Camping Les Peupliers

Canyoning, climbing and kayaking are all popular in the area, and you can rent canoes in Vogüé to take out onto the Ardèche (next to the bridge at the entrance to the village). In town, cross the 19th-century bridge and potter around the Place de la Gadabielle, castle, old trade track, mill and ancient wells, all marked on a self-guided Vogüé trail. From here, it's six kilometres to another prettily scenic town in Balazuc, set in a valley above the Ardèche surrounded by cliffs and trees. If you're anywhere within day trip driving distance of it, the huge natural bridge of the Pont d'Arc is a must-see (how fortunate then that it's within 20 minutes' drive). The nearby Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave, with the earliest cave paintings discovered so far in the world, is within easy reach of the Pont d'Arc.