La Venise du Bocage

La Venise du Bocage is located at the hamlet of Le Chaillot, in Nesmy, in the Vendée, very close to La Roche-sur-Yon. The site is laid out around a 6,000 m² pond. La Tranche-sur-Mer is about twenty minutes away, Les Sables-d’Olonne half an hour, the O’Gliss Park and Indian Forest parks ten minutes and the Puy du Fou around forty minutes.

The campsite is rated 3 stars and presents itself as a calm, family-friendly place: no nightclub or late-night entertainment, and quiet is requested from 11pm. It has 49 grass pitches of at least 80 m², 19 of which are taken up by rental accommodation, as well as mobile homes, chalets and canvas bungalows, all recent or insulated for all four seasons according to the website.

As for opening, the rental accommodation is advertised as open from June to April, which suggests a single break, in May. The bare pitches, however, are only open in high season. Off-season, from September to April, the campsite also offers monthly rental, under conditions, to students and to workers on professional assignments: the terms are arranged directly by phone.

Reception follows two sets of hours: in summer from 9am to 12.30pm and from 4pm to 7.30pm, in winter from 2pm to 6pm.

La Roche-sur-Yon, a few minutes away, hosts festivals, races and events all year round, as well as indoor sports competitions at the Vendéspace.

The most original service is the bakery: baguettes, croissants and pains au chocolat are baked on site every day, and orders of bread, pastries or snacks are delivered directly to pitches and rentals. The snack bar offers a varied menu, open for lunch and dinner in high season, and prepared dishes from the caterer are made to order. A small grocery is run at reception, with fishing items for sale.

The grass pitches measure 80 to 120 m², are shaded and bordered by hedges. Each has a 16-amp hook-up; five water points are spread around the site and a chemical toilet disposal point is available. The washrooms include a block reserved for people with reduced mobility. A launderette is equipped with a washing machine and a 10 kg dryer. Pets are accepted, one per pitch.

The pool and its paddling pool are outdoors and heated to 28 °C. They are open from 10am to 8pm every day from 1 July to 31 August, with a late opening on Fridays until 11pm, a terrace, parasols and free sun loungers; water quality is monitored by a real-time analyser. The snack bar, pool and entertainment are limited to high season: off-season, only the rentals, reception and the campsite grocery should be counted on.

The campsite pond is suitable for fishing, and a competition is held every Thursday morning from 7am in July and August, with prizes at noon for all participants. On Tuesdays, the pétanque competition is played in teams drawn by lot, with tickets to local leisure parks to be won. At the pool, water polo matches take place on Thursdays from 4pm, and table tennis tournaments are held after swimming.

Children aged 5 to 12 have a bouncy castle open from 10am to noon and then from 3pm to 8pm. On Fridays, they hunt for a hidden can of tuna around the campsite by solving riddles, and a game of dodgeball is played on the former tennis court. On Wednesday evenings, the campsite evening offers a quiz, a meal by reservation and karaoke, subject to a minimum of thirty sign-ups.

Around the campsite, La Roche-sur-Yon offers Napoleonic heritage, a tourist office, urban parks and walks in the Yon valley, on foot or by bike. The town hosts festivals and races throughout the year, as well as the Vendéspace arena, which stages competitions and shows. For rainy days or the shoulder season, these outings are the easiest to organise from the campsite.