Camping Le Soleil du Pibeste

For a change of pace from uphill mountain climbs, a visit to Parc Chloro’fil (five-minute drive) comes with all sorts of forest fun, including ziplining, treetop walks and watersports like rafting and kayaking. Or go underground for a tour of the Grottes de Bétharram caves (half an hour). If you haven’t had any great wildlife spots on your wanders, you can rectify that at the Animal Park of the Pyrenees (five minutes) or Asson Zoo (40 minutes). There’s also a kid-friendly farm, Ferme du Bon'Air, 20 minutes away. The site is a mere 10 minutes from Lourdes, so join the pilgrims for a visit to the impressive Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes and Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, and get a good dose of the Lourdes healing water while you’re there. Lourdes is also home to the Musée du Petit Lourdes (a miniature reconstruction of the town) and a wax museum, Musée de Cire. Slightly further afield, there’s another museum in the Château de Pau (50 minutes) – it’s dedicated to Henri IV and houses a collection of 17th- and 18th-century tapestries.