Clos du Léthé

Local restaurants

Spoil yourself with a trip to L'Amphitryon (+33 (0)4 66 37 05 04), a sweet courtyard restaurant on the Place du Vieux Village in postcard-perfect Castillon du Gard, a 25-minute taxi ride away. Traditional-with-a-twist French dishes created with seasonal, local produce, plus fantastic regional wines and cheeses. Work your way through the collection in the wine cellar at L’Authentic on Place de L’Ecole in the nearby mediaeval village Saint Siffret (+33 4 66 22 60 09). Le Tracteur at Sanilac (+33 4 66 37 19 31), a 20-minute drive away, is well worth hunting down: an open kitchen serves a great-value three-course menu that changes daily depending on what the chef finds in the local markets. Two choices for each course include seasonal comfort food such as velouté of squash with cep mushrooms and duck’s liver. Les Trois Salons at 18 Rue du Docteur de Blanchard in Uzès (+33 4 66 37 19 31) has a lovely courtyard for alfresco summer dining, although the menu is not as adventurous as it used to be.

For a full list of eating and drinking recommendations in Languedoc-Roussillon, check out our Languedoc-Roussillon eating & drinking guide

Worth getting out of bed for

If you need a (speedy) taxi anywhere, try local 24-hour taxi company Taxi Lamri (ask for Alain) on +33 (0)6 45 16 21 34. The Pont du Gard visitor centre gives a fascinating insight into the Roman occupation and buildings in the region; follow up with early supper at Anne-Sophie l’Huître et la Vigne (+33 (0)6 08 05 63 57), an absolutely charming tapas and oyster bar in a modest stone building set among the vines a 10-minute drive from the Pont du Gard on the route de St Hilaire. Or for some brocante browsing in Uzès, the streets off Place aux Herbes are crowded with second-hand/antiques shops; there's an excellent (but packed) market on Saturdays – and a quieter, food-only one on Wednesday mornings.

Float around in a wicker basket propelled by fire: go hot-air ballooning. A one-hour flight across the region costs €220 a person with Les Montgolfiers du Sud (+33 4 66 37 28 02; www.sudmontgolfiere.com). Paragliding is available at the nearby village of Seynes (+33 4 66 83 17 07; www.parapentesud.com). If the water’s warm, take a canoe out at Gardon (45 minutes away) – try ABC Euro canoe (+33 4 66 22 45 33) or Kayak Vert (+33 4 66 22 80 76; www.canoe-france.com/gardon). This is a great base for exploring the whole region, so day trips to Nîmes, the Camargue, Avignon or Arles are all options.

For a full list of recommended activities in Languedoc-Roussillon, check out our Languedoc-Roussillon destination guide