Globalmouse writer Louise traveled to Camping Interlude in le de Ré with Canvas Holidays.
There’s a wonderful secret on the West coast of France, somewhere peaceful, uncrowded but with a real sense of community.
le de Ré is a small island just off the coast with the fantastic campsite – Camping Interlude. The kind of place everyone has been recommended to by a friend as one of the best campsites in France for young families. And since then have been coming back for years.
Canvas holidays at Camping Interlude, le de Ré, France – location
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The campsite itself is right next to a beautiful, sandy, long beach: the Plage de Gros Joncs.
On-site are the swimming pools which catered for everyone. An outdoor pool, and an indoor pool which was very warm and relaxing, with areas with bubbles and shower streams.
There was also a sweet toddler area. I think my children would have spent the whole day in the pools if we hadn’t occasionally dragged them out.
There was a play area, and areas for games such as volleyball, boules and ping pong.
And as the island is so flat and has so many cycle paths, there is bike hire onsite.
We were lucky to be staying in a Canvas tent at the campsite.
We were driving from Calais which was a fairly long drive. And we were so happy to be able to just step into our tent when we got there.
The beds were all set up and we could instantly make a cup of tea. A perfect start to the holiday.
Canvas Holidays at Camping Interlude: Sleeps
Our enormous tent comfortably slept five. There was a double bed in one ‘room’ and three separate beds in another sleeping compartment.
Something I really liked about this tent was that these compartments were separate. This meant we could read or chat after the children had gone to sleep without disturbing them.
There was lots of space in the sleeping area for bags etc. And pockets for important things like phones or keys, and there was a hanging rail for any nice summer dresses you might have packed.
The tent itself outside the sleeping area was huge. And this was really useful on the day we arrived which was a bit rainy.
We could spend time inside, and eat in the tent if we needed to, without getting on top of each other.
We had a lovely pitch. Close enough to the washing areas, but not right next to them.
We were also off the main ‘road’ at the campsite.
The washing areas were clean and showers were hot and plentiful. We were there in high season and I only had to wait (for a very short time) once for a shower.
Food
My youngest son was very happy to see the (gas) barbecue outside the tent, as he loves to help with the food on holidays.
Most days the weather was lovely enough to cook and eat outside the tent. And there was a table, chairs and parasol so the family could all relax together, whether cooking or simply enjoying the results.
Inside the tent we had a gas burner with two hobs, so essential cups of tea could be made. And, on the one day the weather wasn’t great, we could easily cook inside the tent.
The kitchen area was equipped with everything we needed. There were togs for the barbecue, saucepans, frying pans, kitchen equipment, cutlery and crockery. And, of course, the all-important corkscrew.
The campsite had a bakery onsite, where there were always croissants or other pastries available no matter how long our lie-in.
Most days we had a picnic for lunch, and baguettes and other picnic food were available to buy in the on-site grocery shop.
We also had a lovely takeawa lunch from the picnic bar, and on one night really good pizzas from there.
isAll in all, everything being available on-site which just made the whole day so easy to plan.
The campsite also had a lovely-looking restaurant and bar overlooking the swimming pool.
Canvas Holidays at Camping Interlude: The best bits
For our family the combination of a beautiful stretch of sandy beach and fun swimming pools in very easy, walking reach just made this the best campsite in France we have visited. And we’ve been to a few.
There was no need to get back in the car if you didn’t want to for the rest of the holiday.
Everyone cycles everywhere on the le de Re. And you can hire bikes directly on the campsite. Again there’s no need to get back in the car.
The tents just had everything you could need, which again just really made the holiday so relaxing. You could be on your holiday the minute you got there.
Worth bearing in mind
We had booked the linen packs, which was great as our car was stuffed to bursting. But if you have room in your car it’s probably worth taking your own bedding.
Family Friendly?
This type of holiday is really, family-friendly. The tent is already up when you arrive, and fully equipped with everything you could need.
All we had to do was bring our bags in, and the holiday could begin. Perfect when you have just driven from the ferry port.
The campsite was peaceful. Everyone observed the silence after 11 pm and before 8 am rule.
And it felt really friendly. It also had fantastic facilities for children of all ages.
The campsite itself was full of families, a testament to this I think.
We sat together with a bottle of wine at the end of the evenings outside our tent. And talked a lot about returning next year.
We asked the children what they would think – we usually try out somewhere new. And we got a massive thumbs up.
The only thing we would change is coming for two weeks instead. And not telling too many people, so there is still space when we book.
Ready to book?
Find out more about Canvas Holidays here.
What we did in a week in le de Ré, Charente-Maritimes, Poitou-Charentes, France
We knew from the minute we drove off the bridge and onto the le de Ré and got instantly lost, that we were going to love it.
,After a long drive across France, my navigating went temporarily wrong and at dusk we found ourselves in a small ‘town’ square near La Rochelle. This had a market, fairy lights, and a lovely atmosphere.
The stress from the drive melted away, and we were immediately on holiday.
The beach – Canvas holidays at Camping Interlude, le de Ré, France
Once we found our campsite, the Camping Sunelia at le Bois de Plage, we went straight to explore the nearby beach (even though it was nearly dark).
This beach offers everything. In the morning a peaceful long respite for runners and dog walkers or early risers for a paddle, or some crabbing on the rocks.
Later in the day, depending on the tides, there were water sports in the form of windsurfing or surfing offered by the schools located on the beach. And a spot for playing or swimming watched over by lifeguards.
This beach was directly accessed from the campsite. And this was a bit of a revelation to us.
We’ve stayed on campsites in France before, but always a drive from the beach.
But we loved being able to just pop back to the tent for more water or an extra towel without having to interrupt our time at the beach.
And when the kids wanted to do some bodyboarding we could just check the tides and head down there. Even if it was for just a short time.
Le Bois Plages
We visited our nearest village, Le Bois Plages. For the supermarket, but also for the lovely covered food market, and general market stalls outside.
We spent a sunny morning wandering around the stalls, and streets, looking in the small shops and cafes.
On our last night we finally got to visit the artisan boulangerie and patisserie and buy five of the largest (and most delicious) strawberry tarts ever.
Cycling – Canvas holidays at Camping Interlude, le de Ré, France
The le de Ré is just made for a family cycle ride. One of our favorite days of the holiday was when we hired bikes.
The bike paths are wide, and away from the road, and the Island is very flat.
The bike paths have their own signposts, so there is no need at all to worry about finding your way. You can just set off on your own adventure.
Although our youngest, who is eight, was a bit of a reluctant cyclist before we set off she was completely converted by the time we got back.
La Flotte
We cycled to a to a small harbor town, La Flotte, on the other side of the island. Here we sat and ate our picnic watching the tide come into the harbour.
Then we headed for an explore around the pretty back streets and amazing church.
We ended up at an ice cream shop selling the most wonderful flavors of ice cream. Before heading back off on our bikes to explore some more.
St Martin
On another beautiful sunny day, we decided to visit the main town of St Martin.
We enjoyed another explore around the streets and came across their beautiful church, where you could climb the church tower.
Our sons are none too keen on heights and waited for us at the bottom, but our intrepid daughter came with us for a look.
We got to see some amazing views across the island in all directions. And as we descended the very narrow steps the church bell chimed in our ears.
After all this exploring we decided to head for our traditional French holiday crepe in one of the very many inviting harborside cafes. And these did not disappoint.
Days spent at the campsite – Canvas holidays at Camping Interlude, le de Ré, France
We decided to spend our last couple of days enjoying the hot sunny weather in the pool and on the beach. So that the kids could go body boarding, build vast sea defenses in the sand and make friends whose language they didn’t share while doing so.
A week in le de Ré is the perfect time and place to holiday with kids. Easy to cycle round and leave the car behind, full of long sandy beaches and small squares with markets, cafes, and pretty streets to wander around lazily in the sun.
The island was full of tourists but it never once felt busy or crowded. And we were there in the middle of August.
The biggest traffic jam you’ll find on the island is a trail of cyclists.
As we lay on the sand on our last day, we talked about how, unusually for us, we all wanted to come back again next year, and for longer.
And next time, we’ll bring our bikes.
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