La Ferme Bleue

Don’t feel like driving? You can have a good day out right there in Montmaurin, which is home to the remains of a huge Gallo-Roman villa (one of the largest known in France, in fact) and an associated museum with a great mosaic collection. After exploring that, take a dip in the municipal pool, which is open in summer with a main pool and a kids’ pool. For more dips, head to the lake beach at Lac de la Gimone (25 minutes’ drive) or the inflatables of AquaParc Pyrénées (half an hour). For more activity, go canoeing or horse riding, or clamber up into the trees at N’CO Park (all half an hour). Something a little gentler? Take a stroll around Les Jardins de la Poterie Hillen (15 minutes). For a big day out, head to Toulouse (an hour and 15 minutes) to wander through the Old Town, visit the Cité de l’Espace, check out all the museums, take a river/canal boat trip and get your fill of the local cassoulet.