Cabanes Flottantes du Lac de Pélisse

Trot along to the tourist office at nearby Castillonnès (about seven minutes' drive or 40 minutes by foot) to investigate what you might get up to in the area, such as horse-drawn carriage and saddle rides within a few kilometres of the site, or more energetic adventures along the Castillonnès hiking and cycling circuit, within four kilometres. The scenic seven-hectare lake of Lougratte, 10 minutes' drive to the south, has a white sandy beach that's lifeguarded in summer, pedalo, canoe and boat hire, a diving platform and a snack bar. Amble into Lougratte village afterwards to pick up tasty local produce such as foie gras and cheese from the farm shop. The bastide town of Villeréal is within 20 minutes' drive for a viewsome town day: bag the guided walk leaflet from the Villeréal tourist office to weave through town past famed old piles like the mammoth 14th-century market hall, where markets still run every Saturday. For more old sights, drive half an hour north to the Dordogne city of Bergerac, to nose around the town museum, tobacco museum and splendid old wine house.