Independent Campsite Reviews

In the forest by the seaside, the international campsite "Les Gros Joncs" offers in the shelter of sand dunes a flowery setting for a restful holiday.

4-star "great confort" amenities : swiming pool, jacuzzi, cultural activities.

Cultural activities and businesses (bakery, bar, news-stand, grocery store...).

Also available the restaurant "La Jonchaie"

We stayed a fortnight in a mobile home on this site.

We were very disappointed by the correspondence between price and facilities.

We encountered the same problems as Corinne Valentin.

We will not be returning to this site, and don't recommend it to anyone.

I went to this campsite for a two-week stay. I lost one week, not knowing where to find the beach, as no one on the site seemed capable of explaining it. There was also no signposting on the path.

As for the pool, it was rather cold.

The restaurant was top of the range, and pricey.

As for my accommodation, the description was inadequate, and I found myself with a rather low-grade lodging, compared with my expectations, and with the price: no barbeque, no oven, very little storage space. I had to contact reception several times about a dog that barked throughout the evening.

I cannot give all the details here, but I was thoroughly disappointed by the quality of my accommodation, and by the general lack of information provided by the management. I will not be returning.

We were on this site in 2005, in a mobile home. The site was very good. Everyone was really nice, and the beach is really only 5 minutes walk away. Despite the high season, the beach was not crowded. Personally, we like busier beaches, and we found some just a few km away. We would like to come back to this site, it’s such a shame that they are so popular that you have to book almost 2 years in advance.

Recommended, especially if you have small children, but bear in mind that all of the children’s activities are in French.

Hello everyone,

I am extremely astonished by your comments. For years I’ve been going to Gros Joncs with my family and friends, and I have never been disappointed.

The staff are adorable (for example, Viviane, the beautician), the activities very good (excellent memories of Willy Deville from last year), the chalets are very comfortable, and access direct to the beach (how can anyone search for it for a week? Sand on your sunglasses perhaps?) For information, the sea is behind the dunes!

I’m returning for the last two weeks in August, to drink in the good humour, and to enjoy the good atmosphere that reigns in this campsite!

Greetings to the whole team of the Gros Joncs, and long live good camping in the great summer holidays!

We have been to this campsite for three years in a row now and think it’s absolutely the best, with nice accommodation, lovely setting between the trees, friendly people and beautiful island. The beach is close enough to walk to, but not suited for swimming. But only 3 minutes drive you find lots of sandy beaches.

Absolutely a site I can recommend!

This campsite has tiered pitches, nowhere close to the mobile home for the car. Access roads are narrow, and disorganised, especially in June with ongoing works. Can you believe that holidaymakers out of season are not given the same consideration by the management as the unfortunates who pay the full whack in July and August?

On arrival, you are given a map of the site, plus the number of the pitch or residence, and you have to manage by yourself to find the right place. Here starts the suffering for holidaymakers who, after having travelled hundreds of miles, would rather like some kind heart to accompany them, to show them their spot.

Access to the beach is as crap as the traffic in the site. It’s via a tortuous path, not very wide, 400m long, where you run the gauntlet of brambles and roots, to find yourself confronted with a beach which, at low tide resembles a prairie, there’s so much seaweed, and at high tide, a sea of spinach.

The local authorities are much quicker to sting you for the residence tax, than to deal with cleaning up their coast.

So, once, but never again. In any case, the city fathers and other responsible folk couldn’t care less about our comments, and others will be taken for a ride as well. I have added a photo of the beach, the only one in France where the sand is green

Hello,

I went to this campsite for a week in July 2006: it was GREAT.

As for the beach, it’s not the best, but hey, get on your feet and go a bit further, it’s good for the health.

A campsite is still a campsite, even if it has 4 stars; you still have to be in the camping spirit, otherwise, go to a lonely isolated villa, where you will not be disturbed.

Sylvie

We just spent 2 weeks in a tent at the Gros Joncs campsite at Sables Vigniers, and here’s our opinion :

Positive :

- Excellent activities (day and evening from Mon-Fri) very professional, very friendly activity leaders

- Superb pools, with lifeguards

- The dunes that border the site give the opportunity for very pleasant walks

- Free kids club from Mon-Fri for the 4-12 year-olds; our son adored going there

- Clean toilet blocks

- Pleasant region, giving an embarrassing choice of beaches

- Excellent climate: the island is very sunny

- The environment of the campsite is very pleasant, plenty of trees, the numerous chalets are very pretty

- Easy access to the dunes - straight on from the campsite entrance

- The tent and caravan pitches can be hired on the dates of your choice. It’s much appreciated to be able to avoid the jams of summer weekends!

Negative:

- The pitches lack grass

- The rules demand quiet between 10pm and 7am, but there’s no one to check that people are adhering to it. Which means it is quite noisy in the evenings, when you’re under canvas.

- The toilet blocks are rather antiquated for a 4-star site. No baby room.

- The outside pools are rather cold, (but it must be said that the summer of 2007 was not one of the best...) we had trouble believing that they were heated.

Conclusion: the positives largely outweigh the negatives, and we will return to this pleasant campsite, where the whole family spend a very good time. The campsite is excellent for children and teens. Perhaps a little less suited to lone couples.