Camping Les Oliviers

Like to fill your hols with outdoorsy antics? Start at Les Buissonnades leisure park (10 minutes' drive), where watersports and outdoor games await for those who like to get active, and a sandy stretch provides space for those who don’t. You might also select a steed for horseback outings from Forcalquier (25 minutes) or launch canoes to paddle down the Durance river half an hour away. More fine canoe trips are at the gorgeous Gorges du Verdon; the turquoise waters and craggy cliffs are around an hour's drive from the site. If that's not quite what you had in mind, there are plenty of other ways to see the scenery, including rafting, canyoning, hiking, climbing and paragliding. A feast of colour and fragrance is in store for those who time their visits to the Valensole lavender fields (25 minutes' drive) just right – June and July are usually best for blooms. For pretty sights all year round, head to the splendid gardens around elegant Château de Sauvan (25 minutes) or amble around Aix-en-Provence (50 minutes), taking in its handsome historic centre, perusing the paintings at the Granet Museum and seeing the studio where Cézanne created his art.