Camping de la Rivière

Slip away from the river for a while and make a break for the lakes. A few minutes’ drive will get you to a little lake for swims and sunbathing on a sandy beach; stay on the road a little longer (15 minutes or so) to hit the Lacs de Haute Charente for more swims, watersports, horse rides and scenic walks and bike rides. Not brought bikes? Venture over to the vélorail in Roumazières (10 minutes away) to pedal special contraptions along a disused rail track through the woods; traditional train rides can be had here instead if you’d rather take in the views while giving your legs a rest. Stretch them out again on walks in the Périgord Limousin Regional Natural Park (20 minutes), or take them high in the air on the treetop trails at Tarz en Arbre adventure park, 40 minutes away. Safely back at ground level, there are several towns nearby that are worth a bit of your time: amble around Angoulême (45 minutes), keeping eyes open for decorative buildings and cartoons daubed on the city’s walls, or take off to Limoges (40 minutes) to peruse the porcelain collections in museums and shops.