With picturesque beaches, atmospheric towns and a relaxed vibe, this part of France proves a firm favourite for all ages, as ALISON TAYLOR discovers

WHAT A pleasant surprise to arrange a holiday and inadvertently discover somewhere so charming that you'd quite happily retire there.

This is how we felt after just a couple of days in the pretty but lively town of B©nodet in southern Brittany, nestling at the mouth of the River Odet.

Having managed to persuade our children, Emily, 14, and Ross, 13, that an outdoor, self-catering type of holiday was still the right side of cool, my husband Andy and I opted for Keycamp's La Pointe St Gilles parc, within 15 minutes' walk of the main town and next to a lovely beach.

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Our Villagrand mobile home is probably best described as "bijou", but proved sufficient for our needs.

The children were thrilled to find they each had a bedroom, perfect for shouting at one another through the wall without the actual need for one-to-one combat.

Ours was at the other end, with a kitchen and sitting room occupying the neutral territory. We settled in and bought a few basic provisions from the rather expensive on-site shop.

Emily and Ross, now a team, were keen to explore the complex and made for the pool where they discovered a lazy river and waterslides.

Within a couple of hours, they had made a posse of friends and arranged to meet up for the evening entertainment, which throughout our stay was a multi-lingual assortment of discos, karaoke and some good old-fashioned family variety shows.

There's an on-site restaurant and a takeaway but we preferred to stroll along the seafront to B©nodet, where there is a good selection of restaurants.

We particularly enjoyed Le Sans Souci which overlooked the bay and had a bustling atmosphere, attentive service and fabulous mussels.

Be warned though: every Friday night during peak season live bands perform on a stage just by the beach, belting out an eclectic blend of pop, jazz and blues which has the uncanny ability to travel quite some way.

After a couple of days, we managed to tear Emily and Ross away from the slides and their new-found friends to go exploring.

We took the coastal path east and discovered Le Letty beach, where the Odet river meets the sea.

As the tide comes in during the course of the day it joins the tributary and creates not only a natural lazy river but the perfect environment for windsurfing (which we decided was best left to the experts).

In the other direction was a smaller beach boasting a plethora of rock pools, where our two caught more crabs than they could shake a fishing net at.

Along the coastal path, past the sleepy harbour, you reach B©nodet's Old Town, with its 13th-century St Thomas Becket church and curiously monikered Le Coq lighthouse.

We headed in this direction for a change one evening, looking for something off the beaten track.

We found a quaint little pizzeria called Le Domino in Rue Kerguelen, perhaps not the most original name, but the food was fresh and the four of us ate for less than ‚¬50.

Another day, we ventured around 10 miles north to Quimper, generally regarded as the spiritual heart of Brittany.

The ancient town is a maze of picturesque, timber-clad shops, houses and art galleries.

Emily and I enjoyed a satisfying wander around the shops, admiring the local pottery, while Andy and Ross shuffled their feet.

However, they could not fail to be impressed by the Cath©drale Saint-Corentin. We found a little crªperie nearby to stop for a coffee, rest our weary feet and take in the amazing Gothic architecture.

INEVITABLY, there were a couple of days when the weather wasn't great. Keycamp had thought to provide a glass dome which could be closed to create an indoor pool for the children.

The adults were also catered for in the newly-built spa and I took the opportunity of one gloomy afternoon to have a well-deserved massage, while Andy worked off some of those baguettes at the gym.

All too soon our break was over, and we packed up the car for our 90-minute drive back to Roscoff and overnight ferry crossing to Poole.

While Emily and Ross excitedly reminisced about highlights of the holiday, Andy and I secretly planned our retirement.

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GETTING THERE Brittany Ferries (0871 244 1400/ brittanyferries.com) offers return ferry travel from Poole to Roscoff with a cabin from £378 (£94.50pp) (four passengers and car).

Keycamp (0844 406 0319/keycamp.co.uk) offers seven nights at Keycamp's La Pointe St Gilles parc from £1,044 (four sharing a three bedroom Villagrand mobile home), self-catering.

Ferry crossings and fly-drive packages can be arranged through Keycamp at a supplement.

For departure August 25, 2012.

French Government Tourist Office: 0906 824 4123/franceguide.com