Beaches, bike rides and brilliant seafood: why camping near La Rochelle is such a bright idea
What a splendid spot this is… a stay at a campsite near La Rochelle is one that opens up so many options for things to do with your hard-earned holiday time. Town time getting cultural in the many museums, strolling through pretty streets and meandering from café to café? Biking around on Île de Ré or Oléron? Beetling off to the beach? Paddling through the waterways of the Marais Poitevin? Well, what a menu.
Sounds like you might want to settle in at your La Rochelle campsite for quite some time, non? (Excellent plan.) So it’s worth picking yourself a place that’s going to suit your own personal requirements, be they a simple quiet pitch to chill out on, somewhere packed with leisure options for the nippers or a comfy glampsite with all the kit thrown in.
Handily we have all of those choices covered – but how to pick? Read on for our guide to getting the best out of your La Rochelle camping break.
Campsites near La Rochelle: sea views and stacks of facilities
If you’re in search of sea breezes for your coastal escape, lots of places around here have that covered – and what better way to start your day than a few lungfuls of fresh sea air at a La Rochelle campsite near the beach? Coastal walks, beach days, simply sitting and looking out over the waves: all top holiday activities and all on the cards when you pick a place with a sea view.
Views alone are probably not quite sufficient to sustain an entire holiday though – so it’s worth having a think about what other factors might enhance your break? Are you the type that likes to bring along all your own kit to pitch your tent or park up in your motorhome, or someone who’d prefer to rent a tent to make sure you don’t forget any of the essential elements?
Some tents are pretty sizable these days of course, but if you’re after a bit more space to spread out (most handy if you’re settling in for a while…) you may like to take a look at a stay in a lodge, log cabin or caravan. You’ll still get that good hit of fresh air (perhaps best experienced over a coffee or glass of wine on the deck) but this way you can up the stakes with comfy beds, a kitchen area for your snacks and a private bathroom too.
With that huge list of things to tick off locally you’ll most likely be out and about a fair amount while camping near La Rochelle, but it’s worth considering how you like to spend the time in between outings. Grownups looking for chillout time might like to seek out a properly peaceful spot and such things as on-site fishing; families may well prefer to look for a lively La Rochelle campsite with kids’ activities, a play area and an open-air swimming pool to splash about in.
How to fill your days on a La Rochelle camping holiday
It’s the sea that drew you over here, right? So you’ll most likely want to allocate a fair amount of time to beach days: Aytre beach, just to the south of the town, is your closest sandy stretch, and Châtelaillon-Plage isn’t much further along.
They’re both fine places for a sandy day, but the real gems along this stretch of coast have to be the fab islands of Île de Ré and Oléron – all sand dunes, long beaches, traditional villages, vines and cute little cafés. Getting about on either island is best done by bike (given that scenic and quiet cycle paths crisscross both islands) so if you’re not able to bring bikes along you might like to look out for campsites that offer cycle hire.
Even if you’re adamant about allocating all your time to the beach, it’s worth making an exception for a trip to La Rochelle – the coastal city is a properly pretty place for a wander around the Vielle Ville and a seafood feast over by the harbour. The Natural History Museum, Fine Arts Museum and Maritime Museum are all good choices for a culture fix, and it should also be noted that La Rochelle has an excellent aquarium too.
Steer away from the coast for a little bit (don’t worry, it’ll still be there when you get back) for different watery surrounds in the Marais-Poitevin Regional Natural Park: there’s so much gorgeous scenery to see around here, and what could be finer for a decadent day out than to have your own personal boatman paddle you around on a traditional barque?
Planning to make La Rochelle one stop on a grand tour of France? Check out all the options for campsites and holiday parks in France.
