It all started more than 20 years ago. We were building a water park on a French campsite when a canyoning enthusiast came to us with a bold idea. This enthusiast told us that a number of architects and engineers had rejected and dismissed the feasibility of building such an idea – his idea. However, this conversation first aroused our curiosity and finally our determination. After all, the development of innovative projects often begins with the ability to see opportunities where others only see obstacles.
The aim was to recreate the thrill of descending ravines, canyons and gorges in an artificial environment, safe and accessible to all types of enthusiasts. The technical challenge, in terms of design and architecture as well as construction, was formidable. We had no previous references – none – and each element – the jumps, the rappels, the rock slides, the zip lines, the siphons – required a meticulous design that would guarantee realism, but also safety. And so was born, in 2003, in the south-east of France, the Canyoning Park of Argeles-sur-mer, the world’s first artificial canyoning park, a pioneering project that marked a milestone in the leisure, tourism and adventure sports industry. Two decades later, this adventure park is still in operation and is a tourist reference and a model of profitability in the region.
Expansion and adaptation of the canyoning parks to different environments
After that first project, we adapted the concept of artificial canyoning parks to the needs of the market and the environment and thus took the Canyoning Parks to different scenarios. When the Vesubia Mountain Park opened in October 2016 in Saint-Martin-Vésubie in the Alpes-Maritimes, France, it marked a new milestone in the history of these unique adventure parks. It was part of a new mountain sports centre and was the world’s first indoor canyoning park.
That indoor canyoning park was followed by another in Qatar. This was an adventure park integrated into the aquatic theme park now known as Desert Falls Water & Adventure Park. This large water park, which opened to the public in 2021, is part of the Hilton Salwa Beach Resort hotel, a huge resort with a total of 361 rooms, suites and exclusive villas. As presented by its own operators, the “Desert Falls Family Canyoning Park (…) is the first man made canyoning structure within the Middle East and the third of its kind in the world”.
In this project, Amusement Logic was responsible for the design of the water park and, within it, the canyoning park. It was the design of a unique adventure park that combined 17 pools (1.5 to 6 m deep), 10 rock slides, 16 jumps (up to 7.5 m high) and 2 abseiling positions by means of steep stairs, tunnels and labyrinthine routes.
After the three previous canyoning parks, more commissions followed in different parts of the world, some of whose designs the company is currently developing. These include the Parkview Canyoning in Taiwan, which is planned to be built next to the Taroko National Park; a new canyoning park in the Pyrenees in northern Spain, an attraction that is part of the ski resorts in the area, but which will help to deseasonalise winter tourism; the first indoor canyoning park and extreme sports park in the United States; and, finally, a large canyoning park that the company is developing – the most recent project – as part of a large aquatic sports complex in Turkey.
Key safety features of canyoning parks
Unlike canyoning in nature, artificial canyoning circuits eliminate the risks inherent in the practice of adventure sports, without sacrificing the thrill of the activity. It should not be forgotten that the design of canyoning parks is subject to the regulations for water parks, climbing parks and adventure sports. Moreover, the adventurers, equipped with neoprene suits, helmets and harnesses, are always supervised by certified monitors who guarantee worry-free action.
An experience for everyone, the ultimate goal of canyoning parks
Everyone, from beginners to experienced enthusiasts, will have a fun, exciting and therefore memorable experience. The key to this lies precisely in balancing realism and safety, first in the design and architecture, and then in the construction and execution. This is how we make an extreme sport that requires preparation and training available to a wide-ranging audience. As a result, the Canyoning Parks become an economic engine wherever they are located. Their flexibility, the possibility to offer experiences to the public all year round, their multiplying effect on tourism by involving families as well as extreme sports enthusiasts, make canyoning parks an attractive investment. This explains their success since Amusement Logic took up the innovative idea and created them, as we said, more than 20 years ago.
In case you are curious and want to know more, here is a link to the canyoning parks mentioned above:
