Beau Rivage

Richard and Wendy Curtis call their little part of the world ‘paradise’, and they're not wrong. Even finding the place is a breeze. No zigzagging along endless country lanes to get here, and with direct routes from various cities you can shop around for cheap flights. And shouldn’t all roads to paradise be paved with gold? Well, if you come via Alès, you’ll see people panning for the stuff.

There are 190 pitches, so in Cool Camping terms it’s not an intimate paradise. But there’s something calming about the landscape. Beau Rivage begins at Richard and Wendy’s home, which looks over flat meadows. On the far left, the land drops down to the river. Pitches are spaced amongst the trees, so even when full, the aura remains peaceful.

Aim for a spot at the bottom by the Cèze river. You’re further away from the comings- and-goings of other campers and ideally positioned for quick refreshing dips. Swimming is the main attraction here.

Any adventurous escapades require a car; you can drive to the south coast in two hours or to the mountains of the Parc National des Cévennes in one. Alès, the nearest town, is full of pavement eateries for a decent pit-stop. There’s a prehistoric museum (Musée de Préhistoire) nearby and if that sparks your imagination, check out the decorated caves at Chauvet Pont d’Arc, where people lived during the Stone Age. Men in loincloths? Gold? That sounds like some ladies' kind of paradise, for sure