We like to travel completely free – without committing to anything beforehand, and usually Fred only starts looking for the next campsite the day before we leave. So far this has worked out really well for us (and we have always found a spot).
That is how we spontaneously decided to head to Camping Panorama de la Dune du Pilat. Our pitch neighbour at Cap de L'Homy had raved about it. And she had not promised too much. It started with the great service. After we arrived, Fred was driven around the site by a nice guy in a golf cart so he could get a first impression of the available pitches.
He came back with three options, and we decided quickly: A pitch right at the edge, on the slope facing the sea, shady under old pine trees. It was not really a proper pitch anymore, more like the forgotten corner spot – too small for bigger cars, which is why it was still free. But for us it was the coolest campsite spot we have ever had.
That the pitch was quite steep, we only noticed when setting up. We did not have levelling wedges back then – we did not even know you need something like that. So we gathered every stone we could find. We stacked and fiddled and somehow drove the wheels on top. It was pretty wild, but it worked. And then we just sat there in our chairs, about 200 metres above the sea, and simply looked. When the thermals were right, paragliders glided silently past us and circled right in front of our noses. Very atmospheric and calming at the same time.
The campsite itself was lively, and yet we had our peace and quiet. There were nice new sanitary facilities, not too far away, a supermarket within walking distance and a restaurant – which we ended up not going to. Getting pizza and eating at our pitch felt cosier 😊. All over the site there were hidden, lovely pitches under the big pine trees. It was pleasantly cool and smelled wonderful. Everything was just right here.
Also: the largest sand dune in Europe is right next to the campsite. One day we got up at four in the morning to watch the sunrise from the dune. Getting up was not exactly easy and then it was also colder than expected at first. But when we finally arrived at the top, it was simply unforgettable: barefoot in the sand, the sea on one side, the pine forest on the other. And in between this quiet vastness. We had never experienced anything like it before.
To get to the sea you go down a steep staircase – which is quite exhausting, but in return we had the amazing view from our pitch. The beach below is sheltered by a sandbar, so there were hardly any waves. The beach is narrow, but there was plenty of space. Once we cycled around the area with our bikes. We can recommend the cycle paths too; it is just a bit hilly and on that hot day we worked up quite a sweat.
We really wanted to come back the following year (2022). But then we heard that a terrible wildfire raged and destroyed a large part of the old pine trees around the campsite. The site has since reopened, but we do not know what it looks like today. The atmosphere of those old trees was beyond words. We prefer to keep this place in good memory just as it was.
