Camping L'Apamée

The Ariège department is filled with outdoorsy stuff to do, from water-based stuff like canoeing and rafting, or caving and climbing around the gorges, to lower-octane hiking, horse riding or two-wheeled tours of lands filled with lakes, peaks and waterfalls. Venture by car to the castle at Foix, the Forges de Pyrène museum and the medieval towns of Mirepoix and Mazères, all within half an hour, or a little further afield to medieval Montségur and its château, the Niaux cave in the Cap de la Lesse de Bialac hillside, or to the talcum quarry at Trimouns. The area is a hotspot too for those seeking to head up to and over the high peaks of the Pyrenees: whizz to the airfield just outside Saint Girons for helicopter rides, to the club in Pamiers for glider and light aircraft flights, or to other places around the locale for hot air balloon floats and parachuting, paragliding and hang-gliding adventures.