Stand-up paddle

Stand-up paddle has taken over a good part of the Hérault in recent years, and for good reason: the long calm reaches between one sill and the next are exactly the right terrain. The water is flat and clear, framed by cliffs, and you move silently above a bed of pebbles.

It is also the most forgiving activity of the lot. No level is required, falling in has no consequences, and you can stop anywhere along a pebble beach. Children happily ride two to a board, or sit at the front while an adult paddles. For a group with a wide spread of ages and appetites it is often the best compromise: nobody feels obliged to keep up.

Early morning is the moment, before the valley wind gets up and before the afternoon crowds. In summer the low light on the Thaurac walls is worth the alarm clock on its own. Later in the season, when the flow drops and canoeing turns into hard work, paddle remains perfectly viable, it is the natural fallback in spring and autumn.

The valley rental outfits hire inflatable boards by the hour or half day, often from the same base as the canoes. That lets you split the group without multiplying meeting points: some go downstream by canoe, others stay on the reach with a board, and everyone reconvenes at the same car park.

Bring serious sun protection and a way of securing your phone: the glare off the water is strong, and the number of phones that end up in the Hérault each summer is considerable.