The Sunday Times April 3, 2022 9Left: take the
ferry past the
Dumfries and
Galloway
countryside to
Belfast. Above:
City Hall in
Belfast. Right:
vineyards and
pintxos in San
Sebastian,
northern SpainTen islands, six causeways, four ferry
crossings and beautiful beaches17 SPLASH OUT IN FRANCE
Find a French campsite with
its own water park and you’ll
struggle to persuade the kids
to leave — which isn’t
necessarily a bad thing. Siblu’s
Les Charmettes, just outside
Royan in Charente-Maritime,
has two water parks, four free
kids’ clubs, daily sports
coaching and nightly cabarets.
If you are able to leave, you’ll
find 16 miles of beach, the pine
woods of the vast Forêt de la
Tremblade and the excited
buzz of summer-season Royan.
Details From £1,374 for a
family of four for seven
nights’ self-catering in a
two-bedroom mobile home
arriving on July 30
(siblu.co.uk). Return ferry
crossings from Portsmouth
to St Malo from £764
(brittany-ferries.co.uk)18 HIKE THE CHANNEL
ISLANDS
On this seven-night group
walking holiday you’ll visit
four of the Channel Islands:
Guernsey, Alderney, Herm
and Sark, covering
65 miles over six days
following gentle
clifftop paths,
walking across
magnificent
beaches,
crossing LaAceña Boutique Hotel — once a
flour mill, now a place to
escape the grind. Highlights
include a tour of vineyards and
the slow-roasted local lamb.
Details From £2,680pp for
nine nights’ B&B, including
excursions (smoothred.com).
Return ferry crossings from
Portsmouth to Santander
from £640 for a car and two
passengers in October
(brittany-ferries.co.uk)20 PADDLE THE ARDÈCHE
Camping La Savane is
bordered on two sides by the
Ardèche river and by the
Beaume on the third. By day,
they’re your playground on a
top-value guided adventure
that you can take as a car-free
standalone or as part of a
longer trip. It includes
climbing and bouldering in
the Grand Canyon of Europe;
kayaking and swimming on
the Beaume; high ropes, target
sports and raft building; and
a two-day descent of the
gorgeous Ardèche, covering 16
miles and up to 25 rapids and
fly-camping on the riverbank.
Details Adults from £739,
kids £649 for six nights’ full
board, including wine and
overnight coach travel.
Self-drive prices are £569
and £499 respectively
(acornfamilyholidays.co.uk)Coupée — the causeway joining
Greater Sark to Little Sark —
and learning about the
German occupation during the
Second World War. Your billet
is the Moores Central Hotel in
St Peter Port, from where
you’ll take local ferries to the
neighbouring islands.
Details From £1,499pp
for seven nights’ B&B
arriving on September 10
(hfholidays.co.uk). Ferry
crossings from Portsmouth
to Guernsey from £80pp
(condorferries.co.uk)19 PINTXOS AND VINEYARDS
IN NORTHERN SPAIN
This luxury ten-day gourmet
tour takes you from the pintxo
bars of old Donostia-San
Sebastian to the wineries of
Ribera del Duero with multiple
lunch stops en route. Taste
the sparkling txakoli wine in
Getaria and dine at Basque
asador Elkano before driving
west to spend three nights in
the Hotel Calle Mayor in
Logroño. Then spend the
days meeting winemakers
and nights exploring
the town. Finally,
cross the Sierra de
Cebollera to
Ribera del
Duero for
three nights at
the Fuentenight group
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erney, Herm
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theALLAN WRIGHT, IAN DAGNALL, TOMAS GUARDIA BENCOMO, SORIN COLAC/ALAMY