Caravaning Les Cerisiers

You might head into Berck-sur-Mer (10 minutes' drive) for supplies or to hit the beach and find yourself diverted: not by roadworks (hopefully) but by this attractive seaside town. The centre teems with tempting bakeries and cafés and in warmer months, weekly markets take over the high street. Berck's wide beaches are safe for bathing and sand yachts are a novel way to cruise the dunes; try them along with jetskiing and kite surfing on the seafront, or take boat cruises around the bay. Adrenalin junkies can hit greater speeds at the Parc d'Attraction de Bagatelle (10 minutes), a theme park with screech-inducing rides. When the briny looks uninviting, Aqualud Parc Aquatique (30 minutes) is on hand with a jungle themed waterworld of slides and pools. Windswept or soaked in sunshine, the Baie d'Authie (20 minutes) is a wild contrast to the town. Trails lead across salt meadows bristling with rare edible plants, while in the watery hollows you can pick sea lavender and spot tree frogs. Locals aren't sure why the pinniped and grey seals showed up on the sandbanks nearly 40 years back, but they're clearly not going away. And who could blame them...?