planning for next years hols and quite fancy the Atlantic coast near to Bordeaux - in particular around 'the Dune' and Landes forest area. Has anyone camped here before? Looks ideal for beaches, bikes etc. and Bordeaux near by. We've got a couple of lively under 5's and like the look of the Yelloh! village at Pyla sur Mer. Has anyone stayed here or other Yelloh! villages? Any advice would be greatly appreciated
thanks
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We are heading down to Biscarosse next summer for the 6th yr staying at La rive, we really like the area lovely lakes great beaches good wine region lots of campsites to chose from, to suit everybody, Les Ecuriels Biscarosse quiet near the lake good for younger children. weather can be variable, the Dune is brilliant the kids love sliding down on their bottoms!! beaches great. A good site to look at for ideas is Alternative Aquataine which gives you plenty of ideas for things to see and do.
Went down there years ago and stopped at the foot of the dune. Needless to say the campsite had very sandy soil, and the climb to the top is huge.........even without all the beach stuff children need.
Hi Bonzo65
It is the Camping Panorama du Pyla you refer to, I take it? Yes, we have stayed there now 3 times, it is a fantastic site. It is a rather big site, but the way it is laid out, you don't really have the idea of being on a large site. Toiletblocks are very good, swimmingpool lovely, it has a good restaurant, and the views from the front of the site are superb.
Most people try to get near the front, but it is terraced anyway, so there are still views to be had from further back.
It is right next to the dune and you can climb up on to it straight from the site, BUT it is a very steep climb! Nevertheless, well worth it, once on top of the dune, you can walk all the way to the other end, it's like you are in the desert, all you can see is sand!
On the other hand, there are steps on one side of the site, down to the beach, or you can simply walk down and back up.
You haven't said what you are in, tent, caravan or motorhome, but a lot of the pitches are quite sandy, the time before last we saw a motorhome being towed off the pitch by the tractor. He did bring it on himself though, tried to get sideways on a pitch with about an inch to spare either side, then found he couldn't manoeuvre out of it. We have a motorhome and never got stuck there, all it takes is a bit of common sense.
The area is lovely, Arcachon is really nice, as are the lakes near Biscarrosse.
Forgot to mention: there are loads of cycle-paths in the area, although from the site in one direction it is a fairly steep hill (and of course a nice downhill the other way!). We have cycled for miles around there, it's fantastic for cycling. The sea, being the Atlantic, can be a bit rough of course.
We never stay anywhere for longer than about 3/4 nights, but the first time we stayed here, we stayed for 6 nights, a record for us! We have been back twice since then.
------------- Ina
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A PS to the previous post: if you look in my gallery, the photograph of our Hymer was taken this September at that site, we managed to get right down at the front, and so those are the views from the site.
Hi everyone - thanks for the advice (it's most appreciated!)
Ina - yes indeed, it is the site you mention. We are taking a 6 berth tent (Montana 6) - do the pitches look of a reasonable size and is there tree cover? We're hoping to spend about 12 days there just chilling out in the sun (with any luck!) biking and letting the boys loose on the beach. It seems to be in a good position with quite a few places to visit (within an hours drive?)
The pitches are a good size, they vary in size though, but when we have been there (June and September) we were able to pick our pitch. That said, people can, and do, reserve a specific pitch in advance, but they are always clearly marked with the name of the person plus the dates the pitch is reserved from/to. When we were there in June, some pitches were not reserved until late July and August, so if your stay doesn't 'encroach' on the reserved dates, you can still have that pitch.
Yes, there is plenty of tree cover. The picture in my gallery shows our pitch, which was right at the front, there is virtually no tree cover there. But when you go further back into the site, there is very heavy tree cover.
As for letting the boys loose on the beach - it is all downhill TO the beach, but a good climb back up! So they should be suitably tired out afterwards!
If you are into towns, then Bordeaux is within about an hour's drive. But there are also plenty of smaller towns and lakes closer to, and as I said earlier, the town of Arcachon is quite close, and lovely, with a harbour and a beautiful area around the seafront.
------------- Ina
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Forgot to mention also: the area is very popular with paragliders, in fact, there are a couple of schools very close to the site. In the right weather conditions, there are LOADS of them going forwards and backwards, right in front, and below, the site. You can watch them from your pitch and it is really good.
There is also a model flying club which uses the Dune, and OH takes his (small) model aircraft (he is into that in a big way - nerd!) and flies it off the Dune. It is very good I am told. I don't bother going with him when he goes flying, I'd much rather sit by the van with a glass of something suitable and a good book.
Also, as the site faces west, we have seen some absolutely fabulous sunsets. People come from every corner of the site to the front, to watch them and take photographs.
how was the weather in September? We're going the last two weeks in August (we're having to get used to going in the school hols now).Traveling wise, we hope to get the LD ferry to Le Havre and be on our way by 9am. It looks about 400ish miles so we'd hope to be there early evening - do you think this sounds about right?
We are going the last 2 weeks of August, we like those weeks as things start to get a little quieter. As for the weather can be very changable really hot and sunny to thunderstorms quite spectacular ones, last years weather wasn't that good but the year before we had 3 weeks of mainly hot sunshine with a couple of rainy mornings. If you buy the local paper the Sud Ouest its forecast is fairly accurate, remember you are on the Atlantic coast, saying that we found plenty to do if the weather wasn't so great.
The distance from Le Havre to the Dune of Pyla seems to be around 440 miles, are you going via Le Mans, that way? That seems to be the shortest distance. Personally, especially with 2 young boys, I wouldn't like to do that distance in 1 day. That is not to say you shouldn't do it, but don't forget that when you get there in the early evening, you then have to start looking round for a pitch, then when you have found one you like, you have to start putting the tent up, get it all set up etc.
But everybody is different and when you only have a set number of nights to spend, you want to make the most of it. We have the luxury of not being tied to anything and being able to go for about 6 weeks, so we can just potter. It is perfectly possible to do that distance in 1 day, but it also depends on what sort of roads you will be using: motorways are of course the quickest, but also more expensive of course.
Weather: when we were there for the first time in September last year, it was beautiful all the time we were there, lovely and warm. That was from the 22nd to the 28th. June this year was not so good, but then it wasn't good anywhere. September this year was lovely again, we were there just for 3 nights that time, that was from the 11th to the 14th. The last 2 weeks in August should be lovely.
------------- Ina
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Hi Bonzo, My family and i stayed at this site in July 2006 for 2 weeks.
Kit:
5 Berth tent and land rover
Weather:
Changeable with rain every 3 days or so.
Beach:
As described a quick drop down from the site and a scramble back up - not too bad, my lad was 3 years old and had no worries.
Lake:
The Biscarrose lake is a 10min drive away, it is great for the kids as its shallow, clear and warm, almost carribean. We used the lake alot as the main beaches had some massive surf which was a bit dangerous for the kids.
Summary:
All in all a good site and great location, just keep fingers crossed for the weather. If you are polite to the yelloh rep and explain what your requirements are they should be accommodating with regards to a pitch.
Good luck!
------------- Tony N
LR Defender - Best4x4xFar
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Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Bordeaux/Dune du Pilat
