Camping Oléron Les Chênes Verts

The beach next door is probably this site’s main draw, and there’s plenty of stuff to keep both tiddlies and grownups more than occupied: go foraging for winkles, cockles, clams, crabs, mussels and oysters among the rocks at low tide, have a horseback hack along the sand, try your hand at the art of sandcastle construction, or just opt for a nice and simple sunbathe. The landscape around here is decidedly waterlogged too, making these parts a tiptop spot for birdwatching and nature spotting: pack a picnic and your binoculars and head over to the littoral and salt marshes at Dolus-d'Oléron and Le Port des Salines, both within six kilometres. For a kid-friendly day out, it’s a 15-minute bike ride to Aquatic Center Iléo, where swooshing around waterslides and splashing in tropical pools is the order of the day. Over at Les Ânes d'Oléron, a short drive away, kids can pet horses and donkeys, learn about their role in farming and round the day off with a donkey ride.