WESTERN EUROPE - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 44

Cycling through the Ardèche

While there are plenty of places to stay in the
city (see W www.ot-avignon.fr) , the surrounding
region of the Ardèche is home to some hidden
gems. Canvas Chic is a large yurt camp in a
stunning setting near Mas de Serret above
the Ardèche Gorge. There are twelve yurts:
nine designed for families (with access to a
conventional tent with a kitchen) and three
intended for couples, a short walk into an oak
forest in a more secluded part of the camp. The
yurts provide the novelty, but the main feature
here is the setting: a trail from the camp leads
down the side of the gorge to an opening in the
forest and out on to La Chataigneraie beach,
where there's an idyllic natural bathing area
surrounded by towering limestone cliffs.
For higher views of the Ardèche, stay at Les
Roudils, a renovated three-room guesthouse
near the village of Jaujac in the Ardèche Hills.

The house is built of chestnut wood and stone,
heating is solar-powered and you can enjoy
views of the Tanargue Range from the terrace
over a breakfast of poached eggs, pancakes made
with chestnut flour, honey cakes and home-
made jams. There are lots of walks available to
work off that breakfast: in the valley, along the
riverbank or higher up in the hills.

Need to know For Canvas Chic ( W www.
canvaschic.com; T [phone]),
take a bus from Ardèche to Vagnas (towards
Aubenas) from where the owners can collect, by
arrangement. There is no public transport to Les
Roudils; for prices, directions and reservations
see W www.lesroudils.com; T [phone]
111. For B&Bs, holiday gîtes, hotels, restaurants
and campsites in the Ardèche as well as ideas
for where to go canoeing and riding see W www.
ardeche.com.