Le Val Saint Jean

Le Val Saint-Jean is a leisure complex on the edge of Mauriac, in the Cantal, between the upper Dordogne valley and the Monts du Cantal, not far from the Puy Mary. The campsite covers a shaded 3-hectare site close to a 9-hectare lake, with a walking trail running around it. It is rated 4 stars and was honoured at the 2021 Camping Awards.

The standard pitches, around fifty of about 80 m² each, are laid out on terraces, marked out and fitted with an electric hook-up; caravans can reach them easily. Alongside them, the site offers a variety of outdoor accommodation: five bungatoiles (part-wood, part-canvas tents for 4 to 5 people), ten nature huts in a fir grove, twenty 35 m² chalets with a mezzanine or on one level, nine 37 m² cottages for 4 to 6 people and a range of mobile homes for 2 to 6 people.

When it comes to opening, two arrangements need to be distinguished. The pitches are available from 9 March 2026 to 3 January 2027, meaning a break of about two months at the start of the year. The mobile homes, by contrast, are advertised as open all year round, for one night or for several days, which makes it possible to stay in the depths of winter. The website does not mention any particular audience off-season, but it also offers packages for groups and seminars.

Walking trail around the lake, hiking in the Monts du Cantal, visits to Mauriac, concerts, exhibitions and markets.

The campsite has three washroom blocks, two of which are heated and accessible to people with reduced mobility; the nature huts have their own, and the bungatoiles share the site’s block. A motorhome area is indicated on the website. On site there is a bar and a snack counter run from a food truck, while a restaurant, Au Plan d’Eau, is within walking distance on the lake shore.

Each accommodation is equipped with a kitchenette with hobs, fridge and microwave, duvets and pillows, with electric heating in the huts, bungatoiles and mobile homes. Chalets and cottages add a television and a dishwasher, and some units are suitable for people with reduced mobility: one chalet and one cottage. The park’s mobile homes, for 2 to 6 people, include an air-conditioned luxury model for 4 people and have wifi access.

As for water, swimming in the lake is forbidden, but access to the neighbouring municipal pool is included in the stay, on presentation of a wristband, every day from 11am to 7pm in July and August, with afternoon opening from 18 June. The pool is therefore a summer facility and does not operate in winter. The website also mentions an events area equipped with a marquee, a stage and a giant screen, which can be booked on request for weddings, seminars and sports gatherings.

The site lends itself to active stays: the walking trail goes around the lake, fifteen outdoor fitness stations are installed and fishing is catch-and-release. A municipal 9-hole golf course, with a practice area and supervised introductory sessions, is accessible on site for a fee, and the campsite offers a partnership with the Mauriac golf club.

In summer, an entertainment programme runs from 4 July to 30 August 2026: volleyball, badminton, pétanque, table tennis and mölkky tournaments, trips to sites in the Cantal in partnership with cultural venues, karaoke evenings, dance nights, music quizzes or tales and legends evenings, and a welcome drink on Sunday morning. A kids’ club welcomes children aged 6 and over.

Around Mauriac, the website mentions hiking in the Monts du Cantal, the rail bikes of the Draisines du Pays de Mauriac, the Salins waterfall, the Notre-Dame-des-Miracles basilica, the Dordogne, the Aigle dam, the Château d’Auzers, as well as concerts, exhibitions and markets. Local cuisine, with truffade, and the pottery craft round off the programme. These visits, walking and discovering the local heritage remain possible off-season, unlike the entertainment and the pool, which are reserved for summer.