Try a holiday with a difference

A week on a sun-soaked beach is something we all look forward to but do you ever want a little bit more from your annual holiday?

If the thought of an organised activity break fills you with dread then you may be interested to know about the wide range of different holidays around. From canyoning in Tuscany to trekking round Cyprus, there are hundreds of activities to discover in some of the most popular tourist destinations.

If you're after a whirlwind, non-stop adventure kind of holiday, a multi-destination tour may be ideal. Contiki Holidays' Mexico Grande tour gives you plenty of adventure.

You can ride horseback through palm tree groves and stunning beaches; snorkel and kayak in the crystal clear of a wildlife sanctuary; quad bike through the plantations and beaches; ride a high-speed, shotover jet on the Papagayo river and take a jungle tour by bike which ends with a ride on a 160m zip-line through the Mexican jungle. Phew!

Closer to home is Tuscany, and while most of us associate this region of Italy with wine-tasting tours, Tuscany is also home to some breathtaking canyons waiting to be explored.

Canyoning uses a mixture of walking, scrambling, climbing, jumping abseiling and/or swimming to travel through gorges and canyons and is a great activity to get your adrenalin pumping.

The Garfagnana region near the Tuscany/Romagna border is a dramatic and mountainous area with woodland, gorges and rivers and lends itself perfectly to this activity.

The team at Tuscanynwild provide canyoning experiences for all abilities. Expect to pay around 80-90 Euros for a full day which will include a hike to the canyon and a descent, all equipment and lunch. For a wide choice of traditional villas in Tuscany visit www.to-tuscany.com

If you would rather settle for something a little more chilled, then a holiday to Cyprus could be a good choice. It doesn't have to be a week spent by the beach with a good book for company and thoughts of doing a 'Shirley Valentine'!

Organised treks of the Troodos mountains are a great way to see the island at its peak of 1,952 metres, and on the way you'll discover traditional Cypriot villages, follow cooling forest paths and find ancient monasteries.

Luxury breaks to Cyprus can be organised with www.sovereign.com and their free concierge service will put you in touch with English-speaking tour guides.

If you've not picked up a tennis racket since school then a tennis holiday could be great fun! Lessons with an English-speaking instructor in a Mediterranean climate can be a great way to get back into the game.

Holiday firms such as www.markwarner.co.uk offer tennis-themed holidays in Corsica, Greece, Portugal and Turkey as part of their activity breaks with sailing, windsurfing and kayaking included too.

For those of you who love the outdoors, a golfing break could be a great alternative to a beach-based package holiday. Although an early start may be required to avoid the midday sun, you can enjoy fresh air and amazing views.

There are more than 1,300 golf courses in Florida and The Royal St Cloud Golf Club offers 'no embarrassment' Women's Golf Clinics to fine tune your swing and can be found just 25 miles from the main Florida attractions.

Florida holiday specialists, www.Jetsave.com have a range of affordable packages that include free car hire making getting around even easier. So this year try something different and escape from the beach.