Review: Canvas Holidays – Les Dunes Camping, Perpignan, France

Canvas Holidays are one of the leading UK holiday companies, offering families camping holidays across Europe. With over 50 years of experience guests are now able to choose from a wide range of camping packages including safari tents, tree houses and mobile homes.

Over the Easter break we were invited to stay in a Privilege Club Mobil on Les Dunes Camping, just outside of Perpignan on the French Mediterranean Coast. As a family of 6 this type of laid back, active holiday has always worked well for us. The range of activities on offer guarantees all ages are kept entertained whilst down time can be spent relaxing in comfortable accommodation that surpasses other camping experiences. 

The following review reflects our experience of a week long stay during the opening week of the season for 2019. The resort was quiet and temperatures were around 18 degrees. We are an adventurous family of 6 with children ranging from toddler through to teen. 

Accommodation

Holiday properties across the site are all smart, well maintained and thoughtfully landscaped. I was struck by the amount of attention that had gone into the appearance and privacy of each pitch. Most cabins are presented in attractive wooden style cladding alongside an enclosed garden space surrounded by hedges. This not only gives the whole site a high end feel, but also means time spent in your own living space gives a more relaxed and secluded experience. 

We stayed in a Privilege Club Mobil Baneo for 6 people. The overall feel…particularly the outside space gives a sense of luxury I wouldn’t expect from a mobile home. Looking more like a lodge than a caravan the exterior of our property included a large, private garden space with covered dining area, decking, sun loungers….and best of all…a huge hot tub big enough for all 6 of us! 

Inside is equally as smart with fully kitted out kitchen, heating, air-con, bed linen, dishwasher, TV….even a welcome pack of essentials like washing up liquid, shampoo and dishwasher tablets. All the small things that make a big difference when you’re away from home. Meals were easy to prepare thanks to the gas oven and microwave allowing us to keep costs down as a large family. Room sizes are as you would expect in a mobile home although storage is well thought out with hangers and hooks  throughout.

About the site: Campsite Les Dunes 

Les Dunes is a a 5-star campsite located in Torreilles in Roussillon. Situated right next to a beautiful sandy beach that stretches for 2.5km and shadowed by the Albères mountains to the rear. Les Dunes is perfect for exploring the surrounding Catalan region. 

The camp site hosts around 400 mobile homes and 600 camping pitches. Despite its size the site maintains a friendly and intimate feel. Les Dunes offers a wide range of facilities and activities for families throughout the season including an incredible pool area with splash features, slides and indoor swimming!

The Pool Area

The pool at Les Dunes offers something for everyone. There’s a heated, indoor pool for cooler days or swimmers wanting to focus on their lengths. A fun splash play area for toddlers and younger children. Slides for thrill seekers. A lazy river for those who prefer to take things easy and landscaped lounge areas with cushioned sun beds for the sun worshippers. 

Play Areas

Les Dunes has one main play area right next to the beach. The playground is a large, spread out area catering for a range of ages and interests. The main play area incorporates an outdoor gym, a trampoline cage, zip wire and play castle…all set amongst sandy surfaces and palm trees giving a truly tropical, holiday vibe. 

In the same area you’ll find the campsite Kids Club based in a cool, rotund, yurt-like building. Here children aged 4-12 are invited to join activities like craft, painting and treasure hunts run by the campsite’s own friendly staff..with the cost of these sessions are included in the price of your stay! 

The fun continues with mini-golf, tennis courts, an all weather football pitch and volley ball court. There’s also a large pétanque area on the main thoroughfare as well as a bike hire shop and small games room. The range of activities meant that our children always had something to do and somewhere to go…either as a family or embracing their own independence. 

Facilities

Next to the pool is a large theatre, bar and dining area where there’s a choice of entertainment most evenings. There’s a kids party club in the early evening followed by karaoke, bingo or quizzes through the week. We found all the staff incredibly welcoming…they felt like friends by the end of our stay! 

For campers there’s a riad style toilet and wash block next the the pétanque area. In keeping with standards across Les Dunes the wash facilities are not only clean but well designed and presented. 

Verdict

Without a doubt this is one of the smartest mobile homes we’ve stayed in. The accommodation was made by the outdoor living space…especially the hot tub which allowed us endless opportunities to spend fun time together as a family in a unique and fun way. The private garden space also offered a level of seclusion that allowed us to completely relax whilst using this space. 

As a campsite Les Dunes is not only well maintained and tidy…but also has a huge amount to offer families in terms of activities and clubs. We weren’t able to make the most of some of the activities due to the timing of our visit…however I’m certain that during peak season this place will be incredible for children looking to make friends and enjoy a bit of independence during their stay. 

A stay with Canvas Holidays at Campsite Les Dunes offers a high end, intimate camp site experience in a fantastic part of France – whether you’re into water sports or exploring historic cities this idyllic corner of Catalonia has it all. 

Look out for Part II of our review featuring family days out around Perpignan.

Disclosure: We received a complementary week stay at Les Dunes with Canvas Holidays in exchange for this honest review.

Canvas Holidays has been arranging great outdoor holidays for UK holidaymakers for over 50 years – you can call their UK based call centre on 0345 268 0827 for advice and bookings. They’ve recently launched a new loyalty programme MyClub where holidaymakers have the chance to win the cost of their holiday back (one winner each week) as well as extra discounts and offers.