Les Cercelles

Les Cercelles is at the hamlet of Le Marais Doux, in the commune of Saint-Pierre-d’Oléron, in the heart of the Île d’Oléron (Charente-Maritime). The site is rated 3 stars and has 87 pitches, plus mobile homes and Kokoon-type bungalows. The pitches, flat, grassy and marked out, are at least 80 m² and all have an electrical hook-up; Wi-Fi covers the whole site.

The campsite highlights its environmental approach: a central wood boiler heats the washrooms, the water and the pool, using pellets that the team makes itself from the upkeep of the neighbouring forests. Detailed waste sorting is offered to guests. The campsite also welcomes groups, thanks to a function room with 50 seats for meals.

The site’s strength is its opening: the campsite is announced as open from 1 January to 31 December, with no annual closure. The Kokoon bungalows, designed like a hotel room for two people, are rented all year round as a hotel service, with bed linen and cleaning included. The mobile homes can be booked by the week, weekend or night off-season, and pitches remain available, with heated washrooms.

Reception is open from 9am to 7pm every day in summer, then from 9am to 1pm Monday to Friday off-season, with a telephone duty service for late arrivals and emergencies.

Indoor pool accessible during winter school holidays; on the island, Oléron museum, La Cotinière fish auction and the Cité de l’huître in Marennes.

For water, the campsite has a heated outdoor pool, open from Easter to All Saints’ Day, and an indoor pool, closed in July and August but accessible in winter during school holidays. Access depends on weather conditions. A spa area completes the offer, with infrared sauna, spa bath, hammam, massages and beauty treatments, in a private cabin.

The restaurant Le Marais Gourmand serves traditional cuisine, a bar and takeaway; it is open from 1 April to 30 September, with bakery and pastries in the summer season. Outside this period, you need to plan your own meals, helped by the fitted kitchen in the rental accommodation.

The recent washroom block includes spacious cubicles, a laundry, a baby cubicle (the key is handed to families who need it on arrival), a cubicle accessible to disabled guests, a rest area and a hairdressing area. All washrooms are heated, a real asset for an autumn or winter stay. The mobile homes are air-conditioned and equipped with a kitchen (hobs, microwave, fridge, coffee maker); duvets and pillows are provided, but neither towels nor bed linen, except for the Kokoon. A play area, a kids’ club and evening entertainment operate in season. Pets are accepted for a supplement.

On site, there is plenty to keep children busy in summer: a club, a play area, activities around the pool and lively evenings, sometimes with karaoke at the restaurant. The campsite also mentions ball sports and table tennis.

Around the campsite, the Île d’Oléron offers many outings. The Île d’Oléron museum and the Maison éco-paysanne in Grand-Village-Plage present local history and traditions, while the La Brée windmill recalls the time when the island had a hundred mills. A visit to the La Cotinière fish auction lets you watch the sale with the fish wholesalers, and the Cité de l’huître in Marennes introduces Europe’s largest oyster-maturing marsh.

From the island, cruises run to Fort Boyard and the islands of Aix and Ré, and a traditional sailing trip is offered aboard La Marcelle. The Le Paddock riding centre runs lessons and rides on horseback or pony. Hire firms deliver bikes to the campsite to explore the cycle paths, and the Iléo aquatic centre adds to the swimming options. For families, La Rochelle aquarium and La Palmyre zoo make a good day trip.