountain fare to restore energy at the end of the day. Every put-in offers fun, but for maximum thrills, let yourself be tossed the nine miles downstream from Llavorsi to Rialp. Aim for May or June when the river's at its racing best, swollen with snowmelt from the mountains that block the northern horizon.