Futuroscope is the second most visited theme parc in France (after Euro Disney) and yet, it seems to me, most British families know nothing about it.

The parc is unlike anything I’m aware of in the UK; essentially it uses Imax cinema technology to show films that put you at the heart of incredible events and bring to life amazing experiences.

There are more than 30 attractions to explore, with several that are brand new for 2010.

Hurricane on the Bayou – New for 2010
Hurricane on the Bayou is a thrilling story and a musical celebration of New Orleans that teaches about the importance of preserving wetlands and ecosystems.

The gigantic images on the 9,700-ft² dome screen take viewers deep into the Louisiana heartland. When the Mississippi was diverted, New Orleans was able to spread out into new zones, but doing so has resulted in massive coastal erosion. The damage to its bayous and wetlands, once natural hurricane defences, has been such that New Orleans finds itself at increasing risk from cyclones, as witnessed by the devastating effect of Hurricane Katrina.

Brush with Genius – New for 2010
This is a moving journey to the sources of the Van Gogh’s inspiration for his work. Images on the 6,500ft² screen give viewers a new perspective on his art, and makes the film an original sensory experience.

Arthur, the 4D Adventure
Arthur, the 4D Adventure from Luc Besson (director of The Fifth Element, Leon, and The Big Blue) takes the audience into the make-believe world of the Minimoys. The full array of image technologies (3D modelling, large-format IMAX 3D images, motion simulator and physical effects in the theatre) and the creative flair seen in the Minimoys world thrust visitors on a roller coaster ride of excitement and thrills.

The Future is Wild – New version 2009
Darwin’s theory of evolution throws light on how species evolved in the past, and is the inspiration for Futuroscope’s imaginative look into the future. Our visitors climb aboard expedition vehicles for an interactive augmented-reality adventure, where, kitted out with camera-binoculars and sensor bracelets, they will meet and interact with animals that could be roaming the planet millions of years from now.

Cosmic Collisions – New for 2009
This spectacular, immersive and instructive show from the American Museum of Natural History, narrated by Robert Redford, takes visitors on a breathtaking journey through time and space to witness the cosmic smashes that shape the universe. The scientific images shown on the dome screen were taken by NASA satellites and modelled to simulate cosmic phenomena in 3D.

Fly Me to the Moon, new in 2009
Be a fly on the wall inside the first moon shuttle in Fly Me to the Moon and live an incredible adventure with three stowaways.

Stay at Les Charmettes, La Pignade and Bonne Anse Plage for best access to Futuroscope.

Christophe performed his song with an 18-piece symphony orchestra, as part of rehearsals for the classical music concert, which takes place each year on the beach at Royan.

The Equinoxe bar at Les Charmettes was transformed into a rehearsal room for world famous performers including Nemanja RADULOVITCH (violin), Vanessa WAGNER (piano) and Janja VULETIC (mezzo).

Les Charmettes, La Pignade and Bonne Anse Plage are sponsors of the prestigious event.

�

The frogs are out in Charente Maritime, which local tradition decrees is a sign that August will be hot (this method seems at least as accurate as the Met Office!)

Indeed, Charente Maritime is officially the sunniest part of France after the south coast, so a holiday here is sure to shine.

We still have accommodation at La Pignade holiday parc in August. For a family, staying seven nights from 14 August, accommodation with Dover/Calais ferries is available from just £1,145.

Slightly further north is the Vendée, which is also looking promising according to weather forecasts, hitting highs of 29oC in the next few days. A seven night stay at Le Bois Dormant for a family from 10 August is available from £1,121 with Dover to Calais ferries.

And there’s still a smattering of availability of the south coast, where it will be hot, hot, hot.

Le Montourey on the Côte d’Azur has two-bedroom holiday homes from 18 August, with prices from £1,038 for a family with Dover to Calais ferries.

Tourers can also find a deal on the south coast, with Les Sables du Midi on Languedoc offering pitches for seven nights from 14 August for just £482, with Dover/Calais ferries included.

So don’t pack away thoughts on burnt sausages and black burgers just yet, you can still enjoy a barbecue summer.

The siblu Summer Sale runs from 8 to 22 June and features siblu parcs in regions including Normandy, the Vendée and the Côte d’Azur.

We are selling the last of our capacity for the summer, so if you can be flexible on your departure date and destination, there are some really good late deals.

For example, La Pignade siblu parc in Charente Maritime has its own horse-riding school where pupils can trek through the nearby La Coubre forest to the golden sands of Plage du Galon d’Or. A seven-night August holiday at La Pignade starts from only £805 for a top of the range three-bedroom holiday home when booked during the Summer Sale, saving £428. Price includes Dover to Calais ferries and is based on 1 August departure.

Domaine de Kerlann, one of the largest and best-equipped holiday parcs in southern Brittany, is opening a 65m dry-ski slope and two toboggan runs from 8 July to 8 August. During the Summer Sale a seven-night holiday starts from just £749 for a large three-bedroom holiday home, departing 1 August; a saving of £392. Return Dover to Calais ferry crossings are included.

Even Cote d’Azur sunshine holidays are included in siblu’s Summer Sale. A seven night break at Le Montourey holiday parc on the outskirts of Frejus, a favourite beachside resort for French families, starts from just £749 for a three-bedroom holiday home from 8 August, saving an incredible £518. This price includes return Dover to Calais ferries.

Families can snap up some incredible bargains at a wide selection of siblu parcs. To see the full list of parcs and dates, go to the siblu website.

You can save even more money by buying the siblu EuroVouchers to use for spends on the parcs. Each EuroVoucher has an exchange rate of 1.25€, better than any other provider, and can be used in on-parc bars, restaurants, shops, and with selected activity providers.

Last year La Pignade — our holiday parc in Ronce-les-Bains, in the sunshine department of Charente Maritime — launched an equestrian centre (Caliper Ronçois) with pony and horse riding tours through the picturesque La Coubre forest, and along the Plage du Galon d’Or.

The tours have quickly become a favourite of siblu customers and locals too, which is a sure sign of their popularity. These aren’t just short jaunts around a local field: they include night treks through the forest and day-long hiking expeditions to explore a wide range of scenery and spot local wildlife.

Looking through these pictures from La Pignade, you get a sense of just how picturesque the tours are. La Coubre forest was planted in the 17th century to stabilise the region’s sand dunes, and the many pines now shelter a red squirrels, goats, deer, boar and foxes, and incredibly rich and varied vegetation.

One of the most popular elements of La Pignade’s riding school is the half-day training course for children and adults, which combines riding and horse care to give a broader view of what goes into looking after horses.

Of course, the ponies and horses get their free time too. They are resident at La Pignade and stay in the parc’s own slice of La Coubre forest, where they can be visited when they’re not taking part in tours and care courses.

This is a great way to learn to ride, in relaxed, scenic surroundings. There are beginner and advanced lessons from 17€, with pony walks from 5€, coastal hikes from 50€ and full-day horse care courses from 40€.

The theme parc, which is the second largest in France, uses a combination of films on giant cinema screens that appear above your head, below your feet and all around to give you a sense of flying, racing and rushing across incredible landscapes or through the seas. You’ll meet dinosaurs, incredible vessels and even giant robot hands that spin you round to a rock-and-roll rhythm. And if all that sounds too energetic, there are many more sedate activities when you need a breather.
�
Of the new attractions, stand outs include The Blue Note Mystery Evening Show, a musical fairytale which blends giant images on water screens, special effects, lasers and lights; Cosmic Collisions, which is a film about the cosmic crashes that our shaping the universe, shown on a dome screen so the images appear above and all around you; and Fly Me To The Moon, a 3D film shown on a giant Imax screen, about three flies who space-hop on to the legendary Apollo 11 moon flight.

I love Futuroscope precisely because there is so much to interact with, and because it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen in the UK. It’s well worth a day-trip if you’re travelling to France’s west coast.

Free football tournaments: 12 siblu parcs are introducing free siblu soccer tournaments for all ages. These will be free events that will run three times every week through July and August. There will be two tournaments organized by age group, and parents will be able to show off their dazzling soccer skills by taking part in games for 14s and over.

New horse riding lessons: For those who prefer stirrups to kick ups, La Pignade in Charente Maritime (recently named the sunniest region on the Atlantic coast) is launching horse-riding lessons through the forests of Charente Maritime. La Pignade is introducing a pony school for children in July and August. Three hours tuition will cost just €25 per person.

Pirate Pong: There is a new baddy at siblu’s free children’s clubs, with Pirate Pong part of the action for the first time in 2009. Siblu’s kids’ clubs provide activities as diverse as fashion shows to sumo wrestling and are organized around different age groups.

Well, France’s weather service recently reported on the phenomenen and confirmed that the region really does have its own micro-climate.

By measuring the hours of sunshine across France, they concluded that the stretch of coast just north of La Rochelle to Royan, so taking in siblu’s Les Charmettes, La Pignade and Bonne Anse Plage holiday parcs, is the sunniest on the Atlantic coast.

The reason for this is given as a clash of weather systems from Mediterranean and Scandinavia climates.

The report finds that the area averages more than 2,000 hours of sunshine every year, which isn’t quite enough to keep pace with the Mediterranean regions of Languedoc and the Cote d’Azur.

But at the risk of repeating myself: Charente Maritime has its own micro-climate that makes it the sunniest region on the Atlantic coast.

Three cheers for micro climates!