Camping Mas Sud Ardèche

Who needs the seaside when there’s a river beach right next to the campsite? The sandy strip at Pont Cassé (five minutes’ walk) has a supervised bathing area on the Ardèche River in summer. To see something of the dramatic Ardèche gorges (half an hour’s drive), paddle a canoe through soaring canyons between Vallon-Pont-d’Arc (40 minutes) and Saint-Martin-d’Ardèche (five minutes), or admire the spectacular chasm from the viewpoint at Belvédère des Templiers (25 minutes). Continue your exploration of the Bouches-du-Rhône’s natural landmarks with a tour of the prehistoric wall paintings in the Chauvet Cave near Vallon Pont d’Arc (40 minutes), or scale Mont Ventoux (an hour and 20 minutes) for views into Provence. Alternatively, go hiking in the wild hills and valleys of the Cévennes (an hour). For urban jaunts, you might like to spend a day in Avignon (50 minutes) visiting the stunning Palace of the Popes and Notre-Dame des Doms Cathedral, or head for Orange (half an hour) and scramble up the Colline Saint-Eutrope stairway to the hilltop Roman Theatre. Montélimar (45 minutes) is a pretty town where the kids can play with interactive exhibits in the Palace of Sweets and Nougat.