Chalets d'Arbres

The Ardèche region is a paradise for active bods. You can get out on biking and hiking routes – and swim in the Auzon River – straight from the site, and for something a bit more hardcore, go canyoning along the Gorges de la Besorgues (45 minutes’ drive). Other sporty ideas for family days out include the zipwires and via ferrata climbing routes at the Entertainment Adventure Camp (45 minutes), and you can test your fitness levels on obstacle courses at Accroche Toi Aux Branches in Jaujac (40 minutes). There’s an abundance of caves to explore locally, all with a profusion of limestone stalactites and stalagmites. The caverns at Grotte Chauvet 2 - Ardèche (45 minutes) showcase replica cave paintings from Neolithic times, and the Grotte de la Madeleine (an hour) features a spectacular sound-and-light show among its bizarre, millennia-old rock formations. Kids are likely to love the dinosaur trail at Aven Marzal (an hour), where you can book guided tours on steep paths through caverns. If you have younger offspring, test their brain power to escape the giant wooden maze at Parc de Loisirs Mad Maze (50 minutes), or take them to cuddle the friendly donkeys at Parc Animalier de Lussas petting zoo (10 minutes).