Natur Parc L’Ardéchois | The Best Riverside Campsite in France
For couples or families searching for a quiet break, a riverside pitch normally offers peace and tranquility….. and we’ve not found many better pitches than this one at Camping Nature Parc l’Ardechois in the Ardeche, South of France. However, add in the ability to kayak directly from your pitch, down the Ardèche Gorge, one of France’s most picturesque rivers, then you’ve got all your bases covered for a week in the South of France….. Plus it’s dog friendly too!!
Just picture the scene…..Monday sees your family opt for peace and quiet overlooking the river in the provided hammocks whilst Tuesday sees you inside a kayak enjoying the thrills or spills of the rapids near Pont d’Arc…. As for Wednesday…. you could explore the campsites swimming pools or grab a fishing rod and wade out into the river looking for Black Bass or Barbel (see here for more)
With the trees starting to turn slightly as we move into early autumn, it seems September might be an ideal time to visit this campsite. It’s not over-run like in August but the day/evening temperatures have been perfect for shorts/t-shirts (we’ve even swum in the river in between the passing kayakers!) and the campsite still has capacity to take a few additional guests (but it’s probably worth ringing in advance to try and get the riverside pitch or make sure there’s space elsewhere)
With views from the window of our trusty Adria motorhome like these…. it’s not hard to see why it’s so popular… Panoramic views of the steep sides gorges that reminds of us of great memories made in Norway (particularly Flåm or Geirangerfjord) but perhaps the nearest comparison would be another of our family favourites on the River Dordogne.
But it’s hardly the worst view to have from your motorhome after nipping out to the campsite’s boulangerie! Morning croissants, coffee and a view… it doesn’t get much better does it?
As for the rest of the campsite, it’s well laid out into a series of serviced, large shady pitches either next to or away from the riverside. We found it hard to pinpoint the exact centre of the campsite as both the reception/swimming pools and the riverbanks tend to be the busiest yet are at opposite sides of the campsite… but there’s a nice sense of calm across the site and new facilities like the automatic toilet cassette cleaner or the on-site kayaking office.
Having seen a whole host of differing toilet facilities over the course of our adventures, we like the simple but attractive buildings across the site. All with good quality washing, laundry and toilet/shower facilities… so you’re never too far away from one wherever you end up on this campsite. Plus there’s a steady stream of useful information posted daily on the campsite noticeboards that show the animation programme and evening events (plus local sights to see, tours that can be taken etc)
There’s plenty to keep you active too here… with superb play equipment, courts and open air gyms…. not to mention the river! Our kids found them very early on during our visit and had to be prised out of the attractive ‘castle’ that seems to dominate the playground. It’s also well located away from any campsite traffic that hopefully ensures it safe for kids of all ages.
Due to the fantastic location of our riverside plot and the ability to BBQ, we’ve barely used the campsite restaurant or bar area… but both looked to be well used throughout the evening and we could imagine they’d be a real hive of activity in the mid-summer months. Conveniently they also offer a very well priced ‘take away’ menu… which we can say with some relish was worth the short wait!!! (TakeAway Pizza Cost – 10 Euros)
It truly is a laidback site and one in which we loved the back-to-nature experience, hugging the riverbank at the foot of the Ardèche Gorge. Children like ours will love launching themselves into the river on body boards, watch the kayakers or build dams. If you can tear them away, there are numerous woodland trails to explore, including a delightful riverside amble to the Post d’Arc itself (just a few kilometres from the campsite.)
You can even check out what we found outside of the campsite in this article about the best viewpoints to see the stunning Gorge de Ardéche
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Camping Nature Parc l’Ardechois
so where did we park the bus for the night?
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