As a family, we’re not huge fans of sitting by the side of a pool for two weeks – making Moliets a perfect family destination.

This corner of South West France is packed with activities for families. Being on the Atlantic coast means there are great waves and wide, open beaches perfect for watersports, while the many acres of forest, reclaimed from water soaked swamps over the centuries, offer a playground for adventurous families.

We visited the area with self-catering specialist Madame Vacances, staying at the luxurious Clairiere Villas just outside Moliets, with views of the golf course and forests. Check out our review over on Who’s the Mummy for more details.

In the meantime, here are five family adventures to try if you’re visiting Moliets this summer:

A Round of Golf?

The Madame Vacances accommodation is right next to a world-class golf course, where you can sign up for lessons, or just enjoy an hour or two on the driving range. I must confess, until now, golf hadn’t been on my to-try list, but it was a lot of fun. Golf not your bag? The club also offers tennis lessons and cycle hire, so you can explore the huge network of cycle paths around the local coastline.

Take a Surf Lesson

Surfing. Moliets is incredibly close to some of the very best surf beaches in Europe and you’ll be spoiled for choice when looking for surf schools and teachers. We opted for a short 2 hour introductory lesson with Ecole de Surf du Golf, which was a lot of fun. Our instructors visited the villa ahead of the lesson to let us try on wetsuits, then met us at the beach with surf boards and plenty of enthusiasm. As a very much novice surfer, I found the level of support offered extremely reassuring, and there was always a helping hand when I needed one – which was often. My 10-year-old, in contrast, was in her element despite some high waves and strong winds.

Paddle Boarding

Paddle boarding grew out of the surfing community, but the good news is that getting – and staying – upright on a paddle board is a good deal less difficult than surfing. Paddle boarding on the enclosed, peaceful Lac Riviera was also a lot less intimidating for the more nervous members of our group, with shallow waters where you enter and leave the lake, meaning if you do fall off, getting on the board is actually pretty simple.

We spent a lovely afternoon learning the basics of paddle boarding with SUPLand. Experienced guides helped us get started and guided us across the water, meandering across the lake and down a small channel with overhanging trees and a really pretty lagoon where we rested our arms and took shelter from the fierce heat of the sun. It was such good fun, and you ARE allowed to kneel on the board, if you struggle to keep your balance. Board rental costs from €12/hr and wetsuits are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Skateboard Lessons

Confession time: I didn’t even know there was such a thing as skateboarding lessons – back in my day, you learned by falling off (a lot). But like many surf towns, there’s a thriving skate community in Moliets and local skaters are available to take lessons with youngsters. Flea and her friends headed to the local skateboard where super skater Julien Polisset offered an hour’s tuition in how to land a 180 and perfect an Ollie – there are regular sessions and clubs throughout the week, just contact the trainer for details.

High Wires

If you have children aged 5+, then it’s definitely worth visiting the Adrenalin Park at Moliets (from €10 for kids and #20 for adults).