Forest, coast & hot tub at family cabin in Hardelot France

There’s something about being surrounded by wood that brings instant calm and does wonders for wellbeing – and a dose of that is sometimes just what the family needs, all together in nature and glorious isolation.

Nestling amongst the birds and the soaring pines, the striking thing about La Cabane at Bain de Forêt is its unusual angular shape, plus the fact that it’s on stilts giving you some lovely treehouse vibes too. It was in fact a self-build project for friendly owners Guillaume and Juliette who, after leaving the city behind, had a vision for making Hardelot their forever home and creating two stunning cabins on their land.

There’s a double room for you, plus a cosy little room for the kids complete with bunk beds they’ll love. When you’re unpacking in there, we hope you made sure that their swimming togs were on the top of the pile because once they’ve spotted that hot tub they won’t be able to get in there quickly enough (in fact, at 39 delicious degrees, you’ll be straight in there too). It’s not all they’ll have their beady eyes on either: check out the huge hanging net to chill out on like a hammock – a perfect place to read them a story.

Of course, it’s not all about the kids – it’s your weekend too and you most certainly don’t want to be running round just as if you were at home. Let’s simplify food, for starters: although there’s a super well-equipped kitchen, why not make the most of the fact that local restaurant Le Régina offers a delivery service to the cabin, meaning that you can enjoy top notch French food without even having to leave these lovely four walls (or should we say three?). If on the other hand you prefer the idea of eating out, the seaside resort of Hardelot has plenty of great eateries, including ‘Kitsch’, a retro brasserie frequented by Guillaume and Juliette, who recommend the homemade burgers.

After a great night’s sleep care of the forest, a breakfast of fresh croissants, fresh bread, yoghurt, cheese, eggs, hot drinks, milk and local apple juice is delivered in a lovely hamper, setting you up for a day’s exploring. Kick that off with a walk to the beach (Juliette will share her charming secret route with you), an ice cream from “Vanille Fraise" (the absolute best in town), and a visit to Nausicaa where you can touch ray fish, immerse yourselves in the high seas, and learn about the future of the world’s oceans.

And one last thing to put the finishing touches to your perfect family weekend away: before you head back home over the Channel, experience the famous cliffs at Cap Gris Nez and Cap Blanc Nez – let’s just say ‘seeing is believing’!