Slither into your swimwear, tuck a towel
under your arm and start to spin. Yes, spin. Now close your eyes, keep spinning
and point. Keep spinning. Keep spinning… aaaaaaaand stop!
This is the best way to start your
experience at Domaine de Soleil Plage where water-based activities are as
extensive as the campsite’s restaurant menu. Hemmed inside a meander of the
Dordogne River, a beach beyond your tent flaps offers fishing, swimming,
canoeing and kayaking with an onsite rental service that allows you to daytrip
downstream past cliff top châteaux and medieval villês. If you find your finger
pointing away from the river, then it’s probably the aquatic area you’re
heading for. The stylishly designed indoor swimming pool with adjacent hot tub is
ideal on cooler days, while the paddling pool, sports pool, water slides and
spa are divided up by tree-dotted patios and tiny wooden bridges. If you haven’t
grown a pair of gills by the time you leave this campsite then it’s fair to say
you're doing something wrong.
It may all make the place sound like an
action-packed site and when you factor in things like mini golf, three playgrounds, a
tennis court and an indoor games room, you can’t be blamed for thinking the place
is all too commercial. However, this family-run site has built itself from years of experience and the myriad of
activities is little more than a reflection of the area. The Dordogne Valley is
a magnet for cyclists, fishermen and waterborne explorers looking for somewhere
to take a break and enjoy a plethora of other sports in the sun-kissed setting. For the adventurous, paragliding and horse riding allow a more inventive view of the region. Beautiful medieval villages – Sarlat, Beynac-et-Cazenac and
Les Eyzies, to name but three – are close by, while the prehistoric caves of
the Perigord Noir are also just a short drive away.
Back at the campsite, lounge on the beach
or relax beneath the shade of the trees dotted around the camping area. The
site is divided into three hedge-lined spaces. Furthest from the river are the
fully furnished chalets, while the other two sections house the camping
pitches, each with a well-maintained sanitary block, washing area and chemical
disposal point. While not all pitches enjoy a river front position with exquisite
views of the opposing cliffs, every spot has a good amount of space, easy
access to the beach and a prime location in one of the most beautiful regions
in France.