Camping L’Orée du Bois

Lac d’Hourtin-Carcans is a good place to start with your outdoor activities – take the half-hour walk over there for a waterside wander, various watersports or to launch yourself into the lake in dramatic fashion from the inflatable obstacle course at Splash Park. Over on the other side of the lake, Plage de Piqueyrot (15 minutes’ drive) is a lovely spot for a stroll in the sand dunes and a swim. There’s more of all of this sort of thing close by at the beaches of Étang de Lacanau (35 minutes). Meanwhile, if you need something a little different for the kids, try the petting farm and tree-climbing activities at Animalia Parc (15 minutes) or head to Parc de l'Aventure Montalivet (half an hour) for archery, disc golf, go-karting and treetop trails, among other activities. If it’s a town day that takes your fancy, aim for Arès (45 minutes) to eat oysters while looking out at Arcachon Bay, or make a break for Bordeaux (an hour and 20 minutes) to sample wine, look for La Grosse Cloche, admire the gothic cathedral and stroll along the UNESCO-listed waterfront.