Le Chêne du Lac

Le Chêne du Lac is an independent family campsite in Bayas, in the Gironde, in the north of the Libournais, about twenty minutes from Libourne and close to Saint-Émilion. It has been run by the same family for about fifteen years and has fewer than 70 pitches, on a pine-covered site bordered by a former kaolin quarry that has become a lake, reserved for campsite guests.

Accommodation ranges from bare pitches to mobile homes of several sizes, including one model accessible to guests with reduced mobility, along with canvas lodges, a treehouse cabin with no washroom or electricity and equipped tents in partnership with Decathlon. The campsite holds the Home Vélo label and is on the EuroVelo 3, the Scandibérique. Individual barbecues are banned on pitches because of the fire risk in a wooded area; fixed barbecues are freely available.

Opening period: the campsite’s website does not publish any dates. A tourist guide mentions April to October, and a review mentions a quiet welcome in early April, but nothing verifiable is shown for winter. Entertainment is described as a summer feature, and the website simply says that out of season the place becomes quiet again. Off-season opening therefore needs to be confirmed with the campsite on 05 57 69 13 78.

The campsite snack bar overlooks the lake. It serves pastries at breakfast, light bites at lunchtime, sharing platters at the end of the day and homemade pizzas in the evening, with a menu that changes every week for the brazier evenings. Its service calendar is not published. A grocery shop is mentioned on the website, with no opening hours.

The lake is the main facility. It is reserved for guests, with a gently sloping beach suitable for young children, sun loungers, inflatable structures and lent life jackets. A barrier closes off the lake area outside opening hours to prevent accidents, and children remain under their parents’ supervision. A floating bathing chair is available for guests with reduced mobility, along with adapted washrooms. A sheltered area and dedicated accommodation welcome cycle tourists. The campsite also offers bike hire, according to Gironde Tourisme.

There is no swimming pool: swimming is in the lake, which limits bathing to the warm season.

Equipment is lent at no extra charge: canoe, paddleboard, pedalo, inflatable structures, rackets and balls. On dry land there is a playground with swings and slides, a mini sports pitch, a volleyball court, table tennis tables, a pétanque court, a mini farm and a forest walk. Fishing is possible on the lake shore, where a variety of fish is reported, and the campsite lends fishing rods. The youngest will also find a rope pyramid, a belly slide and a play area near the snack bar.

In season, the team organises free activities: paddleboard and archery introductions, olympics, aqua gym in the lake, an introduction to fishing, Pokémon hunts, a brazier evening on Monday and karaoke on Thursday. The weekly programme is displayed at reception. The Saint-Émilion vineyards, the markets of the Libournais, the Gironde estuary and the pine forest make up the outings nearby; the EuroVelo 3 passes close by for bike rides, and the region is equally suited to strolls through the vines and hikes in the pine woods around the campsite.