Camping Le Moulin du Roy

The Bassin de Saint-Ferréol (five minutes’ drive) is a hotspot for adventures on the water, from windsurfing to dinghy sailing. Lessons and equipment hire are available, so you don’t have to bring all the gear from home. You can visit the dam (10 minutes), and as it’s the source of the Canal du Midi, you might like to potter around on a narrow boat too. Long-distance cyclists can hop onto the canal’s towpath at the lake, and there are numerous hiking trails and bike rides in the forests and hills of the Montagne Noire (five minutes) – and to get the adrenaline pumping, head for the via ferrata climbing course at Durfort (10 minutes). Toulouse (one hour) is just the spot for a cultural shot in the arm, packed with grand architecture, churches and museums – and if that sounds like long faces from the kids, you can always treat them to an afternoon of IMAX movies at Cité de l’Espace (50 minutes).