Camping Des Familles

Camping des Familles is a welcoming and eco-conscious four-star campsite nestled in the heart of a lush two-hectare wooded park in Grayan-et-l'Hôpital, on the northern tip of the Médoc peninsula in the Gironde department of south-west France. Run with warmth and dedication by owners Karine and Manu since 2021, this campsite lives up to its name, offering a peaceful, shaded, and genuinely family-friendly environment just five kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean.

The campsite sits just 500 metres from the beautiful Étangs de la Barreyre lake and is surrounded by the pine forests of the Médoc, offering a serene natural setting that is ideal for guests looking to disconnect from everyday life and enjoy the great outdoors. On-site facilities include a heated outdoor swimming pool open from June to September, a paddling pool with water slide for younger children, a wellness area featuring a spa, hammam, sauna, jacuzzi, and sensory trails — unique in the Médoc — as well as a trampoline, playground, boules pitch, games room, table football, billiards, and table tennis.

The bar-restaurant opens daily from 8am serving breakfast, snacks, salads, crêpes, and a daily menu with weekly themed evenings, and a convenience store with daily bread and pastry delivery ensures guests have everything they need on site. Bicycle hire and electric scooter rental are available for exploring the surrounding forests and coastal cycle paths, and a dedicated entertainment programme in July and August includes competitions, themed meals, dance evenings, a kids' club, and festive activities for all ages. The campsite is fully dog-friendly and has been designed with eco-responsibility in mind, including solar-heated sanitary facilities. Whether you are pitching a tent under the pines, parking a motorhome on one of the spacious shaded pitches, or settling into a comfortable mobile home or premium ecolodge, Camping des Familles offers an authentic, relaxed, and memorable holiday experience in one of France's most beautiful natural landscapes.

Camping des Familles occupies an exceptional position on the Médoc Atlantic peninsula, ideally placed between the wild Atlantic Ocean to the west and the vast Gironde Estuary to the east. The Gurp and Amélie beaches — both Blue Flag certified and beloved for their Atlantic waves and broad sandy expanses — are just five kilometres away and easily reachable by car in five minutes or by bicycle in around fifteen minutes along secure dedicated cycle paths that wind through the pine forest.

The village of Grayan-et-l'Hôpital is just 500 metres from the campsite and provides basic amenities, while the popular seaside resort of Soulac-sur-Mer, known for its beautiful Belle Époque villas, its lively marina, markets, restaurants, and shops, is a short drive to the north.

The area around the campsite is crisscrossed with well-maintained cycle paths and walking trails that pass through ancient pine forests, past marshes, and along the coast, making it ideal for active holidays on two wheels or on foot. The Étangs de la Barreyre, a beautiful freshwater lagoon just 500 metres from the campsite, is a tranquil spot for birdwatching and nature walks, while the wider Médoc coastline offers some of the most dramatic and unspoilt Atlantic beaches in France, stretching for kilometres with barely a crowd in sight. Just a short walk from the campsite in the village, children will find a skate park, basketball court, and football pitch — and the campsite itself is surrounded by quiet forest roads perfect for family cycling and evening strolls.

The Médoc peninsula on which Camping des Familles sits is one of France's most diverse and fascinating holiday destinations, combining world-famous wine culture, wild Atlantic nature, and rich maritime heritage in a region that remains refreshingly authentic and relatively undiscovered by mass tourism. The Médoc wine route, which passes through some of the most prestigious appellations in the world — including Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Margaux, and Saint-Estèphe — is easily accessible from the campsite, and many of the grand châteaux welcome visitors for tours and tastings throughout the summer, offering a wonderful introduction to the wines that have made Bordeaux famous across the globe. The Cordouan Lighthouse, classified as a Historic Monument and known as the King of Lighthouses, stands at the mouth of the Gironde Estuary and is accessible by boat from the nearby port of Royan, offering one of the most memorable excursions in the region. Soulac-sur-Mer, just north of the campsite, is home to the magnificent Romanesque Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Fin-des-Terres, a key stop on the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route, while the Moulin de Vensac windmill and various Médoc heritage sites offer further cultural interest. For families with children, the area offers a wealth of activities including Laby'Médoc adventure maze in Naujac-sur-Mer, Animalia Parc farm park, Splash Park Hourtin water park, and La Grange aux Jeux in Hourtin. The city of Bordeaux, a UNESCO World Heritage Site celebrated for its stunning 18th-century architecture, vibrant food scene, and world-class wine museum La Cité du Vin, is approximately 90 kilometres to the south and makes an excellent day trip. The legendary Dune du Pilat — the tallest sand dune in Europe at over 100 metres — and the Bassin d'Arcachon with its oyster farms and boat trips to the Île aux Oiseaux are also within reach, offering further highlights of this extraordinary corner of south-west France.