Camping Les Argiles

Several scenic settlements are around for day trips, such as Ménerbes (30 minutes), one of the 'perched villages of Provence': set on a hilltop with splendid views of countryside, hills and local vineyards. (If you're a fan of le vino, you may like to pop along to the corkscrew museum a couple of kilometres below town too.) Also worth a look are Salon-de-Provence (20 minutes), surounded by olive-clad hills, and Gordes (40 minutes), with a spectacular hill setting that's drawn artists from far and wide for generations. Fontaine de Vaucluse (35 minutes) is the starting point for canoe and kayak trips along the Sorgue; closer to home, heading out from Mérindol (about three kilometres from town) will have you at the start of the hike around the Gorges de Regalon on a waymarked trail of around three and a half hours. Other options include tree climbing and zipwiring at Passerelles Des Cimes adventure park (30 minutes), pottering around the UNESCO sites of Avignon (40 minutes), or having at least a day in Marseille, 55 minutes' drive away.