publication date: Oct 10, 2009
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author/source: Sian Minett
Like most
Eurocamp Holidays parcs the waterpark at
Les Petits Camarguais is fabulous for the children and James (eight) rated it a
perfect ten. He spent three straight days doing nothing but going up and down the
waterslides! There is a large
shallow area for toddlers and the slides are quite small so it is
well suited to younger, rather than older children. The
pool complex is surrounded by a large
sunbathing area with plenty of shade when the
heat of the day gets too much and overlooking the pool is a small
outdoor fitness gym so the more energetic can work out whilst keeping a
watchful eye on your charges!
Younger children are really well catered for at Les Petits Camarguais as there is a
small playground and regular
organised activities during high season including a
bouncy castle and a French-speaking site run mini-club. For
older children there are ping-pong tables and an
all-weather court for ball and racquet sports.
During high season the parc lays on a wide range of activities and entertainment for all ages ranging from
aqua aerobics to wine tasting; karaoke and cabaret to
kids shows. If you enjoy
organised entertainment, you could easily spend your
entire holiday on the parc without getting bored.
Generally, the site has something of a
holiday camp feel about it. There are no tents - just
mobile homes - on a grid iron layout and the
pitches were quite cramped. As a result, whilst the
scheduled entertainment always finished by
11.30pm and therefore didn't disturb our sleep, the same could not be said of our
neighbours chatting into the not so small hours as the pitches were on the small side. Our three bedroom
Comfort mobile home was not a
Eurocamp Holidays one (although the company has its own mobile homes elsewhere on the parc) and was a
bit tired, although perfectly adequate as the weather was excellent and we were
rarely inside.
Les Petits Camarguais felt very safe with a
security card operated barrier for cars and the entrance
patrolled by a security guard. Even very
young children were able to cycle around the parc or
pop to the shop unaccompanied, giving them a
sense of freedom and independence that many English children are unable to
experience at home. The
Eurocamp Holidays reps were very
pleasant and helpful but not intrusive, which we
welcomed.
During high season a
free shuttle bus stops outside the parc to take you to
L'Espiguette, which is a gloriously
unspoilt wide beach, flanked by
dunes, which shelves gently into the
sea so it is safe and very clean.
The
surrounding area is flat and marshy with an abundance of
wildlife, including flamingos galore.
Horse riding is a popular
activity in this area and there are plenty of stables within
walking distance of the parc. You can also take a
boat trip to enjoy the area from the water.
The
spectacularly well preserved medieval walled town of
Aigues-Mortes is nearby and definitely worth a visit. Both Le Grau de Roi and
Port Camargue are good places to go for an evening stroll (and enjoy the excellent mini-golf course and
seaquarium at the latter) and to watch the sun go down.
The
Roman splendour of Nimes is easily
accessible for a day trip, as is
Pont du Gard, the beautifully preserved aqueduct which we decided to combine with the
Haribo museum (but were defeated by the lengthy queues at the latter!). The
splendid Montpellier, Arles, Sete and Avignon are also all within
easy distance.
To request a
brochure or make a booking, contact visit
www.eurocamp.co.uk