Magic Bus at Lakeview

A five-minute drive out of Sillé-le-Guillaume takes you to a fab forest recreation area around a scattering of lakes. Sunbathe on the beach, swim, sail and canoe the clear waters, zipwire your way through the trees and walk or bike your way round the many trails. If you’re more in a mooching round town mood, there are weekly markets in Sillé as well as in dozens of villages and towns in the region, while the medieval clifftop town of Sainte-Suzanne (half an hour) has a castle and endless cobbled lanes to wander down (excellent local beer, as well). For history, or rather the bit before history, head to the fab caves at Saulges (50 min minutes); get up close to the rock art, learn more about the earliest occupants of the Loire at the museum and feel like your Palaeolithic ancestors as you walk the fine moorland nearby spotting black sheep and aurochs. If you're after faster thrills, it's around an hour's drive to Le Mans, home of the famed 24 Hours race, regular car and truck meets and a substantial museum; if you're tempted by the roar of the engines and the smell of burning rubber, you could try the go-karting track next door.