Camping des Dunes

You don’t have to stray too far for a day out around here – start your local wanderings by climbing the 116 steps of the Gravelines lighthouse (10 minutes’ walk) for cracking views over your seaside surrounds, then walk to the town centre (half an hour) to visit the harbour, the bell tower and the medieval gardens within the walled town. Hire boats or pedaloes to see the ramparts from the water, and have a look at Espace Tourville to see a traditional ship reconstruction. Folk with an interest in the natural world may like to take their binoculars over to the Platier Oye nature reserve (20 minutes’ drive) to see what sort of native birds they can spot; larger creatures from around France and the rest of Europe reside at Fort-Mardyck zoo (25 minutes). Families with something more active in mind should take a look at Sportica leisure centre (five minutes), where there’s a swimming pool, bowling alley and roller rink, or Parc Galamé (15 minutes) for nature trails, a petting zoo and a swimming lake.