Marina Plage

Marina Plage is located in Vitrolles, in the Bouches-du-Rhône, on the shores of the Étang de Berre, the largest saltwater lagoon in Europe. The park covers 11 hectares, largely shaded, and is resolutely family-oriented: it is fenced, children can move freely along the lanes, and the site offers 340 mobile homes for rent. Marseille, Aix-en-Provence and Salon-de-Provence are close by.

The campsite is rated 3 stars and does not work as a tent site: it rents out mobile homes only, from 22 to 39 m², with two to four bedrooms, for four to eight people. All are air-conditioned (reversible air conditioning) with double glazing, kitchen, bathroom and terrace; the P1 model, for four people, is fitted out for guests with reduced mobility. Stays can start on any day of the week.

As for opening, the campsite does not close in winter. From 1 September to 30 June, reception is open every day except 25 December and 1 January, from 8:30am to 12:30pm and from 2pm to 7pm; it is closed on Sundays between the last weekend of October and the second-to-last weekend of March. All year round, an on-call service handles arrivals and emergencies, and a manager or warden is on site day and night. The campsite is advertised as open twelve months a year.

What changes off-season is the entertainment: shows, water activities and catering are summer-only. Dogs and other pets are not accepted, because of the animal parks next to the lanes.

Visits to Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Salon-de-Provence and Martigues, walks around the Étang de Berre; the animal parks remain accessible to guests.

High-speed Wi-Fi is free, with a password given on arrival, and two self-service launderettes (washing machines and dryers, payment by bank card) are available. Bed linen and towels are not supplied: kits with fitted sheets, pillowcases and towels can be rented or bought when booking, as can the baby cot, baby bath and high chair. At reception, guests can borrow a hairdryer, an iron, an ironing board or electrical adapters against a deposit. The electrical power ranges from 25 to 40 amps depending on the model.

The restaurant-pizzeria has a panoramic terrace over the lagoon, serving meat, fish, salads, pizzas, ice cream, crêpes and cocktails, to eat in or take away; it is open every day in summer, with hours varying by season, and its room can host groups or corporate events. Shops are within walking distance, and a large shopping area is a few minutes away by car. Opposite the campsite, the Cap Marina centre brings together nurses, a laboratory and wellness practitioners; a medical centre open 7 days a week is located in Vitrolles.

There is no swimming pool: the water is the private beach on the lagoon, partly shaded, with a gently sloping entry, a marked-off swimming area, sun loungers and equipment hire by the beach operator. Water quality is checked weekly in summer by the GIPREB. A free fitness room, for adults only, is open every day, and a video surveillance system covers the site.

The campsite relies on a free programme, especially in July and August: dromedary rides, circus workshops and shows, pony rides, archery, laser pistol shooting from age 6, a merry-go-round for children up to 9, inflatable water games, home ball, pétanque and table tennis. A play area with nets and acrobat courses is near the beach, and the schedule can be checked on the Cool’n Camp app.

On the lagoon, kayaks, four-person pedalos, canoes and paddleboards are lent out free of charge; children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult. The neighbouring animal parks, freely accessible to guests, are home to llamas, goats, horses, ponies, birds and tortoises; births are frequent there in spring, and the Sulcata tortoises spend the winter in heated shelters.

In the evening, the restaurant stage hosts cabarets, magicians, hypnotists, karaoke and dance nights, with all entertainment stopping at midnight.

Around the campsite, you can reach Aix-en-Provence, Marseille with its Old Port and basilica, Salon-de-Provence, Martigues, Mont Sainte-Victoire, the Calanques and the Côte Bleue, including the coves of Niolon and Méjean, in under an hour. These visits remain possible off-season, whereas the campsite’s entertainment programme is reserved for summer.