The Pays de Loire region is the 4th most popular tourist destination in France and is characterised by its varied landscapes: on one side, the Atlantic Ocean gives you access to large sandy beaches and the islands of Noirmoutier and Ile d'Yeu. On the other side, the countryside, vineyards and the Loire River offer a bucolic and natural setting, ideal for your camping holiday in Pays de Loire.
Frequently asked questions about campsites in Pays de Loire
More than 600 campsites in Pays de Loire are spread over 5 departments: no less than 350 campsites in Vendée, 140 campsites in Loire-Atlantique, 60 campsites in Maine-et-Loire, about 50 campsites in Sarthe and 17 in Mayenne.
Campsites in the Pays de Loire by number of stars
You certainly have expectations in terms of comfort and services and for this, the campsite's classification is the indicator to follow: indeed, the number of stars defines the size of the campsite, but also the size of your pitch, the facilities (such as swimming pools, fitness rooms...) that will be offered, as well as other services (spa, treatments, mini-club for children...) that you will have access to.
The vast majority of campsites in the Pays de Loire have three or four stars - 193 and 170 campsites respectively in the region. More than 100 ** campsites and about thirty * campsites accompany this offer. Finally, thirty or so five-star campsites in Pays de la Loire allow you to choose one of the best equipped campsites for your next holiday.
Size of campsites: how many pitches do the campsites in Pays de Loire have?
Half of the campsites in the Pays de Loire have less than 100 pitches, which guarantees a family atmosphere for a relaxing holiday. For example, the Resort la Forêt campsite **** in Saint-Jean-de-Monts (85) is a beautiful campsite on a human scale (only 60 pitches) with direct access to the beach, which offers about fifteen top-of-the-range rentals with private Jacuzzi, in an ecological and pedestrian area.
Only 67 campsites have more than 300 pitches! These large campsites are real outdoor holiday clubs, with a maximum of entertainment and great facilities.
Which campsites in the Pays de Loire are by the sea?
314 campsites are by the sea (less than 5 km), making it easy to enjoy swimming and sunbathing after a bike ride.
The plus: about twenty campsites have direct access to the beach, i.e. right on the water, without having to cross a road, which is ideal for safety and comfort during your camping holiday with the whole family.
The Eléovic campsite **** in Préfailles (Loire Atlantique) near Pornic, with its direct access to the sea, invites you to discover the wild coast and its small sandy creeks for swimming.
The campsite **** Les Préveils in La Tranche-sur-mer, Vendée, invites you to discover the wild coastline with its small sandy coves for swimming.
Which campsites in the Pays de Loire are close to a lake or river?
375 campsites are near a river or lake in the Pays de la Loire.
Discover the Slow Village Loire Vallée*** campsite in Les Ponts-de-Cé (near Angers) in Maine-et-Loire, with direct access to the river, which also offers a 3,000m² ecological water park, fed by the water of the Loire and filtered by sand, for a natural swim.
Which campsites have a swimming pool in Pays de Loire?
If your children like to have fun at the swimming pool on holiday, the Pays de la Loire region will meet your expectations: almost 400 campsites have at least one swimming pool. According to the declarations, there are 337 campsites with an outdoor swimming pool, 211 campsites with an indoor swimming pool and 350 with a heated pool. Of course, a campsite can have both an outdoor and an indoor swimming pool and these can be heated, which is ideal for enjoying the pool even in low season.
To help you choose, see our selection of 60 campsites with indoor swimming pools and 20 campsites with heated pools in Pays de Loire.
The must for holidays: choose a campsite with a water park in the Pays de Loire! For about thirty of them, you will enjoy pools, lagoons, water slides and other aquatic spaces for fun between young and old
Here is a selection of campsites with a water park in Loire-Atlantique:
- The Domaine de Levéno campsite **** in Guérande has an indoor heated swimming pool, open from April, as well as an outdoor water park, so you can enjoy swimming in all seasons.
- Le Fief ***** in Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, located 800m from the beach, is proud of its covered and heated aqua park with its paddling pool, swimming pool and slide.
- At the campsite l'Océan ***** in Le Croisic, live the aquatic dream during your holidays: slides, pentaglides, a slow river and a solarium will delight those who love to slide and relax.
- La Boutinardière **** in Pornic, 200m from the beach, also has, in addition to swimming areas, a lagoon, 8 slides and paddling pools for pure relaxation and leisure.
Which campsites have an eco-label in the Pays de Loire?
If environmental protection and eco-responsible behaviour are important to you, choose your next holiday destination from among the Green Key or Ecolabel campsites. Nearly 40 "green" campsites in the Pays de Loire have them.
Between sea and countryside, through beautiful cultural discoveries, the assets of the Pays de Loire
The sea and the islands in the Pays de Loire
The Atlantic coastline of the Loire region extends over 450 kilometres of coastline, including 215 kilometres of beaches, some wild, some rocky, some sandy.
The coasts are the Côte Sauvage, north of the mouth of the Loire, the Côte de Jade between the Loire and the island of Noirmoutier and the Côte de Lumière in the Vendée.
If you think that holidays are synonymous with the beach, there is a wide choice of campsites in the Vendée and Loire-Atlantique.
There are two islands in the Pays de La Loire where you can spend your holidays: the island of Noirmoutier in the Vendée in the Bay of Biscay has about ten campsites, and the island of Yeu has only one.
You can choose one of the region's famous seaside resorts as there are many campsites nearby: Les Sables d'Olonne, La Baule, Saint-Jean-de-Monts and Saint-Hilaire de Riez, Pornic or Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie... where there are long golden sandy beaches.
If you prefer less crowded beaches, try Porcé beach, near Saint-Nazaire, in its cliffs in the Loire-Atlantique region, or Pont Mahé beach, a superb beach between dune and pine forest in a Natura 2000 site. To the south of the Ile d'Yeu, don't miss the Anse des Soux, one of the most beautiful wild beaches in France, or the Plage des Vieilles, a magnificent beach that you will appreciate for its shallow waters.
The sea is great, especially for lazing around, building sand castles with the family and playing beach volleyball, but not only that: take advantage of your holidays by the sea in the Pays-de-la-Loire region to try out water sports: boat trips, paddle boarding and canoeing
The countryside, or green tourism
Along the Loire, sublime panoramas are offered to holidaymakers in communion with nature. Moments of peace and serenity in the heart of a green landscape... This is the charm of the Pays de la Loire countryside
Most of the region is located on the Armorican massif. The relief of the Pays de Loire is made up of the hills of the Vendée in the south, and the Coëvrons hills, the Alpes Mancelles, the Perseigne forest and the Perche hills in the north of the Sarthe and Mayenne. The highest point in the Loire region is the Mont des Avaloirs (417 metres).
In the heart of this hilly countryside, discover the cities of Art and History of Angers, Laval, Nantes and Le Mans.
The region also has huge salt marshes: the Brière near Saint-Nazaire, the Breton marshes in the north of the Vendée and the Poitevin marshes in the south. Make the most of your camping holiday nearby to explore the regional nature parks of Brière, Loire-Anjou-Touraine and Normandie-Maine, which are home to a rich and abundant flora and fauna.
Finally, 325,000 hectares of woodland in the Pays de la Loire are ideal for all types of walking, cycling and even horse riding, for the pleasure of communing with nature. Some of the region's forests are among the most beautiful in France: the Gavre forest in Loire-Atlantique, the Mervent-Vouvant forest or the Sables d'Olonne forest in the Vendée, the Bercé forest in the Sarthe, the Pail forest in Mayenne, etc. At the heart of these forests are numerous species such as oak, maritime pine, birch, chestnut, poplar and beech.
Discover the historical and cultural heritage of the Pays de la Loire
In the Pays de Loire there are many places full of history, especially castles: you can choose between the castle of Angers, famous for its dungeons, the castle of Saumur, also called "the pearl of Anjou", the castle of Le Lude, built on the banks of the Loir, the magnificent medieval and renaissance fortress of Brissac, the underground fortress of the castle of Brézé the castle of Montsoreau, built in the river bed, the fortress of the Dukes of Brittany, the castle of Montreuil-Bellay, which overlooks the Touet valley, or the castles of Plessis-Bourré, Craon, Montreuil-Bellay, the castle of Serrant, du Rocher or Courtanvaux... There are 7 campsites near the Loire castles in the Pays de Loire region alone.
Beyond the castles, discover the megalithic remains and the medieval cities, such as Clisson, Guérande, La Ferté-Bernard or Saint-Denis-d'Anjou.
Finally, there is no shortage of historical religious monuments. Don't miss Fontevraud Abbey, the royal necropolis of the Plantagenets, Clairmont Abbey or the Evraon Basilica.
Fancy an amusement park? Discover the Puy du fou, voted best amusement park in the world.
More information on the sites to visit: enpaysdelaloire.com
Slow tourism in the Pays de Loire, or the art of taking your time on holiday
"Slow tourism" is THE trend for holidays in the Pays de la Loire. But first, let's explain what it is:
Slow tourism is about enjoying what we do, eat, or how we spend our holidays in a less fast-paced, consumerist way, and with respect for the environment in mind. By recommending above all to take time to live authentic experiences, slow tourism goes against mass tourism, where holidays consist in mingling with an often noisy crowd (on the beach, in the shops...) by multiplying experiences in a short period of time.
So, during your camping holiday in Pays de Loire, it will be a question of pausing to better immerse yourself in the place: going to the market, drinking a small coffee on the terrace, having a picnic, organising a walk after lunch, hiring bicycles to go for a ride, visiting the cultural and religious monuments and tasting the local specialities. Indeed, in addition to discovering local culture and heritage, a strong motivation for slow tourism is to focus on activities that engage the body and mind, in a natural environment, with a focus on relaxation, discovery and escape.
The campsite is ideal for getting closer to nature and your children.
The Loire region by bike
Cycling is an ideal way to discover this beautiful region! The Pays de la Loire offers 3,000 km of cycle routes, including the two famous cycle routes, the Loire à Vélo and the Vélodyssée, and among others, the Vélocéan, which covers 148 km of the Atlantic coast from Saint-Nazaire to Pénestin.
Gastronomic discoveries and wine tourism in the Pays de Loire
The vineyards of the Loire region cover more than 40,000 hectares of vines. The diversity of soils, relief and climate of this region has given rise to a very wide variety of wines: between reds, whites and rosés, discover in particular the AOC Muscadet, Saumur-Champigny, Cabernet d'Anjou, Gros Plant du Pays Nantais...
In the Pays de Loire, you will also find 200 tourist cellars, where tasting and discovery activities are organised.
In terms of gastronomy and culinary specialities, there is a wide choice, including mussels from Bouchot, potatoes from Noirmoutier, salt from Guérande, rillettes from Le Mans, Loué poultry, as well as numerous pastries: Petit-Beurre de Nantes, Petits Sablés de Sablé-sur-Sarthe or the famous Vendée brioche...