Camping Les Paillotes

On the banks of the Dordogne, Quercyland (20 minutes’ drive) is a large waterpark with twisty slides and multiple pools, as well as zorb balls, adventure courses and trampolines. If you manage to drag the kids away from the water, you can let them have a go at being cavemen at Prehisto Dino Park (20 minutes), before heading underground to see the rock formations at the Grottes de Carbonnières (20 minutes). The village of Rocamadour (half an hour), clinging dramatically to a cliffside, is well worth a visit. A famed pilgrimage site in the Middle Ages, it still houses the 200-step Grand Escalier (try going up on your knees, like a medieval pilgrim would have done…) and numerous churches and sanctuaries. Wildlife enthusiasts will go bananas at La Forêt des Singes (half an hour), a conservation animal park dedicated to Barbary macaques. You can observe and learn about these endangered animals as they go about their daily life and feed them popcorn (supplied at the entrance). The Parc Animalier de Gramat (35 minutes) has more variety, with wolves, bears, deer and farmyard animals.