Camping La Residence d'Été

Where better to start than right there at the park? Throughout the summer site staff sort canoe outings and trips to a local tree-climbing park; have a chat when you’re there to see what’s on during your stay. Beyond that, there’s plenty of scope for more activity in the local area with days of hiking, horse riding, climbing, canyoning and via ferrata climbing trails. The area’s most visited feature is the pretty Pont d’Arc (20 minutes’ drive), which can be viewed from the water on a canoe outing or from dry land on a hike. Once you’ve seen that, seek out some of the other scenic spots around, like the Cirque de Gaud, the Chanet standing stones and the colourful Grotte de Saint Marcel: all are about 15 minutes’ drive away. Not all Ardèche attractions are natural, of course – you may also like to put on your list a wander around the cathedral, Roman sites and painted houses of Orange (50 minutes) and the medieval castle in Vogüé (40 minutes). La Ferme aux Crocodiles (20 minutes) is a good alternative if the kids aren’t into all this history.