Feedback from a family with 2 children on vacation at the Détente et Clapotis campsite in Isère.
Well, I’ll be honest with you: going on vacation with two children aged 8 and 12 is great, but it’s rarely “relaxing”. This year, we tried the Détente et Clapotis campsite on the shores of Lake Paladru in Isère, and frankly… I think we’ve found THE pearl.
🌊 Lac de Paladru: our big surprise
We didn’t know this area at all. Lac de Paladru is France’s 5ᵉ natural lake – no dams, no artificial ones – and clearly the least well-known of the five. And it’s exactly what we were looking for: no mass tourism, something preserved, natural, calm. What blew us away on arrival? The water is 28°C in July. Yes, 28 degrees! I’d imagined a frozen mountain lake… not at all. And the beach slopes gently downwards, so even the smallest children can splash around without us being on constant alert. By the way, the campsite has been Ecolabel certified since 2018, and it shows: everything is super natural, verdant, preserved. And last but not least – no mosquitoes. I don’t know how they do it, but it’s magical. Access to the lake? Direct from the campsite, and free. It took us less than 2 minutes to put down our towels.
🎨 The mini-club that changed everything
Here’s the thing I want to talk to you about. Because family vacations are great, but having a real break for the parents… that’s rare. So when our two showed up at the mini-club on the second day and refused to go home for lunch, my husband and I looked at each other with wide eyes. And when we discovered that the club offered lunch service twice a week, we jumped at the chance. The kids spent their day there, happy as a clam, and we… we had our day.
✨ Our fondest memory: the “just us” day
We took advantage of one of these free days to explore the region. First stop: the cirque de Saint-Même, a breathtaking natural site. Thirty minutes of easy hiking, and we find ourselves in front of a magnificent waterfall, with the possibility of a swim in the river just beyond. We had lunch at the Chalet du Cirque on site – mountain atmosphere, simple cuisine, perfect. In the afternoon, we headed for Voiron (about 20 km), to visit the Chartreuse wine cellars. You’ll need to book in advance, but it’s really cheap (around €12 per adult) and fascinating. Of course, we did the tasting… in moderation, I promise. 😄 We also took a look at the Monastère de la Grande Chartreuse: even though we didn’t visit the interior, the place exudes something really special. You don’t want to speak loudly. A real bubble of spirituality and serenity. And when we got back to the campsite, our kids jumped all over us. Delighted. And so were we. Sometimes it’s good to say goodbye!
🌅 Evenings: perfect
The campsite has a restaurant with a terrace overlooking the lake. One evening, we sat there with our glasses of rosé while the kids played on the playground next door – in our line of sight, so zero stress. The sunset over the lake… you can imagine. One little thing we missed and won’t miss next time: the on-site spa and wellness area. Reservations are required, and we were too late. Lesson learned!
🚴 For activity fans
If you’re the kind of person who can’t stand still, there’s plenty to do:
- 🏊 S wimming at the lake with supervised beach in summer and direct access from the campsite
- 🏊 Heated, semi-covered swimming pool on the campsite
- 🛶 Water sports: paddle, sailing, rowing on the lake
- 🚴 Cycle paths around the lake to Charavines or the Paladru marshes
- 🎾 Multi-sports fields, table tennis, tennis courts on the campsite
- 🌲 La Brunerie adventure park (accrobranche) 15 min away
- 🎢 Walibi Rhône-Alpes 23 km away for thrill-seekers
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