Visitor Reviews - Castel Le Caussanel
Castel Le Caussanel 
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Lac De Pareloup
Canet De Salars
Midi - Pyrenees (Browse area)
12290 See Map
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Tel: 0033 05 65 46 85 19
Pitches: 108
Open: 06/05 To 07/09
Rating: 
8/10 from 6 Reviews
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Facilities 
                 
Facilities Nearby
 1m  10m
Units Accepted
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| Date of Visit: August 2012 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
Rating:  |
| Reviewer: Cliveyfossil |
1 review from this member |
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Stayed for 13 nights from 5th August for first time after reading reviews. First campsite I've been to which actually surpassed expectations. Stunning lakeside location, decent pitch sizes, facilities clean although toilet/shower block near main reception has slightly roomier showers.
Pitches are laid out in a tiered fashion, mostly all with lake views. Maximum 6amp hookup so just need to be careful what's being switched on. My outfit is 14m long and some areas can be just a bit tight but if you recce beforehand you'll have no problems.
Email communications with site very efficient and you can select a particular pitch if it's available. Big site but doesn't feel crowded & good mix of nationalities. Site pretty quiet after about 11pm.
Pool area great for kids with some slides etc, kept them entertained for hours. Small bar and terrace area where you can sit and have a drink whilst keeping an eye on the kids in the pool. Drinks quite reasonable @ 2 euro for a beer. Budgie smugglers mandatory in pool area.
Very small shop which does bread & croissants but is quite limited in range on offer. Onsite restaurant which does excellent takeaway pizzas @ 7 to 10 euros. Reception very efficient and good information on things to do.
Nearest decent supermarket, with fuel, about 10 mins drive.
Stunning lake with chrystal clear water, great for swimming although lakeside rocky so swimming shoes a good idea. Weather superb although can be cooler in the evenings due to altitude, (welcome relief if it's a really hot day!), also may get the odd shower.
Would I go back? Well I arrived Sunday 5th August @ midday, pitched & awning up by 3pm, massive hailstorm @ 3. 30pm, £7. 5k damage to caravan by 3. 45pm! Bummer eh? Time for a beer!
Already booked for 2 weeks @ end of July 2013 so probably says it all. Enjoy!
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| Date of Visit: August 2011 |
Unit: Tent |
Rating: |
| Reviewer: Thebeeglies |
10 reviews from this member |
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Fantastic site - highly recommend!
We are a family of four (2 boys aged 7&10) and have just returned from a fantastic 2 weeks in Aveyron at Le Caussanel. We highly recommend the site as well as the area. In summary it is an immaculate, family friendly fun site.
In 14 days we had a couple of rain bursts at night and on one evening but every other day was 25-30 degrees with hardly a cloud in the sky. The lake and high altitude means it can be refreshingly cool in the evenings which I find a welcome relief. Occasionally needed an extra blanket on the bed. Best of all - no bugs other than a few wasps and flies but no mossies! On a few evenings the breeze became quite strong so windbreak needed for the bbq but it was still warm.
Communication via e-mail very good. They e-mailed me a map of the site and allowed me to select my pitch when I booked last October.
I asked for a front pitch facing the lake and highly recommend this as the view was stunning plus we had a huge grassy area in which we played cricket and badminton flew kites and the kids rode bikes. We were on the right hand side of reception which is definitely more established and we thought nicer.
The pitch was large (approx. 130m2). We had our own gazebo and separate kitchen tent which were free to pitch. We also hired a fridge from the site which cost approx. €75 for 2 weeks. We had to leave a €100 credit card deposit but got this back at the end. We have a standard UK electric hook up which worked fine through their 6A electrics. The fridge came with a French plug so we had to change it then switch it back at the end as we don't have a French to English adaptor.
The site is really nicely laid out with lots of open space with the lake providing a stunning backdrop.
There are 3 pools close together: a standard rectangular one, a kids one with shallows and small slide and one with 2 other slides. Our children really liked them. All very clean and looks new including large number of new sun loungers. A lifeguard patrols but is not over the top. They enforce the no-shorts policy though so you must bring 'budgie smuggler' Speedos or similar (I bought a few cheap pairs in Decathlon beforehand). They like you to wear a little red ribbon to show you are from the site but are quite relaxed about it.
Next to the pools is a smallish bar with some kids arcade games (air hockey, a pin ball machine and 2 old video games). There is also a small restaurant. We bought take away chips a couple of times but didn't eat there. Food varied every night and included mussels, chicken and pizza for around €7 each.
The kids club was mainly under 6s. They also have activities (fishing, climbing wall, music video creation) aimed at 10-14 year olds that take place late afternoon. All are free, you just sign up for whatever you fancy doing at reception although most children in them are French and not much English is spoken by instructors. Our kids did the climbing wall which they really liked and fishing which they were not so keen on. There was quad biking around a small inflatable track on evening (€5 for 7 minutes) which the children really enjoyed.
I went on the quad bike safari with 5 other adults (€65 for 2 hours) which was excellent. Would not recommend going on the back through as it's very bumpy.
There is activity in the bar in the evenings but not particularly lively and mostly for the French. There was a very good live band one evening followed by fireworks. All is quiet by around 10. 30pm but you shouldn't stay too close to the bar area if you want to go to sleep earlier. The site is patrolled by friendly staff after 11 to ensure no excessive noise. They are also around picking up litter and cleaning from first thing in the morning.
Shops: Campsite shop sells lovely fresh pastries and bread but not very good for anything other than basics. We did a big shop every few days in the Intermarche outside Pont-de-Salars 15 mins drive from the campsite. It is a medium sized shop but well stocked for most things and has good wines (including Sancerre at €5 a bottle!). We also went to Salles-Curren on the other side of the lake to use their butchers whose meat was much better than the Intermarche. There is also a bank, small supermarket and a very good gift shop (we bought a kite and a bike puncture repair kits from there). They have a few nice looking restaurants but we didn't try them.
Fishing: There are a lot of fishing enthusiasts at the site and several fish in the large lake. Our kids used baskets to catch lots of crayfish in the evening at a small jetty on the lakes edge although we didn't try to eat them and threw them back. They recommend dog biscuits or sardines as bait.
Lake & Beaches: The lake is beautiful but the 30 metre walk from our pitch to the water was quite rocky. For swimming you should walk through the woods further to the right to get to several really nice deserted beaches. Lovely sand, clear water. Great for swimming in.
We hired (from a rental place on the other side of the lake) a small motor boat for 8 (4 adults and 4 kids): €60 for 4 hours and on another day got a catamaran €80 for 4 hours which was a great way to explore the lake.
In the surrounding area a trip to the Tarn Gorge (including canoeing) and Millau Viaduct are a must as well as Micropolis which the kids loved.
The combination of a fantastic site with excellent clean facilities, a perfect climate (hot and sunny in the day and refreshing at night) and a huge amount for everyone to do around the lake and in the picturesque surrounding area makes this one of the best sites we have ever visited.
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| Date of Visit: August 2009 |
Unit: Tent |
Rating: |
| Reviewer: Tomtomfan |
5 reviews from this member |
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We loved this site. An area not really found by the British but well worth a visit. This was our second three week stay after such a good time in 2008 and we would go back again. Our pitch was a good 10m square with water and power close by. The views over the lake in the mornings and evenings were spectacular; we were lucky to have a pitch on the front overlooking the lake.
There was some noise once a week from another site across the lake and, as someone else has said, babies crying at night. Not sure why this is an issue here and not on other sites.
It can be cool at night but the site is in the hills and we did not find it a problem. Our children, 11 and 13, found loads to do and loved going out in an inflatable boat on the water. They found the pools cramped and cold but the lake was ideal. I would be careful if my children were not very good swimmers though. It is very deep and the winds can blow off-shore.
The shop and take away were good value and well stocked. One thing we loved but might put others off was mice. We sat quietly outside the tent in the evening with a glass of wine watching the mice run around our feet! They never came into the tent and were no trouble.
Canoeing on the tarn, the Millau Viaduc, Rodez, high ropes course, chateau, a great local British run restaurant and local markets were off-site highlights.
We have camped in France for over 20 years and this is one of our top sites.
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| Date of Visit: July 2009 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
Rating: |
| Reviewer: Frogman14 |
9 reviews from this member |
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Compared with previous review, site is now part of Castels chaine. We arrived without booking planning 'a few nights'. Reception were very professional, willing to speak English or French, and offered a selection of pitches. We chose fairly close to the admin block because of our short stay, although in the event, we extended to a week. Site is split to left or right of reception, and the two areas appeared to be quite different . To the right as facing the lake appeared to be the longest established, with pitches on terraces, and pretty conventional. Some shaded some not so. Varying sizes, mostly around 100m sq, but some would be very tight with a twin axle van. To the left of reception appeared more recent, but it is here that the 'grand confort' pitches appeared to be located, and while they offer elect., water, and waste, we didn't like the area as much as 'to the right' The pitch size here is generally bigger, and more accessible, but the area is flat so if you are at the back you see nothing, and the ground is less grassed.
The site is situated on the Lac de Pareloup which is big, and offers lovely views. There is boating on, and swimming in the lake. The site itself has a modest pool complex with standard plunge pool, and a separate slide/toboggan pool and kiddies adventure pool. Certainly adequate to occupy upto around mid teens, but could be 'boring' to the more adventurous. There are all sorts of sports offered on site, organised or not as you're fancy takes.
The site is some way from main shopping, but we found shop prices to be very reasonable, and the shop well stocked, but you would have to think about shopping excursions for a long stay.
Entertainment is modest. There is a bar with big screen TV, but we were not aware of any intrusive noise at night, and we were pretty close to the admin block.
Toilets etc were clean and adequate, and the site was almost full,
The area around has much to offer sight seeing, Millau and the Gorges du Tarn are within easy reach, and the lake offers much to see.
In general, as a 'base in the sun' for a 2/3 week stay we would say the site could fit the bill for couples of any age, and families with kids upto mid teens. 17 + would have to be into sport, or solace, because there ain't much else. For the very specialised, there are Hobie cats for hire just down the lake, There are plenty of good fresh breezes,and the lake is big enough to give one a good run out.
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| Date of Visit: August 2009 |
Unit: Tent |
Rating:  |
| Reviewer: Bouncer32 |
2 reviews from this member |
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Rather disappointed with this site. I'll go through all points in order we encountered them.
Reached by an extremely bumpy road, not wide enough for 2 cars without going onto verge, but no problem if taken slowly. Reception excellent, efficient and well equipped with info. About area. Shown to pitch by very helpful lady on a bike. Unfortunately it went downhill from here. Firstly, we were told we had to wear plastic wrist bands every minute we were on site and they did not come off once fastened and they itched like mad! You also felt a bit odd off site.
The pitch itself was very small, right on the side of a road leading to both shower blocks so always busy. There was no privacy from the surrounding 8 pitches so I personally didn't find it very relaxing. There was one hook up post and tap per 6-8 pitches. The ground was hard so take suitable pegs. Being so close together there was always noise during the night and it was difficult to sleep. I have children myself but we and other near by campers were amazed at how many crying babies disturbed peoples' sleep for hours on end! Also the night we arrived a disco further down the lake was going full blast with kareoke until 1am.
If you want to pay more there are a few larger pitches separated by low hedges but these are booked well in advance. Caravans seemed to struggle to get enough space on some pitches.
The shower blocks, although only 2, were always enough to cope and they were exceptionally clean at all times. They were pressure washed once a day, literally from floor to ceiling.
The shop and the bar were fine and the take away pizzas and chips were good.
The surrounding area was worth exploring, especially the Tarn gorge and the historic towns to the west, such as Villefranche de Rouergue, Najac and Rodez. Also worth driving around the lakes and dams that surround the site.
We have 2 teenagers who did not enjoy this site. There were no trampolines this year, the waterpolo (which they play at home) activity took place in a part of the pool about 2x3m!, The pools and slides were really designed for much smaller children, under 10's, who would find them ideal, not high and pools not big. One pool is deeper but quite small, about 7x4m, but it was usually so busy you could do very little more than cool down in it. There is a reasonable play park next to the lake, again for younger children. The lake is well used by anglers and those with their own boats but the campsite does not rent out any single canoes or small dingeys that my children were hoping for, so they paddled. The floor of the lake is rocky and slippery so take suitable footwear.
Weather was mixed, but generally warm, with spectacular thunderstorm that I was pleased to get tent through. Did find it very cold at night sleeping in socks and jumper(didn't need to do this further north in Loire!)
Cycles are for hire which my son tried out using recommended routes from the site but they turned out to use a lot of roads which I wasn't too pleased about.
The nearest reasonable supermarket and petrol station is about 10 minutes away on other side of Pont de Salars, closes for 2 hours at lunchtime.
In summary a nice area, site will suit small children but noisy and beware of small cramped pitch layout.
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| Date of Visit: July 2006 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
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| Reviewer: Liz9 |
2 reviews from this member |
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We like a site with a great kids pool, lovely scenic area, cycling and boating direct from site BUT no noisy all-night entertainment. This type of site seems hard to find - but Le Caussanel fitted the bill perfectly.
The site is owned by Sunelia and is one of there 'zen' (quiet) sites. We loved it as it had a brilliant swimming pool with a toboggan and wavy slides plus a paddling pool which the kids loved and yet was still a natural quiet site.
The entertainment is fairly low key: occasional kids disco, french local band, boules, cycling trips etc. The site was at the end of a small country road and you could cycle safely direct from the site either on roads or tracks. The site borders the Lac de Pareloup - we took our Zodiac and found lovely quiet beaches for evening barbeques and swims in the lake.
The weather was fab - hot during the day with storms many nights - even hail once lol!
There are two different areas for pitches - one shady, one open - we opted for the shady side with lake glimpse.
The site buildings are developed from an old stone built Mas - very scenic. The shop was good for fresh bread, well stocked but pricey so we headed into the local town for the E Leclerc. Reception was helpful and had local maps and trails for us to follow.
We never made it to Millau, so that's still on the 'to do' list but Rodez was lovely. Free all day parking right by the old town and lovely boutique shops.
Most of the customers are French or Dutch, never met any Brits but we were there first two weeks of July, before the English schools broke up so it may change later in the season.
There is a good children's playground which my kids ignored in favour of the pool. Can't comment on facilities as we only use the shower and toilet in the caravan.
The only negative point was the earwigs! May be better on the sunny part of the site .
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