France is a country full of campsites, lakes, rivers, and watersports. Many campsites you visit will have bodies of water nearby, but you don’t want to simply look at them. If you’re the kind of family who would rather spend their holidays sailing, swimming, and using the water for sports than relaxing, this post is for you.
In this post, I’m going to list our top campsites for active watersports hobbyists. These campsites have lakes and/or rivers on-site so that you can enjoy a holiday full of sun, fun, and nautical joy.
Our Top 15 Campsites in France For Watersports activities
La Rive (Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine)
This campsite is located on the shores of the Cazaux-Sanguinet Lake in Biscarrosse. This freshwater lake is one of the largest in France at approximately 5,500 hectares. La Rive has a private lake beach from which you can paddleboard, sail and swim. The warm, shallow areas near the shore are great for families with young children, and the deeper areas are fantastic for sports enthusiasts. You can either bring your own equipment or visit one of the many hire facilities where you can even try parasailing, jet skiing, wakeboarding and kitesurfing.
Camping Le Lac des Vieilles Forges (Ardennes, Grand Est)
Located in the middle of a beautiful forest, this campsite has direct access to a sandy beached artificial lake. The Lac des Vieilles Forges is 150 hectares, surrounded by a thousand-hectare forest. Whilst the lake is artificial, you cannot dismiss the natural beauty of the setting. The lake is ideal for families wishing to swim, paddleboard, kayak, and canoe, and it’s also great for walkers and cyclists. While the 3* campsite offers many facilities, the lake really steals the show. You can either take your own equipment or hire it from the lake.
Camping Le Val de Bonnal (Franche-Comté, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté)
This stunning 5* campsite has four lakes and a river flowing through it. The first lake is suitable for swimming, sailing, pedalos and more. You can bring your own equipment or borrow equipment from the Eurocamp reception. But it isn’t just the lake you can practice your watersports on. Flowing through the campsite is the Ognon River, where you can canoe along one of the routes. Experienced paddlers can sail the 150km route along the river to its junction with the Saône River. Or you can stick to one of the shorter routes, like the 13km route starting from the campsite.
Camping Le Pin Parasol (Vendée)
With direct access to Lac Jaunay, Le Pin Parasol is one of the best campsites in France for watersport-loving families. The protected natural lake of Jaunay is a haven for paddleboarders and kayakers. The lake is 114 hectares in size and stretches 8km in length. You can bring your non-motorised watercraft or hire one from one of the many stations. However, swimming in the lake is prohibited as it doubles as a reserve drinking water supply.
Mayotte Vacances (South West France)
This 5* Marvilla Parks campsite is also located on Lac de Cazaux-Sanguinet. The campsite has direct access to the lake, where you can practice all kinds of watersports, like paddleboarding, kayaking, windsurfing, and kite surfing. The campsite even has its own on-site sailing school, offering sailing lessons for beginners and advanced sailors. The campsite even has its own marina, so guests can park their boats.
Les Ranchisses (Largentière, Ardèche)
Located on a tributary of the Ardeche River, les Ranchisses is one of the best places for a nature-rich holiday experience. This campsite is nestled in the Ardeche Mountains nature park, and La Ligne River is accessed directly from the campsite. You can swim, canoe, and enjoy this stunning freshwater river with a calm, gentle flow here.
Camping Au Lac de Biscarrosse (Les Landes)
This 5* campsite is located in Parentis-en Born and offers direct access to the Lac de Biscarrosse. The lake provides various water sports activities, including swimming, pedalos, kayaks, windsurfing, and boat trips. You can bring your own equipment or hire it from the local facilities. The campsite itself also has an extensive waterpark where you can relax.
Camping Parc de Fierbois (Loire Valley)
Parc De Fierbois is a Castels campsite in the Loire Valley; this natural haven has a massive 7-hectare lake from which you can swim, kayak, paddleboard and more. You can also hire equipment from the campsite and play on their overwater inflatable park. The campsite is a great base for exploring the Loire Valley, but we did think it could do with a bit of refreshment when we stayed in 2023
Camping Val de Durance (Cadenet, Southern france)
This sunny 4* campsite, located just 60km from Marseille and 81km from the famous Lac de Sainte Croix, is perfect for families looking for an active, water-filled holiday. Camping Val de Durance has its own 4-hectare private lake that provides a variety of water-related activities, including swimming and paddleboarding. Whilst equipment is not offered by the campsite, you can bring your own and use it on this stunning lake with mountain backdrops.
Bois du Bardelet (Loire Valley)
Another 5* Loire Valley Campsite, Le Bois Du Bardelet, offers guests the use of its 1.5-hectare lake for leisure activities and watersports. Whilst the campsite doesn’t provide a wide range of watersports, it does provide canoes to its guests. However, you can, of course, bring your own. This calm and serene campsite is perfect for both relaxing and adventuring, and we look forward to exploring it ourselves this year.
Camping Rivages des Landes (South West France)
Previously known as Domaine d’Eurolac, camping Rivages des Landes is a 4* campsite in the Landes department of France. The campsite has direct access to Lac d’Aureilhan, a 340-hectare freshwater lake. Just 50m from the campsite, sailing lessons and pedalo, boat and windsurfing hire are available. Bringing your own equipment? The campsite is perfect for you, with an entrance to the lake steps away from your accommodation.
Camping La Source (Verdon Gorge)
Camping La Source is situated on one of the most gorgeous lakes in the whole of France. The man-made reservoir of Lac de Sainte-Croix was created in 1973 and features 2200 hectares of stunning turquoise water and hosts a whole range of watersports. Camping La Source is situated right on this lake’s banks; from there, you can paddle, kayak, pedal, windsurf and even sail an electric motorboat (gas motors are prohibited). The area around the campsite is perfect for active families who wish to hike and explore around the Gorge du Verdon, and whilst the campsite is basic in terms of amenities, it couldn’t be located in a better area.
Camping Les Alicourts (Loire Valley)
Camping les Alicourts is a classic favourite for water sporting activities. Firstly, you can get a camping emplacement directly on the lake, meaning bringing your own kayaks and paddleboards is no bother. Secondly, you can hire equipment from the campsite; they even have a waterskiing area. We loved Les Alicourts because of the campsite facilities, especially the lake. However, the campsite is slightly secluded, with not much in the surrounding areas.
Le Col Vert (Landes, South West France)
Le Col Vert campsite is located on Lac de Leon in the Landes department of France. Like Les Alicourts, Le Col Vert has camping emplacements available on the lake, where guests can sail, pedal boats, canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, and even ride electric boats. The lake is a whopping 340 hectares in size and is the largest artificial lake in metropolitan France by surface area. The campsite is also a decent campsite with lovely pools and brand-new parks and facilities.
Le Lac des 3 Vallées (Gers, South West France)
This 5* campsite in rural France is a gorgeous nature retreat. We loved the active and sporty facilities here and have never seen a campsite so focused on health and wellbeing as this one. The campsite’s lake is 5 hectares in size and offers a wide range of activities, including pedalos, paddleboards, kayaks, and canoes. There are also various points around the lake where you can use your own equipment, but it is reserved for non-motorised water activities.
How to Choose the Best Campsite for Watersports
When looking for water sport friendly campsites, it’s essential to do your research, especially if you are bringing your own equipment. Many campsites like Les Ormes and La Croix Du Vieux Pont boast beautiful lakes, but you can only use their equipment. Other campsites have lakes that are suitable for swimming but don’t actually allow you to do any other activities.
If you don’t want to bring your equipment, choose a campsite that can provide the water sports equipment you want and are interested in, and that won’t cost you a bomb every time you want to use something.
Another thing to consider is the water temperature. Rivers will generally be colder than lakes, but it’s worth researching the average water temperature for where you’re going so you can pack appropriate wet suits and swimwear.
Then, consider the other campsite activities for when you’re not on the water. Do you want the campsite to have pools, entertainment, restaurants, somewhere near a town or secluded?
Other Activities Available at These Campsites
Each campsite I have listed will have a wide range of different activities available and if you’re sport focused, many of them will have a whole host of off the water activities to keep you busy too. So if you want to take a break from sailing, swimming and paddling, you’ll find these activities across many of the campsites and Eurocamps that I’ve listed.
Here are just some of the campsite activities and a couple of suggestions for campsites that put an emphasis on them:
- Hiking and cycling: Camping Le Lac des Vieilles Forges, Camping Le Val de Bonnal, Les Ranchisses
- Fishing: Camping Parc de Fierbois, Camping Rivages des Landes, Camping Les Alicourts
- Adventure Parks and Climbing: Camping Parc de Fierbois, Les Ranchisses
- Wellness and Relaxation: Mayotte Vacances, Les Alicourts
- Cultural Excursions: Camping Val de Durance, Camping Les Ranchisses
- Swimming pools: Camping Le Pin Parasol, Les Alicourts, La Rive
- Entertainment: Le Col Vert, Parc de Fierbois
Best Time Of Year To Book A Water Sport Friendly Campsite
The best time to book will depend completely on the type of experience you want to have. In the lower season April – June/September-November not many activities will be open and things will be a lot quieter. If you’re not coming with your own equipment you’ll want to check that things will be open to hire at that time of year and that lakes/reservoirs are even open. Don’t be like our friends who turned up to a lake in May to find it completely empty.
The only downsides to July and August are the busyness, the heat and the potential for some lakes to be closed due to bacteria and heat, though we’ve found this rare on campsites. If you are comfortable with the warmth and thrive in a busy environment then July and August are the best times to book to find all activities available. However, you’ll have to book far in advanced, peak times of year get booked up very early on.
Safety Tips for Water Sports Enthusiasts
Because I couldn’t finish this post without mentioning a few important safety tips. Even if you think you’re experienced and everything is safe, things can go wrong we’ve all heard horror stories and I’d hate for anyone to have an accident while on what should be an enjoyable active holiday. So here are a few safety tips to remember:
- Wear a life jacket – Even if you’re a strong swimmer
- Check the weather forecast – avoid going out in bad conditions
- Be aware of currents and depth – Rivers can have strong undercurrents, while lakes may have steep drop-offs. Always test the water before diving in – don’t be like me and jump of a pedalo into ridiculously shallow water and bust up your toe!
- Know the rules and restrictions – Some lakes have designated swimming areas, fishing areas and activity areas. Don’t enter somewhere that isn’t supposed to be used for activities.
- Never go alone – It’s always safer to have a friend or family member to keep a watchful eye over you
- Don’t drink alcohol – avoid alcohol in the run up to any water activities
If you get into trouble on the water, one thing I have learnt thanks to the RNLI is float to live. If you have 5 minutes then give their advice a quick read over before you consider going in the water.
