We are looking for recommendations for campsites which are on or near good swimming locations - rivers or lakes. We have been to the Jura, Ardeche, Tarn and Verdon gorges and now looking for a new swimming area. We have used the Wild Swimming in France book to hone down some locations.
So we are thinking somewhere on or near Le Loup or L'Esteron in the Alpes-Maritimes, or similar on La Ceze in the Gard, or similar on Le Lot in the Lot.
We seen the recommendations for Camping Les Cascades on La Ceze and probably what we are after is similar sites.
Can anybody help with some ideas?
------------- Ollie
2016
Monplaisir - Provence
Camping Les Gorges du Loup
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
We stayed at Gorges du Loup but it was when our children were very small, and not able to 'wild swim'. The site was nice, though, and easily accessible down to the coast.
The problem with wild swimming is that the best areas are often inaccessible to campers and caravanners. There are lots of fabulous wild swimming sites near us in the Aude, Duilhac sous Peyrepertuse, Ribaute, Vigneveille, and the Gorges du Galamus - but none with suitably convenient campsites.
I'll put my thinking hat on, because we like the same areas, and see if I can some up with something.
The best area on the Ceze is near Les Cascades, and the other good areas on that river are where the naturist campsites Le Sabliere, and La Genese are situated.
We did Les Cascades on the Ceze this September and really loved it. I'm not the strongest swimmer but was comfortable to swim upstream to the falls.
Another place - the Dordogne using either Soliel Plage or La Bouysse de Caudon near Sarlat - a comfortable half a mile float / swim downstream with swallows and swifts skimming the water right next to you.
How 'wild' do you want it Ollie? We were at La Genese on the River Ceze this Aug. There is a beach & quite deep water for swimming. It's clean as well.
I have walked around Les cascades and it is a nice site, but trip adviser reports in peak season problems with youths at night, which has put me off going. The area is fabulous but you might be better off staying elsewhere. Gorges du gardon
We were at Les Cascades in the middle of August, and there were a couple of issues with some young people down at the river, but it wouldn't put me off going again. I think it had been a bit worse before we got there though, perhaps things were tailing off as we got further through August. There were a few gatherings round fires on the river beach, and one night there was some noise from the river where people were doing some night-time jumping and diving, egging each other on etc. But on the whole it was fairly quiet.
Thanks for the ideas so far, although I forgot that we'd also been to the Dordogne and Lake Annecy in my original post.
Billy, yes I need to give one of your suggestions a go, but not sure my daughter would agree. The site opposite your suggestion, mentioned by Val, looks good too, if only for the views.
I 'll have to read up about Les Cascades. Not sure a bit of noise would put me off as long as the facilities are clean.
Any suggestions for site on the Lot?
------------- Ollie
2016
Monplaisir - Provence
Camping Les Gorges du Loup
The Lot is somehow a more 'tame' river, more like the Dordogne than the Ardeche, for instance. We've swum at Gluges, which is near to the little site at Martel where we stay a lot 'en-route' to and from our storage site, but it's actually on the Dordogne river! The large top picture on this website is at Gluges: River Tourism in the Lot
Kelper, who seems to like the same sort of sites, recommended this one at Floirac which I like the look of too and which is actually on the river Lot.
I've always liked the river downstream from Anduze, where we spent many happy days on the pebble beaches. At this point the river changes every year, and the beaches are different from one year to another. and this is one of the sites along that stretch which you might like the look of: Le Pradal
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Wild swimming & camping
