Camping Le Riviera

The Ardèche area is a most scenic one for an outing – if you’re not sure where to start, sign up for a guided hike or mountain bike ride from the site, or aim for one of the big sights: the Cirque de Gens (10 minutes’ drive) or the ancient Païolive Wood (20 minutes), perhaps. Horse riding, golf and rock climbing are all within a 15-minute drive too, and the site runs a shuttle to the local adventure park in summer. As natural sights go, they hardly come any bigger than the Gorges d’Ardèche (half an hour’s drive) – the ‘European Grand Canyon’ is a fab place for a hike, a scenic drive or (ideally) a canoe trip. A second canoe outing should certainly be scheduled at the huge Pont d’Arc stone arch – paddle there from the site or set sail from Vallon Pont d’Arc (10 minutes). For a break from such activity, aim for the huge underground caves at Aven d’Orgnac (25 minutes), roam around pretty Ruoms (five minutes) or seek out a winery for tipple sampling – there are several within a drive of 20 minutes or so.