Camping La Carabasse

Roll up, roll up – Europark Vias Plage, a fairground-style amusement park with a log flume, rollercoasters and a spooky 'dark zone', is a 10-minute walk. Gentler souls may be pleased to hear that more peaceful rides are available at the local equestrian centre (5 minutes' drive). Cap d'Agde (10 minutes) is another tourist hub, home to an aquarium, Luna Park amusement park and a waterpark. Inland, Béziers' majestic medieval cathedral, fine arts museum and historic canal locks are a mere 20 minutes' drive: the Canal du Midi passes through here too. For more wondrous waterways, make tracks to Sète, a port town known as ‘Languedoc’s Little Venice’ (30 minutes). Don't expect serene gondolas and baroque palaces here: the town's mishmash of hilltop villas, swing bridges and rocky coastline gives the place a feel of its own. Further afield, rustic jaunts can be had at Roquebrun, a pretty village with vineyards and river swims (45 minutes) or at Colombières Gorges (around an hour).