La Vie en Vert

If ever there was a campsite destined to be on a postcard, it’s this one. The abundance of flowers, the babbling brook running along the back of a lovely old stone house, and 12 immaculately crafted pitches, some right next to the river, make the site a bit of a choccie-box delight. Admittedly it lacks slightly in facilities – there’s no pool and no café – but it does have a small kids’ playground, home-made apple juice on tap, and you can have breakfast in the house, if you like. There’s also a small library, fresh fruit and veg from local farmers on sale, and a BBQ shack available that you can set up right next to the river. Throw in the new tipi – fully furnished and with a wooden dining shelter next door – and the recent addition of Wi-Fi and this quaint, old-fashioned garden suddenly feels all the more modern.

Then there are Claudine and Charles themselves; an ultra-hospitable pair who know the area well and can give you the low-down on the many local highs: biking and hiking trails, water sports on the Bouigane River, chapels, caves, and a string of picturesque rustic villages in both directions. Castillon-en-Couserans is a 20-minute drive and has regular cultural events in summer. That’s if you can wrench yourself away from all the calmness and cuteness, of course.