I'm sure I'm going to upset a number of people but this site was very disappointing in many respects and certainly not my 'cup of tea'.
The location is dire. The village consists mainly of one long, somewhat shabby road with a number of places seemingly abandoned and falling into disrepair. It doesn't appear to have a centre, just a small car-park opposite a bakery and a very basic shop. There was a market in the car-park some days. This consisted of one small veg stall. At the very far end of the village (over 2 Km away) was another shop: a small Spar. There is a pizzeria opposite the campsite entrance but there isn't a café or bar to be found in the village. To get anywhere remotely interesting involves the car and the surrounding roads can get quite congested.
The site itself is well kept and with the exception of one cleaner, who was a graduate of 'The Attila the Hun School of Charm', the staff were very helpful and pleasant. During our 3 week stay in August I guess there were around 85% British, 12% Dutch and 3% French. Although I did spot a bloke from Belgium.
The pool is quite nice but absolutely packed; reminiscent of a package deal to Benidorm in high season. Some of the pitches are very large and this seems to encourage people to bring more and more gear. Caravan, awning, awning canopy, gazebo, tents, windshield garden, rotary lines, flags and the obligatory 4x4 on a pitch wasn't uncommon. As a result the site can feel quite claustrophobic in some areas. A large number of British caravans are stored on the site and even more appear to return year after year.
It's around 25 years since we went to that area and now I know why we left it so long. It's certainly not the most appealing part of France and Royan is like Great Yarmouth, with wine. The sea isn't clear due to the Dordogne and Garonne estuary. A bit like the effect the Severn has on the Somerset and South Wales resorts. Think Weston Super -Mare or Porthcawl. To get to the local beaches involves a car journey or bikes at the very least. The resort beaches are generally packed and although there are some nice beaches through the pine forests the car parks can be very busy.
There are some nice places such as the zoo at La Palmyre, La Rochelle and Saintes but not enough to entice us back for another 25 years
jimd
Reviewed on 08/09/2017 10:02
