Les Araucarias

Les Araucarias occupies a former 1.3-hectare nursery in Carlepont, a village in the Oise between Compiègne and Noyon, on the edge of the Laigue and Ourscamp forests. The site takes its name from its rare trees (monkey puzzle trees, sequoias, larches) and claims a quiet, deliberately ‘disconnected’ setting. Paris is about an hour by road, and Parc Astérix and the Mer de Sable 45 minutes away.

Rated 2 stars, the campsite has 60 pitches and a small rental fleet: two 4-person mobile homes, two 3-bedroom mobile homes (32 and 38 m², up to 6 people) and a 4-person chalet. The shaded grass pitches are aimed at hikers, cyclists, motorcyclists, caravanners and motorhome travellers.

On opening, the website distinguishes two arrangements. Mobile home and chalet rentals are advertised as open all year round, with a low-season rate grid (outside the period from 15 June to 13 September), from €90 a night for a one- or two-bedroom unit. The camping pitches, for their part, open from 1 April to 31 October. Out of season, guests are therefore accommodated in the rentals, and the campsite presents itself as a solution for business trips (building site, trade fair, contract), family weekends or hiking stopovers.

The village has a bakery and a café-tabac; Tracy-le-Val, 5 km away, adds a Proxi, a pharmacy and a medical practice.

Castles of Compiègne, Pierrefonds and Coucy, Noyon cathedral, Armistice Clearing, Ourscamp Abbey, hikes in the Laigue and Ourscamp forests.

The facilities are those of a small family campsite. The washrooms are heated, with unlimited hot water, and there are washrooms adapted for disabled guests. There is also a washing machine and a dryer, an internet point, a children’s play area, a motorhome service area, a refreshment bar, breakfasts, and bread with croissants in the morning.

The accommodation is equipped for cooking: fridge, microwave, crockery and coffee maker, plus a two-burner gas hob in the chalet. The three-bedroom mobile homes have a shower room with WC and, for the Super Cordelia model, electric radiators. Sheets and pillowcases must be brought, or bought for €6 per stay and per bed. Pets are accepted in the rentals, with a deposit of €500 instead of €250. Electricity is charged extra in low season.

For pitches, the displayed rates are €6 to €8 a night depending on the vehicle, plus €4 per person and €2 per child under 7, with arrival at midday. The campsite advertises no pool. Out of season, it is the rentals and the heated washrooms that are in use, while the pitches only operate from April to October.

The campsite is designed as a starting point for the surrounding countryside. The Ourscamp and Laigue forests can be explored on foot or by bike, and the Compiègne forest is very close. For fishing, there are ponds, the canal and the river, including the Pimprez fishing area 7 km away and Tracy-le-Val; horse riding is possible 8 km away and the La Frette water sports centre 30 km away.

For sightseeing, the website mentions the castles of Compiègne, Pierrefonds and Coucy-le-Château, Noyon cathedral, the Armistice Clearing at Rethondes, the Montigny quarries, Ourscamp Abbey and the Cité des Bateliers. A mini-cruise on the boat l’Escapade leaves from Longueil-Annel, and children can visit the Cariasolas Medieval Park. Parc Astérix and the Mer de Sable at Ermenonville are about 45 minutes away by road.

The website refers visitors to the Noyon tourist office to discover the region, its river heritage and the remembrance tourism linked to the Great War. On site itself, no entertainment is advertised: the play area and the quiet of the place stand in for a programme. For a working stay, the larger nearby towns (Compiègne, Roye, Chauny) are about thirty minutes away.