Camping La Clairière

Lac d’Aydat (10 minutes’ walk) is a good place to start for activities – this 65-hectare lake has all sorts of watersports including kayaking, paddleboarding and sailing lessons, plus a lake beach, donkey rides, a treetop adventure course and bike trails. All a bit too much? It has plenty of nice cafés and restaurants for a quiet meal or drink instead… Walks by the lake are a good option too, or you could set off to Lac de la Cassière (25 minutes’ walk) or the Cascade de Veyréras waterfalls (40 minutes). For a more challenging walk, make your way to Puy de Dôme (20 minutes’ drive) where you can hike to the top of a huge lava dome (or ride up in the train but tell your friends you walked it…) While you’re in the area, stop in at Vulcania (half an hour), a theme park where you can learn all about volcanoes. Throw a bit of history into the mix too with outings to Château de la Bâtisse (15 minutes) and Château de Busséol (half an hour), or take a walk around Clermont-Ferrand (25 minutes), where the cathedral is made out of lava stone.