From the Camargue to the Côte Vermeille (Vermillion Coast), the spectacular coastline of Languedoc-Roussillon stretches for 150 miles along the Mediterranean Sea. It has some of the finest French beaches, a warm climate and clear waters that are thought to promote health.

A mix of family holiday resorts, health spas and ancient fishing villages cluster along the shore, backed by a hinterland of untouched natural beauty. This more mountainous area is a country of wild natural beauty. Limestone plateaux, covered in scrub, are sliced through by deep canyons, splashed with red ochre on lake shores, pitted with caves and natural craters, and strewn with historic sites - from industrial relics to religious monuments and ancient citadels.

There's some great hiking country in this high region, which is part of the regional natural park of Haut-Languedoc. Check out the Héric gorge, and the mountains of Caroux and Espinouse for walking, horse riding, mountain biking and rock-climbing. For a change of pace, you could take in some culture at an art gallery, or relax in one of the famous thermal spas.