Camping Paradis Les Pins d'Oléron

To the beach first, presumably? It’ll take you about 15 minutes or so to stroll through the woods down to the sands (or a shorter jaunt on the little shuttle train in summer), or 10 minutes to get to the surf school and land yachting centre if you’re up for acquiring some new skills. Skip away from the shoreline to see different parts of the island, perhaps on a canoeing or paddleboarding trip through the marshes (five minutes’ drive), a horse riding day (10 minutes) or a couple of rounds on the golf course (15 minutes). A couple of top walking spots are the bird-filled nature centre Pole-Nature Marais aux Oiseaux (15 minutes) and the hike to Chassiron Lighthouse at the far end of the island (half an hour). And there’s history to take in too – perhaps learning about the island’s main source of income at Le Port des Salines salt museum (five minutes), taking a walk around Le Château d’Oléron’s citadel (10 minutes) or boarding a boat to Fort Boyard (15 minutes), a former prison turned gameshow venue.