Camping Le Roc del Rey

If you’ve come here hoping for alfresco activities, make a beeline for Lac de Montbel, a 1,500-acre reservoir with a 16-kilometre hiking path around its perimeter and facilities for horse riding, sailing and canoeing. A couple of beaches and several cafés await those who prefer the idea of alfresco inactivity. Should you wish to hike further, the Ariégeoises Pyrenees Regional Natural Park is a 45-minute drive away, and there are more leisurely rambles to be had along the banks of the Touyre river just by the site or around the Roquefort waterfalls, half an hour away by car. Those with a penchant for a historic visit or few will do well around these parts: the châteaux of Montségur, Puivert, Lagarde and Arques are all within an hour’s drive, as are the UNESCO-listed fortified city of Carcassonne and medieval Mirepoix.