The Pays de la Loire is one of the best kept camping secrets of France. Long a favourite with the French it’s only really started to be discovered by savvy holiday makers relatively recently.
Nestling in the south west corner of France along the Atlantic coast, it’s a place of vineyards, sensational seaside resorts, historic cities and fabulous markets.
Some of the main attractions of Pays de la Loire
With some of the longest sandy beaches in Europe, if you love being at the seaside you’ll be totally spoiled for choice here. Saint-Jean-de-Monts and La Baule are well-known but if you want to get off the beaten track and discover some less touristy but equally gorgeous seaside spots, try Pont-Mahé, Mesquer and Quimiac.
Where there’s sea – there’s salt. Take a visit to the salt pans of the Guérande to discover the traditional way of extracting salt from seawater. The pure Fleur de Sel produced here is used by top chefs around the world and is much loved by the French.
Nantes is a quirky city that embraces art in a unique way. It’s former industrial sites, estuary, and port are now home to year-round art installations and cultural festivals. You’ll also find the Machines de L’ile here. It’s a project inspired by Jules Verne and Leonardo da Vinci where giant spiders and elephants wander for instance. It’s an awesome visit.
Everyone knows Le Mans for its famous 24-hour race through the city. But, there’s more to this town than motoring. The old city is a little jewel, with cobbled streets with half-timbered houses, a near perfect medieval town with a remarkable third-century Roman wall. And, a fabulous Sunday morning market.
Angers is the perfect little city to dine out at terraced cafes. Visit an incredible chateau, taste Cointreau in its home environment (it’s not made anywhere else) and discover a historic town with half timbered houses and a laid back vibe.
There’s plenty to do in this almost ice cream cornet shaped department.
Where to go camping in Pays de la Loire
Island Camping Noimoutier
Go island hopping and head to Noimoutier to discover a rather secret part of France It looks Mediterranean with its pretty houses with their whitewashed walls, blue shutters and red terracotta roofs. With 25 miles of beaches, you can go to a different beach every day.
Camping at the seaside Saint-Jean-de-Monts
Saint-Jean-de-Monts offers loads for holiday makers. 8km of beautiful beaches bordered by a forest of pine trees for relaxing in the shade – and a lovely town.
Camping in the heart of the Loire Valley
If you’re looking to go inland a bit for your camping holiday then take a look at the area around Angers and Saumur, in the heart of the Loire Valley, it has everything you want from a holiday.
