Camping Le Soleil Rouge

The region's famed chestnuts, sweet blueberry-like myrtilles, goats' cheeses and artisanal charcuterie meats – all accompanied by a bottle of local wine, of course – usually go down pretty nicely while you're lazing down by the lake. Therefore, it's highly recommended that you fill your mornings picking up said supplies at the local farmers' markets, which take place in St Agrève on Mondays (15km), Lamastre on Tuesdays (6km), Wednesdays in Le Cheylard (20km), Vernoux-en-Vivarais on Thursdays (23km), and back again to Lamastre on Saturdays. For those who intend to stay at La Soleil over a weekend, aim to amble over to the village's 14th-century castle-museum (open Saturdays and Sundays between 2pm and 6pm), and pay a visit to the ruined villas, springs and thermal baths the Romans very kindly left behind there. Every week there's something going on somewhere around Désaignes – usually some sort of festival, because the local Ardéchois celebrate everything from baskets to raspberries and medieval times (why not?). For concerts, on Wednesdays there's one at the local temple and on Thursdays there's always something on over in Lamastre. If you're up for a little more action (but not too much), be sure to pack a good pair of walking shoes because the area is networked by more than 200 kilometres of waymarked walking trails that you can join right from or near La Soleil, including the flat 13.5-kilometre circuit that leads from the village cemetery through a lush private chestnut grove, onwards to the handsome hamlet of Sauteraux and then upwards for fab views of the Doux valley, all before you head back to base for a barbecue and a gentle game of pétanque.