Kemping Sylvamar *****

There are a couple of comprehensive reviews before this one that sum up this site very well so I\'ll be brief.
As seniors we travel in France in low season a) to use the ACSI card and b) because things are quieter low season. Sylvamar may be quieter in September but it is not not quiet.
The close proximity to the Spanish border attracts loads of Spanish family campers at weekends and facilities got well used. The pool complex is excellent.and there are restaurants and bars adjacent.
Our pitch was near the pool and the toilet/showers serving this area gave an appearance of luxury - wrought iron, a fountain, richly coloured tiles and piped soft relaxing music, clean tidy and plenty of hot water - however, there were not enough WCs for the morning rush.
We stayed for 3 night Thurs -Sat. Friday afternoon saw a constant stream of arrivals and this went on well into the evening filling most of the pitches. At 11.0 pm there loads of people were to-ing and fro-ing with kids zooming about on bikes and skates etc all chattering away as though it was the middle of the day. We didn\'t mind this as it created a nice cosmopolitan atmosphere. However, if you\'re the kind of person that likes to be in bed at 10.30 pm (for whatever reason) this may not suit you.
All in all a very well appointed site and good value for three nights. Would go again.

We chose to stay here after being very impressed by 2 other sites in the ‘Leading Campings’ chain and it was on our route back through France. Sadly the site did not live up to expectations.
Location
The site is located in pine woods near the beach and is well signposted from Labenne.
A lot of other caravan parks are also situated nearby.
There are several bars and restaurants within a few minutes walking distance from the site. Adjacent to the site there is a large adventure playground and a small water park. There is also a Zoo nearby plus lots of other activities geared to families.
It’s a thirty minute drive to Biarritz and St Jean de Luz which was lovely.
Reception
There was a warm welcome and the team of receptionists speak several languages. We booked in with no hassle and were told we could walk around first and select our own pitch.
Pitches
All pitches are on sandy ground and most have good shade provided by the pine trees. All pitches have water, drainage and power. The vast majority of pitches are huge and could easily accommodate a large caravan, awning and up to 2 or 3 cars. Access roads are good and it was easy to get the caravan onto a pitch.
Given that the French school holidays were about to begin we were surprised that only about 40% of the pitches were occupied.
Sanitary Facilities
Not as good as other sites in this chain. The sanitary block nearest to us was very dated indeed. The tiles on the shower floor I am sure were clean but were brown around the edges, making them look unclean. If you wanted water pressure you had to have a cold shower. If you wanted hot water you had to wait a while and lost all the pressure. This is not what I expect from a 5* site. On the whole it was an unsatisfactory showering experience which my wife was not prepared to repeat. We did find a newer block on a more recent part of the site which seemed little used as it was among bungalows with their own facilities. This did look and feel much better.
Shops
There is a reasonably priced small supermarket which also serves bread and bakery goods each morning
Pools
There is a large outdoor pool with tame waterslide, a lazy river and lots of sunbeds. There is also an indoor heated pool for younger children with lots of opportunities to splash and squirt water.
There is a pool at the Spa complex for which you will have to pay an admission fee.
Eating
There is a take away and restaurant on site. The take away serves pizzas, hamburgers etc.
The restaurant has a decent menu and is well priced. The pizzas looked good and we enjoyed our Moules et frites.
The staff were attentive and very jolly.
Animations
Loads of stuff for kids with several activities during the day for various age groups.
You can also hire bikes
There was some form of live entertainment every night between 09.30 and 11.00pm plus a junior disco at about 8.30pm.
Other Stuff
There’s a large children’s playground plus football and volley ball areas.
There is an expensive Spa called Dune & Eau.
Summary
A large family orientated site with lots going on. We managed to get in at the end of the low season and so paid a special prices using our ACSI card.
Security was good with overnight patrols and all noise ended at 11pm. It was very peaceful overnight and not too bad during the day actually.
As previously stated, the site does not measure up will to other sites in the ‘Leading Campings’ chain. The pitches are not well maintained (straggly grass and unpruned trees and hedges). The staff that we dealt with seemed to be well trained and courteous.
The biggest let down were the sanitary families. Don’t get me wrong, if you drive onto this site having been on a rustic Spanish site (and we have) you will be pleasantly surprised. It depends what your benchmark is. If I was asked to recommend a family site with lots going on, this one would not be in my top ten.
In addition to the touring pitches there are a lot of bungalows/statics for rent.

Great camping for couples with children with very helpful staff. Pitches around the pool and restaurant are a bit noisy untill 0.00h but Toilets are without light (closed) from 23.00h.
Everything was working in low season.

The campground has plenty of places for camping and showers and bathrooms, but in June just have opened a toilet block for all plots. We took the dog stay at the place of camping 4 euros in low season, very expensive!