Camping Le Domaine de Bernezac

Time to get active? The golden-sand beach at Nauzan (five minutes’ walk) catches the Atlantic breeze and is popular for windsurfing, dinghy sailing and body boarding. Cycling and walking tracks back the beaches, and riders can canter horses through the waves or wend their way along forest tracks (10 minutes’ drive). To see how the famous oysters of the Marennes-Oléron region are cultivated, head for the Réserve Naturelle de Moêze-Oléron (45 minutes) and Cité de l’Huître (40 minutes) to stroll around the marshy pools where they grow, learn about traditional farming methods and perhaps taste a few samples in the alfresco café. From there it’s a short hop across the bridge to the Île d’Oléron (35 minutes from the site) to discover more oyster beds on the east coast, as well as military landmarks like the imposing Citadelle du Château (45 minutes) and the offshore Fort Boyard – take a boat trip to see it from Port de Saint-Denis d’Oléron (an hour). If the kids have put up with all this history and culture, reward them with a day out at Zoo La Palmyre (15 minutes) with its big cats, pink flamingos and comical penguins.