It was an act born out of desperation. Just three days into our stay in the Dordogne, our teenage daughter and the friend she had brought on holiday with her decided enough was enough.

The two of them spent an hour getting themselves dolled-up in their best regalia and then staggered down the steep hillside on their wedges and on to the bar in the local village.

They were watched by a bemused audience of families staying in the collection of gites overlooking the pretty village of Carlux, and God only knows what the barman in the local made of the glamorous duo decked out in all their finery.

An hour later they returned back up the steep hill to report that the nightlife where we were staying had failed to pass muster.

It would be fair to say that the two of them were less than impressed with the quality of nightlife on offer in this beautiful and tranquil corner of France.

However, if you are looking for some peace and quiet complete with great food, breathtaking scenery and plenty of stunning chateaux and pretty medieval towns and villages, then the Dordogne is the place for you.

Thanks to yet another terrible British summer, it seems that the English love affair with France still has some way to run despite the strength of the euro, the cost of petrol and the never-ending tales of economic doom and gloom.

We are lucky enough to live in the Wye Valley, and the lush scenery and steep river valleys of the Dordogne had a very familiar feel for us, but the comparison ends there.

For one thing, the area enjoys a climate that sees plenty of sunshine without the blistering heat of the Mediterranean.

The village of Carlux is situated a 10-minute drive from the river and roughly halfway between the towns of Souillac and Sarlat, the lovely capital of the Perigord region.

Our little collection of holiday homes came with a small swimming pool and two playgrounds, and a television set which mysteriously remained under lock and key for most of the visit.

The accommodation and setting of the gites were pretty much perfect, and if you want a holiday away from the rat race and all its trappings then this is the place for you.

Many of the families around us were returning for the second or third time and couldn't get enough of what the area has to offer.

It is a great place for stressed-out mums and dads to bring small children for a relaxing break.

Although the pool was quite small it was heated, and there was no wearisome fight for sun-loungers, with plenty to go round for everyone.

After dusk most guests – our youngsters excluded – were happy to spend the candlelit evenings sipping wine, reading a book or simply taking in the stunning night sky.

But the beauty of the region is that there is so much to do that you could go sightseeing pretty much every day and still not get around to see everything. The area around Sarlat is packed with fairytale chateaux set in stunning locations, pretty old towns and prehistoric caves.

If that is not enough, there is the river itself and the dozens of operators offering canoe hire.

With just a week to spend in the area, we opted for the obvious tourist hotspots, with plenty of help and advice from the owner of the gites.

Less than an hour's drive away was the beautiful Rocamadour – a medieval town complete with a castle and stunning abbey built into the towering cliff walls.

Rocamadour has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries and has witnessed the coronation of several French kings, and is a definite must on any visitor's list of things to do.

The walled village of Domme is also well worth the trip if only to take in the sweeping views down the river valley from one of the terraced cafes. We also paid a visit to one of the many caves in the area and spent an afternoon at a terrifying obstacle course set high up in the trees a few miles from Sarlat. Needless to say, the kids loved it while the adults struggled round the various zipwires and death-defying obstacles.

Sarlat – another pretty ancient town – came alive at night with lots of cafes, restaurants and bars, along with street entertainers entertaining the crowds in the main square.

But, for all of us, the highlight of the trip was the afternoon spent on the river in a canoe. Every bend in the river revealed yet another enchanting view of a castle or pretty bridge.

Here we saw the imposing Castlenaud chateau and the perfect village of La Roque Gageac, which is built into the cliff face and has its own castle. All the hire companies give you plenty of time to take a break by the side of the river to enjoy a picnic before collecting you and returning you to the car.

After spending a week in the Dordogne, the kids got their turn for fun at a busy campsite on the coast, but I for one want to go back to this lovely and relatively unspoilt corner of France.

Factfile

Mike Ribbeck and his family travelled by Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth to Caen, one of their five mile-saving routes to France.

They have a wide choice of sailings from Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth, and you can save time by crossing overnight, taking a high-speed ferry across in just two and a quarter hours, or enjoying a relaxing day crossing on board a luxury cruise-ferry. Check for offers and book at wwww.brittanyferries.co.uk or call 0871 244 1400.

Mike and family booked their accommodation through the Holiday France Direct website: www.holidayfrancedirect.co.uk

Prices start from as little as £150 a week in low season.