Les Gîtes de Montmartre

Happily, for those after more organised antics, this part of France contains almost as many leisure bases and theme parks as it does saltpans. You can zip through the treetops and tiptoe along the high ropes at Feeling Forest, or slide and splash down the chutes at Atlantic Toboggan, both 15 minutes away. For added speed, try zooming across the waters on jetskis and banana boats at Planète Racing (20 minutes), or get busy on the rides, swings, pedal boats and go-karts at Parc des Dunes (half an hour). If further pedalling appeals, take a cycle-powered trip on the vélo-rail from Commequiers (20 minutes), or bike and canoe your way through the marshes from Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez, a similar distance away. A spot of sightseeing? Check the tides, time it right and cross the sometimes precarious but always pretty Passage du Gois causeway to the Isle of Noirmoutier (half an hour), to tour the 12th-century castle and the old port, fill up with treats at the Friday market and return to the mainland rightfully boasting that you’ve crossed the Atlantic. If that claim's not wild enough, maybe visiting the beasts at Planète Sauvage zoo will do (45 minutes): 4x4 safari rides, marine shows with leaping dolphins and a raised walkway through a primate forest should keep everyone’s monkeys amused.