An account of a family holiday at the Lac des Sapins campsite in Beaujolais Vert
📍 July 2025 – Beaujolais Vert, Cublize
Well, I’ll be honest with you: when my husband suggested we return to Camping Le Lac des Sapins for the third time in four years, I had a micro-second’s hesitation. You know the kind – “We’ve been here before, haven’t we? Shouldn’t we try something else?” And then I thought back to the lake, to the evenings doing nothing in particular but feeling so good… and I said yes without even finishing my sentence.
Spoiler: I was right to say yes.
🌲 We come back, and every time it’s even better
Maybe that’s the craziest thing about this campsite: you don’t come back for lack of imagination, you come back because it really does improve with each stay. And this year, it felt even better. Since Stéphane and Marie took over the management three years ago, the place has taken on a new lease of life. Everything is more organized, more dynamic. The atmosphere is even friendlier, the entertainment more numerous, the services better thought out. This isn’t a campsite resting on its laurels, it’s a campsite reinventing itself.
And, frankly, at a time when we’re all looking to slow down, disconnect and be truly present for our children during the vacations – not just physically present, but there with them – the Lac des Sapins campsite in the Beaujolais Vert region ticks all the boxes.
👋 The finish line: it’s enough to make you feel at ease
We were given a really personalized welcome, including our two teenagers – because at 10 and 13, my children are clearly in the “teenager” bracket in their own eyes, so we might as well include them in the discussions from the outset. That’s a detail that counts. When children feel considered from the moment they arrive, they’re more relaxed to go and take part in the activities on their own, without needing to be accompanied everywhere. And for us parents, that’s precious.
The campsite is nestled in a magnificent setting: 8 hectares in the heart of the Beaujolais Vert region, between forest and lake. The pitches are spacious (between 90 and 120 m²), well separated by hedges for privacy. There’s no crowding – which is far from a given at campsites in July.
✨ Our premium location: the little luxury that changes everything
This year, we opted for a premium location. And we don’t regret it for a second. The first thing that struck me as we set down our belongings was the noise. Or rather: a noise. The sound of the river flowing past. A steady, soothing murmur of water that instantly makes you want to slow down. We’ve slept like babies all week.
💡 The real game-changer: private sanitary facilities (shower, washbasin, WC and kitchenette just for us). With children, it’s an everyday comfort. We had no idea how much it would make our lives easier. No more running to the showers in the morning, no more queuing. Both my kids loved it – and it’s rare for them to be unanimous about something, so I’m writing it down.
🏊 The lake: the absolute star
I won’t go on for ten paragraphs, but the Lac des Sapins natural biological swimming pool is really something. Europe’s largest natural biological pool, no less. And it’s literally a stone’s throw from the campsite – you can get there on foot, it’s barely 100 metres.
The water is soft and natural, framed by a landscaped beach and pine trees. It’s not a classic pool, it’s a swimming experience unlike any other. My children – who usually demand “five more minutes” to stay in the video games – were the ones who prolonged the swimming sessions. We ended up picnicking on site, in the shade of the pines, because nobody really wanted to go home. These improvised moments are exactly why we go on vacation.
The lake also boasts a water sports centre with paddle, pedalo, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, water skiing, wakeboarding… There’s something for all levels and ages. Not to mention the “Tempo Aventure” adventure park with its zip line over the lake – my older son loved it, my younger son took a little longer to convince himself, but left with a smile from ear to ear.
🚲 La Rosalie: our unexpected favorite
I wasn’t expecting that at all. The Rosalie – a four-person quadricycle included in our premium package – became our vacation companion. We used it for everything. Around the lake. To get to the accrobranche. To get ice cream. For the simple pleasure of pedaling together with no destination in mind.
🚲 This four-seater bike became a real excuse to be together. We pedaled, we laughed, we bickered about who pedaled hard enough (answer: never the good kid according to the other kid), we stopped to look at a duck. Silly, simple, free moments. Exactly what we’d come for.
🎉 Children: never a dull moment
The two of them have quite different interests – obviously, 10 and 13 aren’t the same world. And yet, they’ve both found what they’re looking for. Lenny Club offers entertainment in French, English and Dutch. Games, lively evenings, various activities… and above all a treasure hunt that completely enchanted them. My big boy is old enough to find it “a bit childish”, but he played the game to the hilt and is still talking about it.
There’s also a city stadium, a tennis court, ping-pong tables and a bowling green. Not to mention lake activities. Frankly, if your children are bored at Lac des Sapins, they’ve had it coming.
🎸 And for parents? We’re here too!
Because yes, family vacations are great, but having a bit of fun to yourself is nice too. The bar/snack bar is really nice – great quality, simple, warm atmosphere, the kind of place where you just “pop in” for a bite and end up staying for two hours. Every morning, fresh bread was waiting for us at reception. An everyday delight.
And then the evening concert with the rock band – we danced, we laughed, we had an incredible atmosphere. At one point, my husband and I looked at each other with a smile like “we’re in a good place right now”. We don’t program these moments. They just happen, in the right places.
🗺️ Nearby, for the curious
If you ever feel like getting away from the campsite (which, to be honest, happens less often than you’d think), the region has plenty to offer: the Beaujolais Vert Geopark, Mont Brouilly (a UNESCO-listed geological site, 15 km away), theHaut-Beaujolais Ecomuseum in Thizy-les-Bourgs (11 km). And if you fancy a big day out: Lyon is 50 km away, Roanne 30 km.
Those camping vacations are among our fondest family memories. Not because anything extraordinary happened – no theme park, no luxury hotel. Just a campsite by a lake, a river that sings at night, a Rosalie, a beautiful lake, happy kids and parents who really let go.
That’s what Camping Le Lac des Sapins is all about: a place that brings families together, that makes you want to slow down, and that means that in the evening, as you watch your children fall asleep exhausted and happy, you tell yourself that you’ve done exactly the right thing.
We’ll be there next July. I think that’s all there is to say. 😄
👉 Discover Camping Le Lac des Sapins ★★★★ on We Love Camping
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