Your Perfect Fishing Date Is In The Net

Here Are Our Top 10 Date Ideas For Nature Lovers

If your idea of hell when it comes to choosing a venue for a date is ‘other people’ then we have the definitive list of water-based and rural dating ideas, where you can relax and get away from it all.

As a nature lover, you might be looking for someone to enjoy your hobbies with, or need some help finding the perfect idea for an anniversary date – maybe you are even looking to find new love through your passion for the great outdoors.

Either way, we have some gorgeous suggestions that are the antithesis of the average date night at the movies – here they are: our top ten favorite date ideas for nature lovers!

1. Fishing

Make it as competitive or gentle as you like, but a fishing date is a great way to get to know another person. You can share your passion for the sport and marvel at each other’s catches. The added bonus if you suffer from dating nerves is that, when you are both sitting by the water, you can really open up to each other while enjoying the beautiful scenery and your favorite hobby!

2. Swimming

Swimming is one of the gentlest yet best sports you can do – and the best news is that it can be done so easily when you are interested in rural dating! Make sure to find yourself a river or lake that is safe and legal to swim in, then brave the elements with your special someone. A colder swim will wake you up and take the jitters away, a warmer swim will calm you both – and after all that exercise, you will need a blanket and a warm drink. So romantic.

3. Surfing

Sometimes the best way to burn off some nervous date energy is to get active! Finding an awesome place to find amazing swell and you and your date can bond over your shared love of the water. It doesn’t even matter what level of ability you are both at, just find a surfing tutor to simply have fun together in a surfing lesson.

4. Watching the sunrise or sunset from a secluded spot

If you want to date in nature but also like to take things nice and easy, a wonderful way to take part in rural dating is to watch nature do its amazing thing from a cozy spot. If you are an early bird, you could enjoy a little ‘front porch sittin’, snuggling under blankets as the sun comes up in the morning, or if you are more of a night owl, grab a flask and sip cocoa at the top of a hill, as the sun dips over the city. What could be more romantic than that?

5. A beach picnic

If you are asking yourself, “is the beach a good place for a first date?” – then our answer is “of course it is!” The wonderful thing about the beach is it includes everything that nature has to offer, on the land and in the water. You can ‘people watch’, be mesmerized by the waves as you chat, take a dip together, and enjoy a glass of something cold with a delicious picnic. Bliss.

6. A cycle ride by the river

If you don’t want a fishing date, and you are not sure if you want to actually get into the water, then the wonderful alternative is to grab a couple of bikes and cycle along a river. You can take it easy, stop and chat every now and then, or if you are a serious cyclist, why not see how far you can cycle into the hills and catch your breath together at the summit. Thrilling experiences together are as important as downtime! 

7. A boat trip

A romantic boat trip is the ultimate in rural dating, giving you the opportunity to combine many of your favorite nature and water interests into one gorgeous adventure. Once you have had the chance to be captain for a while, grab those fishing rods and see what you can catch. There is nothing like a dip in the water straight from the boat too, which makes dinner on the deck even more satisfying. Ahoy, me hearties! 

8. Scuba diving 

If your passion is scuba diving, why would you go on a date sitting in a restaurant, wearing stiff clothing, and wondering what to say next? Go get yourself and your date under the water and enjoy the immense beauty of wonderful fish, stunning wildlife, and the incomparable feeling of being underwater without a care in the world! If you have different ability levels, find a kind instructor who can put you both at ease. Scuba diving is the fishing date with a wonderful twist!

9. Paddleboarding

A paddleboarding date may not be the first thing you think of doing on a date, but we think this is a wonderful way to spend some quality time with a new friend or partner. It is best to do a little research for this one, so find a spot that does not take forever to get to, and where there are some facilities nearby for refreshments and washing up afterward. Pack a picnic and you are ready for a wonderful date!

10. A gentle waterside walk

When all is said and done, a stroll along a promenade, beach, riverside, or boardwalk will undoubtedly set the scene for a calming and enjoyable date. Almost anyone can enjoy this, and the beauty of walking is that you get to go at your own pace and stop and enjoy the scenery now and then – make sure you take your binoculars to really admire the water birds and other creatures. Walking is a great opportunity to hold hands and just ‘be’ in nature.