L’Affenage

L’Affenage is a municipal site of two hectares in Le Pouget, a village in the Hérault valley, between vineyards and garrigue scrubland. It lies at the crossroads of two Grands Sites de France, the Hérault gorges and the Salagou with the Cirque de Mourèze, close to Gignac and Clermont-l’Hérault. Montpellier is about 40 km away, Béziers 50 km and Sète 40 km. The former Campotel was completely refurbished in 2019; the commune runs it as a public service.

The site has 21 large, shaded pitches of 120 to 220 m², four wooden chalets and eleven individual cottages arranged around a patio planted with eight olive trees. The cottages are rated 3 épis by Gîtes de France. A function room of 80 m², for 50 people, is used for weddings and seminars alike. The site has a rating of 4.8 out of 5.

As for opening, the rule is clear: according to its own website, the site welcomes visitors 7 days a week and 365 days a year. Pitches, “4-season” chalets and cottages are therefore available in winter too, including for a long stay or a business stay, two uses the website highlights. The reception desk is staffed from Tuesday to Saturday, 3pm to 6pm, excluding public holidays.

The village itself is worth a detour, with its circulade, its 17th-century dovecote and its 14th-century Gothic church of Sainte-Catherine.

Walks and mountain bike routes in the Hérault valley, Languedoc wine cellars, vintage cycling ride “Musette et bicyclette” in October in Le Pouget.

Each pitch can have a water and electricity connection, charged as an extra (European socket, extension lead and tap adaptor not provided). An accessible washroom block has showers, toilets, a dishwashing area, a baby room and a laundry, with tokens at 5 euros and dryer tokens at 1 euro sold at reception. Motorhome owners have a free service point for guests, and barbecues are grouped in a secured area, as they are not allowed on the pitches.

The air-conditioned chalets stand under a pine grove and come in three models for 5 people (25 m² with an 18 m² terrace) and one for 6 people (33 m²). The cottages, also air-conditioned, comprise nine units of 28 m² for 4 people and two adapted units of 28 m² for 2 people, each with a fitted kitchen, television and private terrace; rentals start at two nights. Bed linen, towels, end-of-stay cleaning and hotel service can be ordered as options.

The campsite also provides two free tennis courts (booking at reception), a play area with a petanque court and children’s games, a table football, a bike maintenance point, a large car park closed by a keypad and a tourist information point. A mobile food service has been set up on the play area in season. No swimming pool is mentioned on the website; swimming is at the Pont du Diable or at the sea.

Le Pouget and its surroundings lend themselves to discovery on foot, by bike or by car. In the commune, you can visit the Dolmen educational farm, which stretches over five hectares around the dolmen, or go horse riding at the Domaine équestre des 3 Fontaines. The Clos d’Alice also offers quad biking and paintball, and the Vignerons de la Vicomté welcome visitors at their estate in the 3 Fontaines business park.

About twenty kilometres away, the Hérault gorges open onto Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, the Clamouse cave, the potters of Saint-Jean-de-Fos, swimming at the Pont du Diable, canoeing and kayaking and many walks. Towards Clermont-l’Hérault, 10 to 15 km away, the Cirque de Mourèze, Lake Salagou and Villeneuvette complete the picture. The Cirque de Navacelles is 50 km away, Pézenas 20 km, and the coast (Sète, Vias, Palavas) 40 to 70 km. The campsite points visitors to walking guides and mountain bike routes in the Hérault valley.

In the off-season, the appeal lies in the region itself: Languedoc cellars and wines, walks and mountain bike routes, and local events such as the vintage cycling ride “Musette et bicyclette” held in October in Le Pouget, for which the site is a partner accommodation provider, with a preferential rate for participants in 2024.