Animals - Sigean Game Reserve (75 minutes) is probably best saved as a cloudy-day activity unless you are blessed with air-conditioning as you drive among the lions, bears, ostriches etc. 
     
Golf - beautiful golf courses are to be found in Saint Thomas (Béziers), Mazamet, Carcassonne and Cap d'Agde. The course of Cap d'Agde lies in the middle of a pine wood, at only two minutes from the beach. There are 18 holes with 72 par. If desired, you can use a shorter course of 9 holes. The really splendid 18 holes par 70 course of Golf de Mazamet lies just after St. Pons. 
   

Kayaking/Canoe - available at Cessenon (04 67 89 61 65) and Roquebrun (04 67 89 52 92) both about half an hour away. 

Everyone who has braved the rapids in a canoe on the River Orb has described it as one of their best-ever holiday activities. 
   
  Markets - every French town has a market day and Saint Chinian has two, on Sunday and on Thursday morning. The one of Sunday ios the best and the largest - you should try the "poulet roti": the most delicious grilled chicken of the world! The market of Saint Pons is held on Wednesdays. 
    
  Nature Walks - there are various walks in the surroundings of Maison Nouic, of varying degrees of length and difficulty. The GR77 crosses Pardailhan, you can first take this route and combine it later on with a shorter local one.  
           
Horseriding  - at a 15 minute distance from Maison Nouic you can ride horses. You can rent the horses and ride for hours through the beautiful landscape of the Hérault. 
     
  Regional products - the council at Bize-Minervois have been good enough to dam the river in the centre of town and it's a great spot for a riverside picnic and dip. 

Bize is also home to l'Oublio where you can taste olive oil and get all the presents you'll need to take home.  
    
Beach at Valras Plage  (45 minutes)  - a beautiful beach if you ignore all the commercial stuff behind it. It's also the nearest beach.  Arrive early to find a parking space and take an umbrella or some sort of shade because like all beaches in the region there is no natural shade at all and it can get very hot. Valras Plage tends to be very busy in the height of summer, mainly because of the vast number of bars, restaurants 
and faciIities. For quieter beaches, head towards Sète.
   
Water Attraction Park - Aqualand at Cap d'Agde (70 minutes). 

Children love it but beware, it gets very busy. 

You should set off in time to arrive before it opens at 9.30 am and head straight for the best rides (The Black Hole and Colorado are the scariest).

 
   
Swimming - in the rock-pools at Gorge d'Heric (35 minutes) is a sure-fire family favourite. Park at the start of the gorge and walk up as far as you can without expiring. A perfect place for a picnic.
       
More information about several activities will be displayed in Maison Nouic.