Independent Campsite Reviews

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Well had a totally fantastic time. 12 in our party from 4 - 14. All had things to do.

Was annoyed at the strict pool opening and closing times. However, despite that a great location.

The near by beaches and town are great, would be there tomorrow.

BTW the evening entertainment was great fun!!!!

Travelled with 3 boys aged 15, 13 and 9 at end of June 2010. They had a brilliant holiday and as a result so did my husband and myself. The boys made loads of friends, loved the sports pitch, the pool, the water slides and the bikes. They even loved the entertainment which to be honest wasn't great. It felt really safe.

Negatives: sports pitch closed at 10pm in June, pool closed at 6pm in June, wine in bar though cheap was awful, also they used their hands to put ice cubes into drinks glasses (yeuch!).

We have already booked to return at same time next year.

Visited this site in August this year with two children aged 12 and 8. Had a fantastic time. Pool complex was excellent, good choice of slides for the kids but had to get to pool for 10am when it opened to get a sunbed. Beach at rear of site was a marsh, picturesque and ok for fishing but not suitable for a day out. However, plenty of excellent beaches nearby.

Good supermarket, butchery and fishmonger on site, a little pricey though, as were the bar prices but that was kind of to be expected. The drinks prices were not a problem as we only went at the end of the night for a couple.

Entertainment enjoyed by the children but nothing special.

Brilliant cycle path at rear of site connecting you to nearby beaches. Definitely take your bikes if you can. Kids did, but we didn't and bicycle hire is quite expensive.

Definitely visit La Rochelle if you can, which is beautiful. Kids enjoyed the aquarium as well which was brilliantly laid out. Zoo in la Palmyre is also worth a visit. My only concern was that some of the enclosures were a little on the small side. But plenty of opportunity to get up close and feed a lot of the animals.

We had no problems with noise. We were in a caravan in the corner of the site. May be a different story if you were in a tent. Noticed a few older teenagers heading off to rear of site with booze late at night. But personally, didn't encounter any problems.

All in all, a good holiday. Would definitely return.

Just found this review site while booking this years holiday at Bonne Anse Chalets. This will be our 3rd year in a row and we are all looking forward to it, there is enough on the site for us all to enjoy.

Upon arrival we were shown around and everything explained about the mobile we stayed in, and then if we had any problems/questions throughout our stay we always got a friendly and quick response.

The kids (aged 8, 9, 17 and 20 yrs) love the site, the football pitch is favourite followed closely by the pool, both are popular but never over crowded and a great way for the kids to make friends.

The entertainment was better some nights than others, the foam party was the best night of the holiday, great fun had by us all,and finished at 11.00pm which is reasonable for a family site and the bar closed an hour later.

Due to the pound not being worth much against the euro we only ate on the site once and it was good quality and value but the rest of the time we self catered,including a lot of use of the available barbeque.

The weather was great, apart from the storm on the morning we left, and we are all looking forward to going back again this year .

1 category for foreigners, good pitches.

2 category for the French, pathetic pitches.

Toilet blocks more of the standard of a 4-star, dirty, mouldy porcelain.

Facilities for washing up were repugnant with old dirt.

Campsite to be avoided at all costs.

Have just returned having stayed in 7 berth mobile home with Bonne Anse Chalets - Agree with previous remarks about noise at night - even with children aged 13 and 15 it got a bit much as entertainment was amateurish and loud. Loved the freedom of being able to cycle off site straight to beach, watersports etc. Pitches very small and shady. Fair bit of car traffic owing to very complicated one way system in operation - and traffic was still moving around site after midnight which was rather off-putting. Would think twice before returning.

We've just come back from this campsite. It was brilliant four youngsters (17-18). In the morning, you get up, have a game of pétanque, afternoon go to the pool or the beach (but you need to go a bit further, as the closest one is rubbish). In the evening, go watch the entertainment, very good evenings.

The lights go out around 11.30-midnight, and afterwards all the youngsters go to the beach to chat and get to know each other.

Shame that the food is expensive.

p.s. We're going back next year.

Had a good holiday here. Pool appealed to children of different ages. Good entertainment at night and lots of children of different ages - all mixed well so teenagers found friends to meet with at night. Great cycle routes to the nearest village and lovely beach - very flat. All in all a good experience.

We returned to this campsite in August 2008 (see prev review Aug 2006). Unfortunately it has been bought by Siblu who are gradually turning it into more of a Butlins / Haven type camp rather than a French campsite [Hardly surprising: Siblu is Haven Europe - Webmaster]. Such a shame as we loved it before. We still had a good time and luckily we were in one of the quieter / bigger plots near the far edge of the site rather than near to the centre where they are crammed in and get all the noise. It's changed towards money making from relaxed and the clientele has also changed for the worse. We spent every evening at the relaxing bar last time where the boys could play boules, table tennis etc but not this time. Evening entertainment every night - just not our thing - and the boules pitches have been taken out to fit lots of chairs in for the "shows". Still have the games room and table tennis but the boys had more hassle from older kids than before (in the same way as they did at a Siblu site in 2007 - funny that). They're very confident, outgoing lads but at 9 and 6 were just too young to hold their own with the type of teenagers on this site; very rare for them even with older kids. Still had a great time but went off site most evenings and did lots of cycling to the fantastic beaches. With the increase in vans and expansion it just made it very difficult for younger kids to get a game of footie or pool etc (also no tennis courts). The pools / slides were great still although we only popped in at the end of the day to avoid the crowds. We won't go back to this site which is such a shame as we love the area but will be sticking to Castels sites from now on.

We visited this site nearly two years ago and are returning this year. Our only concern this year is that the pitches for tents are apparently a lot smaller than the online brochure suggests!!! We will no doubt find out.

We had a lovely time. The park is large, but with a laid back atmosphere. Very near to some lovely beaches. Definitely take bikes if you can. Thought the bar prices, food, on site markets and cycle hire were on the pricey side but no more so than all the other parks at home and abroad. The kids (ages 5, 7 and 9) loved the pool and I agree with other reviews, it was very busy but again no more so than most other holiday sites in August. The very fact that we are returning (and bringing friends this time) I think says it all.

Have a great holiday everyone, wherever you go!

I loved it, but the shower cubicles constantly smelled of urine, and if your pitch was close to the muddy beach, you had drug users a few nights keeping everyone up on the other side of the fence.

Prices in supermarket on location also quite high.

Pool fab, slides fab, surrounding area lovely lovely lovely, pity this outways the horrible shower facilities. They were washed out constantly, but no proper chemicals used to get rid of the smells. These blocks were so old they should have been knocked down and rebuilt to move into the 21st Century.

Just come back from this site. It has been bought by Siblu in the past year. There are a lot of rules - fair enough but not consistent in upholding them. They have put on entertainment which was so loud it could have been in our van - on asking for it to be turned down a notch or two (bear in mind first week had been good) were told tough! We have two toddlers 2 and 3 years - as you can imagine five nights of no sleep, we were all a bit tetchy...grinning from stress - not ideal for holiday.

Siblu finally did act and normality was returned. Site is great apart from that, pools well staffed, and great for all the family. Worth staying, but not ideal for toddlers more for older children, 7+ all of those we met who had children that age were having a ball.

Do not stay with Keycamp though, run by inexperienced teenagers..and siblu have no time for the couriers...so you don't get a lot of joy from that front...enjoy

Pitches are ok if you have one with electricity. The toilet blocks are clean and the water is hot. The pool is cold, and suffers from exposure to the wind.

The beach looks onto an old muddy pool.

The tariffs are exorbitant, and everything is extra. Activities non-existent.

The only interest in this campsite is the water slides for the children, and the cycle track close by.

Have visited Bonne Anse 4 times, but never going back. Quite simply, we have outgrown it. Our children are now teenagers and after 11pm it's lights out. Moved after a week to another site nearby, Palmyre Loisirs which has evening entertainment every night. We took 4 teenagers, 13, 17 and 2 x 15 year olds and they were bored. The pool is nice, but you have to go thru showers first, like you had foot and mouth, even if you only wanted to sunbathe. The pool attendants are very strict and regularly give you a one day ban if you go down the slides 2 at a time. (okay, I know it's silly but we are talking teenage boys here!) The site owner and his wife are very dismissive and not at all friendly. The shop is expensive (12 euros for a cooked chicken) and the bar staff could be friendlier. Last visited 4 years ago and do not remember it like this, but kids were younger then and had different needs. Fine if you want a quiet time. The "disco" shuts at 11pm and you cannot even stay at the bar. The entertainment schedule is poor. If you have teenagers, give it a miss.

Excellent campsite. Well maintained with very friendly staff. The children enjoyed riding freely round the site. The nationalities and types of residency were extremely well mixed. Our Eurocamp mobile home was bordered by French, Dutch and Italian campers, and French and German residents of mobile homes. The pool area was excellent and plenty to keep children amused. Lots of places within easy cycle reach, even for somebody who is unfit. We will certainly visit the campsite again.

We spent two weeks at this campsite in July 2007, and will never go there again.

To summarise, the only interesting feature is the set of water-slides, that our children really appreciated.

Amongst all the 4-star campsites we have visited with our children, this was amongst the most expensive, and you could, logically, expect a corresponding level of services.

Their website is well done, and we fell under the spell, but once we arrived, things were different, and we were immediately disenchanted.

Whether at the bar, at the reception, or in the small shops on site, you very quickly feel that it's only money that counts here.

Welcoming your tourists at least demands a minimum of contact and friendliness.

Here, there is none. The supposed activity team is neither welcoming nor warm, and not even polite.

Perhaps it's because they have no activities?

Expect to be seriously bored in the evenings, and if you come with teenagers, it will be very disappointing for them.

It's a dead campsite, where nothing happens.

It's more like a dormitory for tourists.

The beach is indeed close by, but it has only mud.

Exclusiveness of this campsite: the mobile homes are close together, and face each other. Privacy guaranteed!

I think that foreign tourists are better served with entertainment, by virtue of having reserved activities.

These comments are as impartial as possible, and are only intended to avoid other holidaymakers messing up their holidays.

A single visit in summer 2007. Pool area very good, except for the beach round the pool which was too small. Immense campsite. International clientele: English, German, Dutch. Very variable pitch quality, sometimes really poor for the price. Accommodation was clean, but poorly equipped. No electric coffee maker, poor quality crockery. Nearest beach is mud. Take the bike to find a proper beach. Fortunately, there are plenty of cycle routes. Very few flowers, except at reception. Managers didn't smile much, and seemed to care little for their clients. The bin lorry will wake you in the morning. Snack bar staff poorly motivated. Not enough washing machines. Theft of washing from the dyers. We'll not be coming back: poor quality for the price.

One on top of the other, ridiculous pitches in every sense (proximity, placement, view...), toilet facilities very poor from the point of view of cleanliness, non-existent beach, the four stars are justified only by the pool which the kids like. It's a bit expensive for an hour's swimming.

Visited the last week of the school hols August 2006. Great campsite with excellent pool complex which always had space for a swim. Water a bit cold though! Stayed with Canvas and had a huge plot which I think was actually 2 plots and a lovely van. Evenings were perfect for us as the boys (7 & 4 at the time) could play mini golf, boules, table tennis and pool all within 100 metres of us in the bar. A definite end of season feel to it but we were actually pleased when the teenagers and older kids started disappearing and the place quietened down. Only downside was that there were no other kids in the kids club by midweek so we wouldn't go here at this time of year once the boys get older. We stayed in Brittany in May half term and that was much busier. Bar & restaurant staff were fine for me. I speak French but they never did back! My husband thought they were a bit rude but it was his first experience of the French! Boys loved it. We cycled a lot and the cycle paths are fantastic. Beach was the best I've been to in France and I've been all over, you just need to do a bit of exercise and cycle for 10 mins to the best bit - not hard at all. Weather mixed but we're back to the same area for August 2007 so that says a lot.

Visited in July 2006. Two families of 5, children ranging from 2 to 13. We took our own caravan and I found our pitch was much bigger than we would get in Britain. Toilets and showers were hosed down several times a day and we found them always clean. Other family hired a caravan from Eurocamp and found the caravan wasn't as clean as they would have liked, however the site itself was nice. Very expensive to buy food (but isn't that always the case?) Bar closed at 11pm prompt and at 11.30 were hosing the place down. The pool was great, very clean. As a whole, we enjoyed the site. The beach accessed from the campsite is more a mudflat, however a mile either side are lovely beaches, one a surfing beach and the other flat waves. Parking is free which is excellent. Prepare for hike over a huge dune if you go for the Cote Sauvage beach, but worth it once your over. All the kids loved the site, never bored. Quite a mixture of cultures, English, dutch, Irish. All mixed well. I would go back

A busy but spotless site. We found staff friendly in the shops and restaurant but then we tried to use the language. We noticed many still didn't!! The bar is expensive and service at the bar could be a bit slow but the roving staff were very efficient. The games room becomes a teenage mecca in the evening but the only noise was as the disco ended and the refuse lorries at 8am each morning!! We found our bikes very useful and with reasonable security precautions experienced no difficulty.

The beaches are rolling once you have climbed the dunes but the nearest bay is definitely for sunbathing or games only - not bathing!

We felt the site was fairly represented in our brochure!

Emplacements were quite small and very close together which meant there was little privacy.

We had 2 bikes stolen - the campsite did not warn us about this but it did appear to be a common problem when we spoke to other campers.

The people in reception, restaurant and shops were often quite rude - very dismissive and definitely making it feel that we were tolerated rather than welcomed.

The pool was large and the slides were popular with the kids but very little area space to relax near the pool.

The toilet areas looked very basic for independent campers.

The best beaches were at least minutes cycle away along pleasant (but busy) cycle tracks. The walking distance beach is not pleasant at all although popular with teenagers at night.

The approach roads to the site were very congested at most times - best to bring or hire bikes. There is a good network of cycle tracks to access the local area. Do take bikes but beware of theft.

Have just returned from a very nice stay. Pool area very clean and patrolled by life-guard who was strict on no running, dive-bombing etc. Waterchutes good - enjoyed by our children aged 10 & 12, and mum and dad too! There is mini-golf, a climbing wall, bungee trampolining, boules, and a multi-sports area. All flood-lit, so good for evening entertainment for the children after a nice barbeque! You can get to the 'beach' from the campsite, but it is an inlet and when tide is out, just mud. It is nice for a walk along the sand though. The zoo along the road is great! We also went to Ile d'Oleron - very pretty. You can take boat trips to Fort Boyard from the harbour. There is a mini supermarket on site, as well as baker and butcher, and a laundrette. You can also hire bikes, and there are lots of marked, safe, cycle tracks.

I am a mother of four. The children are delighted by the facilities provided: pool, mini golf, trampoline etc. The activities are numerous, and following the review that said they were non-existent, I cannot agree: you do have to want to find out about them, and to participate.

The managers of the campsite listen to their campers, and also get involved to develop the campsite to bring comfort and tranquillity.

A continuous watch is kept to ensure peace after midnight, and to correct any transgression.

Numerous services are available to campers, such as: bakery, supermarket, caterer, bar/restaurant, which allowed us to find what we needed without having to leave the site, which avoided a formidable expedition for me.

Come and take a look, it's a great place in a very pleasant setting.

We have been to Bonne Anse three years in a row. It is a large but we always go in June. We have commented that during the high season that it probably gets very busy, which is not so suitable for our 6 and 4 year old. Both the boys love it - particularly the pool, which is clean and well maintained. The surrounding area is lovely, with great cycle paths and walks. Ile de Oléron and Ile de Ré are definitely worth a visit as well as the aquarium at La Rochelle and the zoo in Palmyre. Would return but feel we should explore another area of France!!

The campsite was very nice and not too big - very easy to find your way around. The pool is lovely - very clean - everyone has to pass through a shower to get to it. Not too busy and very easy to get a chair etc. The bar area was adequate but the staff were not very friendly......the Eurosites staff on the other hand were super.

The lights were switched off at 2300 every night even if you were in the middle of a boules game!! No noise was heard from the bar area at all. the site gates close at eleven sharp and thereafter you car goes in the night car park so it is still secure.

We had a static caravan which was great - lots of space and the pitches well spaced out. The nearest beach is at la Palmyre just down the road, which is fantastic - lovely golden sand and lifeguards on the beaches.

We had a fantastic holiday but a lot of the French people made it auite obvious that they did not like the English......unfortunate as without tourism in this area they would be at a loss.

The zoo in la Palmyre is a must - brilliant day out for everyone - also another must is the aquarium in La Rochelle.

For eating out, go into Royan and the many restaurants along the sea front - we tried many all as good as each other. The local restaurants on the road from the site tend to be a little expensive.

Since our last visit to France and the introduction of the Euro everything has gone up heaps - petrol wine etc are all now on a par with home.

Super campsite, spacious and very pleasant. Every year we wake with joy to share our breakfast with the squirrels. We can't wait for this summer.

For me, this site was too big. In fact our 14 year old son got lost there on his second day and couldn't find his way back to our pitch. The quality and aspect of the pitches was variable, some were nice and some were awful. We asked to be moved after one night on our first pitch. Throughout the site one could hear noise every night until after midnight. I found the dish washing area was frequently not as clean as it should have been.

The kids will love the pool area and supervision there is good. They patched up a nasty cut on my son's knee in a very professional manner. Reserving poolside seats was an art form and the pool area did have a tendency to become overcrowded.

The local "Anse" is a mud flat as described previously above and not a place you would swim. The adjacent cyclepath is very nice however and I did a lot of exploring by bike in the surrounding forests.

Overall we were disappointed by the site . It was too large, noisy and frenetic and we were not unhappy to be moving on.

Campsite reserved for a certain social category.

Entertainment practically non-existant, except for a pétanque competition. There were entertainers reserved for the "villages" of foreigners who grouped themselves by country - we had the impression that they were ghettos !!

The real beach is at about 4km - the cove (="Anse") more closely resembles a nauseous dried lake at low tide, and at high tide it has shifting sands !!!!!!

The management of the campsite are more concerned with their profits than with the comfort of their guests, a bad experience for our group, and for our neighbours, whom I greet here.

Young folk of less than 35 years should stay away, unless you like nostalgia, and you love to speak English the whole day !! [this review was written by a francophone]

Pool area well appreciated by all of the family.

Evening entertainment is not audible from mobile homes.

International camping, but occupation of bungalows is by country of origin.

Cycle track just on the edge of the campsite.

Set in 35 acres of pine forest our 4-star facilities, 875 m2 pool, and location (500 m from the beach, direct access) , provide all the ingredients of a most enjoyable holiday.

850 individually marked out, partly shaded pitches.

Many offer sea views, electricity available on request.

On site facilities you will find neat, well kept and extensive. We have 7 sanitary blocks. All provide free hot water, British toilets, hot and cold showers, covered washing up sinks and facilities for the disabled and babies. These blocks are cleaned throughout, at least twice a day..

The following may also be found on site :

- supermarket

- boulangerie

- take-away

- restaurant

- newsagent / giftshop - lauderette

- cash machine (24 hr)

- 2 bars

- customer internet point

- safety deposit box

Heated pool complex : 2 large swimming pools, 3 giant water slides. For younger children there is a mini water slide and paddling pool.

The pool area with it's adjoining bar terrace, provides a focal supervision from a qualified lifeguard throughout the season. point and is under permanent

Also satellite television, bicycle hire .......