Le Rochat Belle-Isle

Le Rochat Belle-Isle is at 17 rue du Rochat in Châteauroux, the prefecture of the Indre département, in the heart of the Berry. The site runs alongside the Indre, a few minutes’ walk from Lac de Belle-Isle and its sandy beach, and about 5 km from the Châteauroux state forest. The Beauval zoo is less than an hour’s drive away, and the Château de Valençay and Bourges cathedral can be visited in a day.

Rated 3 stars, the campsite has 142 pitches, including around thirty rentals: mobile homes with one to four bedrooms, 16 m² wooden chalets and a mobile home adapted for people with reduced mobility (4 to 6 people). Two 25 m² mobile homes look directly onto the river. The atmosphere is that of a tree-lined park close to the town centre, which visitors passing along the A20 also appreciate as a stopover.

The website presents the campsite as open all year round, and the Châteauroux tourist office confirms opening from 1 January to 31 December 2026. The mobile homes can therefore also be booked in autumn and winter, with prices published per night or per week. Reception is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 12pm and from 3pm to 7pm, and on Sunday from 3pm to 7pm. The campsite does not detail its winter conditions: heating, washrooms and long stays should be asked about at reception.

Châteauroux offers free buses across the whole urban area, which makes getting around without a car easier, including off-season.

Balsan’éo pool open all year round 2 km away, free buses to the centre of Châteauroux, Beauval zoo less than an hour’s drive away.

On site, the offer is that of a family campsite without major infrastructure. The standard pitches take tents, caravans and motorhomes, with water and electricity hook-ups, and a motorhome service point is installed at the entrance to the site. The washrooms include hot-water showers. The mobile homes come with pillows, mattress protectors and blankets; the 16 m² wooden chalets supply neither sheets nor towels.

A laundry with washing machine and tumble dryer is offered at reception, token-operated at 5 euros for a cycle of about 45 minutes, every day of the opening period. The campsite also rents bikes, at 6 euros per half day or 10 euros per day, and makes a common room for up to 100 people, with tables and chairs, available free of charge to guests for group meals or family gatherings. A children’s playground completes the facilities.

There is no pool at the campsite. The Balsan’éo aquatic centre in Châteauroux, 2 to 3 km away, offers guests one free entry per person per stay, then access at 4 euros per day; it operates all year round, which makes it useful off-season. A restaurant sits on the lakeside, about 50 m away, and the free beach at Lac de Belle-Isle is two minutes’ walk away, with supervised swimming in summer. Pets are accepted.

Lac de Belle-Isle, very close by, concentrates most of the outdoor leisure: swimming from the sandy beach, pedalos, canoeing, introductions to sailing and water skiing. The campsite mentions discounted rates on several of these activities. Children have a playground, a sports field and table tennis tables; they can also try fishing in the Indre, have a go at archery or take a pony or horse ride along the river.

The trails of the region can be covered on foot or by bike, with cycling routes starting from the campsite, and the neighbouring Brenne is known for its ponds. For sightseeing, Châteauroux offers its Château Raoul, its old town and a town centre reachable by free bus. Further afield, you can aim for the Beauval zoo, the Château de Valençay, Bourges with its cathedral, Nohant-Vic, Gargilesse-Dampierre, Fontgombault abbey or the former Gallo-Roman city of Argentomagus.

Off-season, the Balsan’éo pool, open all year round, and visits to châteaux or museums take over from the lake. The campsite’s entertainment programme is not detailed for winter.