Hidden gems in France: 11 off-the-beaten-track experiences

1. Cycle through Cap Ferret’s oyster villages

Cap Ferret on France’s Atlantic coast – not to be confused with the very glitzy Cap Ferrat on the Côte d’Azur – is a long thin peninsula that dangles between the ocean and the oyster-rich Arcachon Bay.

All along the peninsula down to the village of Cap Ferret itself are tiny villages with dozens of oyster shacks set on sandy beaches. Called villages ostréicoles, they offer simple cafés where you can feast on oysters and other seafood by the water’s edge – sometimes with your feet in the sand.

All of Cap Ferret is bike-friendly, with an extensive network of cycle paths along the peninsula. It’s one of the most pleasant ways of spending a summer’s day: cycling to lunch by the sea and checking out each village ostréicole, eating a plate of oysters, prawns and spicy espelette pepper and pork pâté, and drinking a light Bordeaux rosé before having a dip in the bay and cycling back.

2. Swim in Alpine lakes

Summer in the French Alps is divine, made even more pleasurable by lazy swims in glittering lakes surrounded by soaring mountains. While Lake Annecy is among the most alluring, its beauty naturally draws the crowds and it can get very busy in the height of the season.

Instead, try some of the lesser-known lakes, like Lac du Bourget. France’s largest natural lake, it’s where you’ll find the hidden gem of Aix-les-Bains, an elegant spa town along its eastern shores. You’ll also spot the 12th-century Hautecombe Abbey looming over the western shore along with about a dozen beaches scattered around its 44 square kilometre area.

Just to the south is the bijou Lac d’Aiguebelette, a much smaller lake that still manages to fit in numerous beaches, campsites and waterside hotels. Here the emerald waters are astonishingly clear – perfect for swimming, paddleboarding and kayaking.

3. Ride a vintage train along the Baie de Somme

France’s northern coast just east of Normandy is often overlooked, but there are quite a few gems to discover.

Facing each other across the deep Baie de Somme are the very pretty towns of St-Valéry-sur-Somme and Le Crotoy, both of which are connected by the Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme. This vintage railway trundles past the marshy landscapes of the Baie de Somme Picardy Maritime Natural Regional Park, whose marsh-fed lamb ends up on many of the restaurant menus around here. The train also carries on west to the Channel coast and the seaside town of Cayeux-sur-Mer.

Set aside plenty of time to explore St-Valéry-sur-Somme and Le Crotoy, both of which have handsome Belle Epoque architecture, long sandy beaches, attractive seaside promenades and, in St-Valéry’s case, a fascinating medieval old town with wonderful views from its ramparts.

Mussels are a major local speciality, and you’ll find restaurants offering more than 25 ways of serving them beyond the usual moules marinières.

4. Walk along Paris's Promenade Plantée

New York has its High Line aerial park, but Paris got there first with the Promenade Plantée, a 4.7km (2.9 miles) elevated park that snakes through the 12th arrondissement along a disused railway line.

You get a more intimate view of Parisian rooftops from this tranquil walkway, which starts just south of the Opéra Bastille. And if you’re in the mood to shop, you can pop down into one of the smart boutiques and galleries that are tucked into the old railway arches beneath.

Eventually the walkway comes to a halt at the Périphérique, the boulevard that encircles Paris, but carry on a bit further and you end up at the Bois de Vincennes. This massive park, even bigger than the Bois de Boulogne, is worth a few hours of leisurely exploration as you walk past four lakes and a botanical garden.

5. Go wine-tasting on the River Loire

The fertile valley surrounding France’s longest river is also home to some of the country’s most celebrated wines. Vineyard after vineyard producing sancerre, saumur, vouvray and touraine, among others, fills this gentle landscape of stately chateaux, historic towns and lush forests.

All along the Loire you’ll see traditional flat wooden boats called toues, which were used for centuries to transport goods. Nowadays they’re perfect for leisurely jaunts along the river – and even more fun when combined with a wine-tasting. Between Saumur and Angers is the riverside town of Gennes-Val-de-Loire and its Rêves de Loire boat trips offer wine-tastings in this idyllic setting.

6. Drive up Mont Ventoux

You don’t have to be a fan of the Tour de France to get a thrill at the sight of Mont Ventoux. This mighty mountain in Provence’s Vaucluse region is one of the Tour’s toughest climbs – and most notorious, thanks to the 1967 death of British cyclist Tommy Simpson, whose memorial near the summit has become a shrine.

Cyclists of all stripes regularly try to tackle this barren 1,909m (6,263ft) peak, and you can watch their efforts during a less taxing drive up the mountain from the village of Bédoin. The views at the summit span an incredible range of the Alps – and there’s a lively atmosphere as families and friends cheer on the cyclists making their arduous way to the top.

7. Escape Avignon’s crowds on the Ile de la Barthelasse

As visitors swarm around Avignon’s glorious medieval Palais des Papes, find the quieter side of this handsome city on the River Rhône by taking the little foot ferry to the hidden gem of Ile de la Barthelasse.

It’s the largest river island in Europe, and within its 700 hectares are campsites, farms, an outdoor pool and seemingly endless country lanes and cycle paths. You can hire bikes here (standard and electric) to cover even more ground and pop into some of the farm shops where they’ll sell you their own organic produce.

It’s a great spot for a picnic along the banks of the Rhône with the view of Avignon’s beautiful ruined bridge.

8. Flop on the Ile de Ré’s northern beaches

Among all of France’s islands along the Atlantic coast, Ile de Ré is one of the most captivating.

Its long sandy beaches, pretty villages of whitewashed houses and salt marshes filled with oyster beds aren’t exactly undiscovered pleasures among Francophiles. But head to the northern tip to the village of Les Portes-en-Ré to be surrounded by seemingly endless sandy beaches, the Lilleau des Niges nature reserve and the fragrant Aleppo pines of the Trousse-Chemise and Lizay forests.

It’s all connected by a network of footpaths and cycle tracks that makes it so much more fun to explore.

9. Ride an electric bike in the Luberon

The mellow rolling hills of the Luberon are some of France’s dreamiest landscapes. All those hilltop villages beg to be explored, and a bike is one of the most rewarding ways to get to know this enchanting region.

If you’re not quite up to tackling those hills, an electric bike can make it so much more pleasurable. You still have to pedal, but the bike’s battery will propel you upwards with ease. Start in Bonnieux with an e-bike from Sun-e-Bike, which has routes and pit stops in the region’s loveliest villages, where you can exchange a used battery for a fresh one.

10. Visit the 'martyred village' of Oradour-sur-Glane

One of France’s most haunting memorials to the Second World War is relatively unknown outside the country, but it’s one of the most visceral.

On 10 June 1944, the Limousin village of Oradour-sur-Glane was the scene of one of the Nazis’ most brutal civilian massacres when the entire village was slaughtered and set on fire.

Although a new village was built beside it after the war, President de Gaulle insisted that the original village be left as it was as a village martyr – complete with burnt-out houses, cars and shops. It’s an eerie, poignant and unforgettable sight.

11. Watch the Fête de la Transhumance in St-Rémy-de-Provence

The French have a genius for turning anything into a festival, and the annual springtime migration of sheep to the Alps is no exception.

The exquisite Provençal town of St-Rémy-de-Provence becomes a sea of animals as 3,000 sheep and goats are paraded through the streets before being herded up to La Petite Crau, a plateau overlooking the town.

It’s an astonishing and incredibly lively spectacle, and it’s all topped with a massive banquet on La Petite Crau. Eventually the animals will be transported to the Alps, where cool green Alpine meadows – instead of hot, dried-out lowlands – become their pastures until the autumn.