Le Village Tropical Sen Yan

If it’s a busy hol you’re after, this is the site for you: beaches like Plage de Contis (20 minutes’ drive) are nearby for all sorts of seaside pursuits, while Landes Adventure Park (also 20 minutes) has antics for the kids sorted. If you’re less into rides and more into roams, Forest Landes (30 minutes) is full of paths to wander along and the Dune of Pilat – the biggest sand dune in Europe, an hour and 10 minutes away – is worth the journey for a properly epic landscape. Closer by is Moliets-et-Maa, 40 minutes, for surf lessons at Plage des Chenes Lièges and Plage de Moliets beaches; you could also head off on a horse-riding trip here as trotting tours are available. And if you’re fine to go further…? The old town in Bayonne (an hour and 15 minutes), at the point where the rivers Nive and Adour meet, is your go-to for a cultural expedition. It has snaking medieval streets to saunter down, as well as an impressive Gothic-style cathedral with a 13th-century cloister.