'We found the perfect sunny camp spot — where sunsets get a standing ovation'

The sunset implicit the surfing formation of Messanges Plage Sud is specified an event, it really gets its ain circular of applause. During the summertime months, holidaymakers and locals transportation bottles of fizz done the conifer wood and implicit the dunes to beryllium connected the sands stretching down France’s confederate Atlantic seashore and clap arsenic the orangish fireball sinks implicit the sea.

This nightly ritual during our enactment with Eurocamp at Le Vieux Port vacation park, which backs straight onto this formation successful Landes, made america truthful gladsome we’d chosen this site. We are existent Eurocamp fanatics due to the fact that we emotion vacation parks with loads of facilities, waterparks, entertainment, activities for the children, and the state of self-catering and taking our ain car.

But erstwhile determination is the prime of 400 Eurocamp parks crossed 11 European countries, it tin beryllium hard to constrictive it down to a apical 10, fto unsocial prime one.

The Eurocamp website’s hunt instrumentality is designed to help, offering options specified as, “epic waterparks”, “toddler-friendly” and “more for teenagers”, arsenic good arsenic prices, star-rating, region from beaches, ports and airports.

Being adjacent to a surfy formation is ever a bonus for us, and the waves astatine Messanges Plage Sud, conscionable a fewer minutes’ locomotion distant from our modern, three-bedroom mobile location with decking, truly made the vacation for us. Le Vieux Port is simply a precise ample and lively parkland too, with holidaymakers scurrying everyplace successful swimwear and folks walking with baguettes tucked nether their arms.

The Eurocamp mobile homes present are nicely spaced down a peaceful lane connected the perimeter of the camp, acold capable distant from the action, car obstruction and ablution blocks, truthful you’re not disturbed by chap campers passing by.

With a campy this large, it was useful to person a pop-up patisserie successful the centre of the tract selling croissants, breadstuff and pastries each morning. There’s besides a well-stocked Spar store adjacent the entranceway if you prefer.

Le Vieux Port has immoderate of the whizziest waterslides successful the Eurocamp portfolio too, with racing chutes, flumes to thrust down connected inflatables, a decease slide, walk-in question pool, splash portion with h2o guns for small ones, positive a Jacuzzi and a surf simulator.

With plentifulness of sunbeds and shades to spell around, we spent respective hours a time present conscionable messing astir successful the excavation and chilling.

There’s besides an tremendous magnitude to do, with organised shot matches, tennis courts, a ample play park, games room, outdoor gym, kids’ club, spa and unrecorded amusement astatine night, positive on-site eateries. And of course, there’s that elephantine agelong of brushed soil beach, conscionable retired of the backmost gate.

Bayonne, with its constrictive medieval streets, is simply a handsome enactment for a time trip, conscionable 27 miles southbound from the campsite. Stretching on the banks of the Rivers Adour and Nive, determination are plentifulness of waterside cafes and bars to sample. Being truthful adjacent to Spain, galore person a distinctly Spanish flavour, serving tapas and pintxos – those stacked, flavour-packed snacks of crispy bread, cured meats, cheeses and pickles.

We stopped for a wound to devour astatine L’Estegi Restaurant, grabbing a array by the water’s edge, and picked our mode done plates of fried octopus, food and thinly-sliced Bayonne ham, traditionally cured for 7 months to nutrient its delicately salty flavour and pinkish colour, and served with chillies and gherkins. Bayonne is, successful fact, truthful superior astir its ham, the municipality has a depository dedicated to its past and however it is made.

Try it with a solid of Irouleguy wine, a section speciality from the French Basque region.

A fewer miles further down the seashore is the alternatively glamorous sounding seaside metropolis of Biarritz.

In the 17th period it was location to the archetypal French accumulation centre of cocoa confectionery.

It’s besides where, during the reign of Louis XV successful the aboriginal 18th century, the archetypal “bonbon” (filled chocolate) was created. Biarritz has galore cocoa shops arsenic good arsenic the Planete Musee du Chocolat, wherever visitors get to illustration a driblet connected their mode in.

Those of a definite vintage whitethorn retrieve erstwhile Cadbury named its triangle-shaped container of acheronian chocolates aft the metropolis successful the 1980s and its TV advert featuring the Barry Manilow opus “Bermuda Triangle.” Oh truthful glamorous astatine the time.

Biarritz inactive exudes a ritzy benignant of vibe, with elegant villas, creation deco details, trendy beachfront bars and seafood restaurants.

It has six beaches to take from including Cote de Basque, its epicentre for surfing backed by tremendous cliffs (park astatine the top, past zig-zag down the steps and ramps), positive there’s Le Grand Plage, a ample agelong of soil successful the centre, adjacent to Miramar Beach. For a antithetic swimming acquisition oregon relaxed paddle-boarding, caput for the sheltered cove of Le Vieux Port.

The Eden Rock Café, is simply a large small spot built into the cliffs for tapas and a sundowner.

If you’re heading down arsenic acold arsenic Biarritz, you mightiness arsenic good travel that small spot further and spell for a time travel to Spain! There’s ever thing alternatively thrilling astir driving crossed a borderline betwixt 2 countries – successful our case, the A63 motorway which crosses the Bidasoa River.

We visited the Spanish coastal metropolis of San Sebastian, celebrated for its jumble of foodie streets, immense aureate beaches, lush hillsides and islands.

Parking astatine the seafront car parkland astatine Zurriola Beach, we didn’t get acold astatine first, stopping for a elephantine paella with squid ink astatine Zmare, an upmarket glass-fronted edifice close connected the promenade.

We past followed the coastal way astir the beach, crossing the span implicit the Urumea River and circular the lush Mount Urgull, arsenic the waves of the moody Bay of Biscay crashed into the rocks.

Passing the picturesque harbour afloat of boats, implicit with al fresco seafood restaurants, we past weaved done the streets of the aged town, crammed with tapas and pintxos bars, shops selling chocolates, souvenirs and T-shirts.

You tin besides transportation connected circular to the celebrated La Concha beach, named for its shell-like shape, facing the greenish Santa Clara Island.

This metropolis has everything and tin beryllium truthful overmuch much than a time trip. You mightiness privation to get the ferry consecutive determination from the UK, with Brittany Ferries offering a 20-hour work from Plymouth to Santander, oregon two-night crossings from Portsmouth to Santander oregon Bilbao. We travelled connected Brittany Ferries’ overnight work from Portsmouth to ­St Malo, past drove down to Landes, which took astir 10 hours with stops.

Whichever mode you get there, this funny coastal country of France and Spain is bursting with quality each of its own.

Book the holiday

• Seven nights successful a Premium ­
  ­three-bedroom vacation home, sleeping up to six, astatine Le Vieux Port, Landes, with Eurocamp is from £410.34, arriving May 24 (half term), and £1,876.56 for 7 nights arriving July 19, with 15% redeeming successful Eurocamp’s Big Splash Sale. eurocamp.co.uk

• Brittany Ferries offers instrumentality sailings connected its caller ship, Saint-Malo, from Portsmouth to St Malo during April/May from £519, including a four-berth ensuite compartment connected the outward overnight sailing, positive car.
  brittany-ferries.co.uk ­
• More info astatine nouvelle-acquitaine-tourisme.com