La Griole

La Griole is set in Targasonne, in the Cerdagne, at 1,580 m altitude, on the road to Andorra. The village is in the Pyrénées-Orientales, close to the Font-Romeu and Les Angles ski resorts; the Spanish border is very near, with the enclave of Llívia 20 minutes away by bike and the town of Puigcerdà a little further on. The site covers 2.6 hectares of countryside where, according to the managers, you may spot squirrels, deer, foxes and birds of prey.

The campsite has 76 pitches spread across shaded and sunny areas, among large granite rocks that are part of the climbing site. For rental, there are two gîtes (8 and 10 beds, linked by an interior door for groups of up to 18 people), mobile homes with 2, 4 and 6 beds and pod-style cabins for 2 or 3 people. Two washroom blocks serve the site, one of which has an area for changing and bathing babies. Vans and motorhomes are accepted.

As for opening, the campsite presents itself as open all year round and promotes a stay “summer and winter alike”. Out of season it caters to skiers from the neighbouring resorts, snowshoe walkers and fans of nature weekends; in summer it attracts mainly climbers, mountain bikers and paragliders. Precise winter dates and prices are available from reception, as the website’s price page is limited to a table in image form.

The site is equipped to receive people with reduced mobility, according to the management, which also offers personalised route advice.

Downhill skiing, cross-country skiing and ski touring at Font-Romeu and Les Angles, snowshoeing on the Cerdagne plateau, campsite sauna.

The facilities remain simple and geared to outdoor living. Two washroom blocks are available, one with a baby area. A laundry room groups a washing machine and a tumble dryer, in addition to hand-washing points. A covered “bring your own food” room allows groups to share a meal when the weather turns, with a refrigerator available; three barbecues are spread around the campsite for meals with family or friends.

Mobile home tenants can book a set of bed linen, by reservation only. A wooden sauna for six people, with panoramic views of the mountains, is offered for 10 euros for two 15-minute sessions: a good complement after a day of skiing or bouldering. The campsite also rents crashpads to guests staying on site, as well as mountain bikes and electric bikes.

There is no swimming pool or beach on the site, and the website mentions neither a restaurant nor a grocery: for shopping, you need to rely on the shops in the surrounding villages. Music evenings, pizza evenings and the “Targamaster” bouldering event punctuate the season. The website does not say which services operate in winter or whether the washrooms and accommodation are heated: these points should be confirmed with the campsite before booking a cold-weather stay.

It all starts with the site itself: boulders of pink-orange granite rise up in the campsite and in the neighbouring fields, on the Targasonne climbing site, which has more than a thousand boulders. The campsite rents crashpads to its guests, and the nearest boulders can be reached on foot.

Xavier, a mountain guide, mountain bike instructor and archery leader, offers outings and workshops from the campsite on request. The rental fleet includes standard mountain bikes, electric mountain bikes with Bosch motors and a model for children from 8 years old. Road cyclists enjoy varied loops between the Cerdagne, Conflent and Capcir, and the GRP Tour de Cerdagne trail runs straight through the campsite. The paragliding take-off point is just above, with local schools offering tandem flights, and the rivers and mountain lakes attract trout anglers. On site there is also a pétanque court, a table tennis table, a slackline and a play area for little ones.

In winter, the Font-Romeu and Les Angles resorts offer downhill skiing, cross-country skiing and ski touring, while snowshoes let you follow animal tracks on the plateau trails. The Spanish enclave of Llívia, with its tapas, is an easy outing in any season.