Independent Campsite Reviews

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 .......

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.

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]

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.

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.

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.

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!!

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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.