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FORGET Victorian arcades or historic promenades – a seaside resort in Europe looks more like something from the future.

La Grande-Motte is a popular holiday destination with French locals.

The purpose-built seaside resort is futuristic-looking with unusual modernist buildings that look more like pyramids – in fact one is called The Great Pyramid.

It was designed by French architect Jean Balladur and constructed throughout the 1960s and 70s.

It’s considered one of Europe’s greenest resort towns, with more than 70 per cent of its area made up of trees, parks and gardens.

The triangular- shaped buildings which are a landmark of the resort are mostly residential now.

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But the area in Occitanie itself welcomes around two million tourists each year thanks to there being plenty to do.

During the summer, most visitors will flock to its coastline and La Grande-Motte has four miles of sandy beaches.

One that families will like is Plage du Point Zéro which is in the centre of the resort right by the 1960s modernist pyramid buildings.

Plage du Grand Travers is best for those looking for a more wild beach, it has sand but is backed by pine trees.

The huge 280-hectare lake called Étang du Ponant is ideal for water sports like water skiing, stand-up paddleboarding, jet skiing, parasailing and tubing.

There’s a large marina filled with sailboats, yachts and lined with pretty cafes, ice cream parlours and shops.

For those wanting to take to the water, catamaran cruises and coastal sailing trips can travel across to the Bay of Camargue.

The Camargue wetlands are known for their flamingos, white horses, and black bulls.

There’s a waterpark too called Espace Grand Bleu with both indoor and outdoor pools.

If the kids need entertaining, head to Ponant Aventure Park with a Tree-Top adventure course, zip-lining, play trails and playground.

At the seaside town are plenty of places to stay from five-star hotels, to family-friendly resorts and campsites.

One of the hotels called Hôtel Mercure La Grande Motte Port and rates start from £81.

Or the Golf Hotel from £89 which has an outdoor swimming pool, two hot tubs and a garden.

If camping is what you’d rather do then check out Maïana Resort Eurocamp with everything from swimming pools to kids clubs.

For seven-nights, this starts from £356.02 per party or £8.48pppn.

The easiest way for Brits to get to La Grande-Motte is to fly to Montpellier which can be done in less than two hours.

Fom there it’s a 40-minute drive to La Grande-Motte.

Ultrarunner Stephanie Case speaks to BBC Sport about becoming the first women to run 100 miles in Antarctica, saying that she wanted to prove to every mother in the world that ‘motherhood is not the finish line’ and that they can ‘go out and do big adventures and dream big.’

DREAMING of five-star winter sun without the five-star price tag? Check out Morocco’s wild north-west coast.

The Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort is vast. Sprawling across 250 hectares — roughly the size of 350 football pitches — it sits alongside four miles of empty and pristine Atlantic coastline.

The resort is built in the style of an ancient Moroccan citadel, with ochre- plastered walls capped with crenellated roofline and towers.

Rooms are set around central courtyards and landscaped gardens.

Long reflecting pools, marble fountains and rows of manicured palms are framed by grand horseshoe arches decorated with intricate, carved plasterwork.

With 15 restaurants and bars, an 18-hole golf course, spa and endless activities, my stay revealed a luxury hotel that comes at a surprisingly affordable price, with rooms from £145 a night.

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And you get a lot of room for your money. My spacious, modern room had fabulous ocean views with delightful Moroccan-inspired touches, including hanging lanterns flanking the king-size bed.

Sliding open the balcony doors rewards you with a sweeping panorama of the Atlantic surf crashing against the sand.

Early morning, with a sweet tea in hand, I caught sight of horses galloping along the beach.

Surf instructors were waxing down their boards and lining up life jackets ready for a day of training tourists how not to topple into the swell.

But there was no time to dawdle, with so many activities at my finger tips.

First stop was the resort’s award- winning spa for a double dose of indulgence.

I was treated to a deeply relaxing hot stones massage, followed by a traditional grand hammam ritual. Inside a glowing, marble-clad steam room, I was bathed, scrubbed and polished top-to-toe with black soap, oils and eucalyptus.

Staff said the locals insist on scrubbing down with one of these treatments at least once a week — and after seeing the glow on my own rejuvenated skin, I can certainly see why.

Suitably refreshed, it was time for some high-octane adventure.

And that’s where Mazagan feels less like a hotel and more like a high-end luxury playground.

The golf course, designed by Gary Player, is the longest in Morocco, stretching over 7,400 yards.

Then there is North Africa’s largest casino (housing 37 gaming tables and nearly 400 slot machines open 23 hours a day), a 22ft climbing wall, go-karting tracks, paintball fields, pickleball courts and more.

And at the centre of the maze of courtyards that connects the more than 400 rooms, a glistening pool invites you in for a dip — though I had barely any time to kick off my flip-flops before I was on to the next activity.

I upped the ante with a thrilling quad bike ride along the resort’s flat, wide sands, feeling the salty Atlantic spray as we neared the water’s edge before heading into the rolling sand dunes and scrubland surrounding the resorts.

On longer drives, your guides will even take you inland to zip through the neighbouring eucalyptus and pine forests that fringe the coastline.

And after some serious speed, I switched to a very different horse power with a gentle ride along the beach.

The hotel’s onsite stables are home to local barb and Arab-barb horses.

Historically bred by the North African cavalry and Berber horsemen, these magnificent beasts are sure-footed in the soft sand, calm-tempered and well-accustomed to the heat and Atlantic winds.

Heading out on to the broad, tidal flats we were soon trotting along at a fair pace on the wide open, empty sands before steering our steers towards the coastal forest trails, lined with fragrant mimosa.

All that activity means treating yourself when it comes to food and drink and Mazagan doesn’t disappoint.

Trying just a fraction of the resort’s 15 restaurants and bars, I feasted on rich, fragrant tagines, fresh seafood and mountains of velvety houmous.

Sel de Mer was an absolute highlight. Here, the catch of the day is transformed into culinary perfection.

Select your own from the fresh, tempting line-up resting on a bed of crushed ice and then choose to have it grilled on the plancha or oven-baked, served up with a choice of sauces.

For a more relaxed dining experience, the Beach Barbecue serves up freshly-grilled meats, fish and vegetables while your feet are in the sands.

Alongside the barbecue there’s a buffet of fresh salads, Moroccan cooked salads, couscous and freshly-baked flatbreads.

And for a truly Moroccan touch, Al Firma offers an open-air setting with traditional Bedouin and Berber carpets, low seating and lanterns as well as traditional tagines with vegetables from the onsite farm garden.

I topped it all off with cocktails at the Casablanca-inspired lounge bar — swathed in royal green velvet drapes and playing some live weekend jazz.

With adrenalin-charged activities alongside top-tier pampering, Mazagan delivers a great winter break option without breaking the bank.