Comparing our west coast Siblu Parks

Comparing Le Bois Dormant, Domaine de Kerlann & Bois de Bayadène - which one is right for you?

The west coast of France is one of the most popular areas that our Siblu guests like to visit and once you delve into the region it’s easy to understand why. 

Brittany, the Vendee and the lesser known region of the Loire-Atlantique are easy to reach and offer a certain French authenticity that may get lost in a more bucket and spade holiday resort on the south coast.

As you may know, we own our own parks here at Siblu, and we were very careful when we hand-picked three of the best parks on the west coast of France, choosing them for their great locations close to some great beaches, but also close to some lovely places to visit that offer a nice range of authentic French experience together with fun activities for children.

With the recovery of travel abroad post pandemic, we understand that families looking increasingly for more unique holidays that offer interesting experiences. This area of France ticks a lot of boxes for great family holidays and together with the good local knowledge of our Siblu teams, it means you can’t go far wrong on getting the right holiday with us!

The west coast of France is perfect for those who like the idea of a destination that’s a little closer to home. The cross-channel ferry together with a relatively short drive, makes this an attractive option for people who want to travel with their own car – let’s face it, you can carry a lot more in the boot of your car as opposed to one suitcase each going on a plane – and it’s a great choice for families with younger children who would prefer a shorter journey.

And because these holidays can be active as you want, bringing your own car means that you can pack the bikes on the back and the surfboard on the top! 

1. Le Bois Dormant (Vendée)

Location Advantages: 

Le Bois Dormant has a fantastic location on the edge of the lively holiday resort St Jean de Monts in the Vendee. We recommend taking a ferry to one of the northern ferry ports in Normandy or Brittany such as Caen, Cherbourg or St Malo and it’s an easy drive south, taking around three hours. 

The park is located just over a mile to the nearest beach, a long stretch of golden sandy coast that’s brilliantly family-friendly. It’s very easy to drive there and find parking, alternatively this area is great for cycling, with miles of flat easy cycles routes, heading to the beach and further along the coast. 

If you’re looking for fun days out then within an hour’s drive is the fantastic attraction Puy de Fou, a must-visit on your holiday to the Vendee. It has been voted the world’s best theme park in the past and it’s the most popular attraction outside of Paris, so we can highly recommend. 

Other places to visit include the island of Noirmoutier which has over 30 miles of sandy beach and lots of water sports.

Family-Friendly Amenities: 

Siblu park Le Bois Dormant is packed full of fun for the whole family. There are the free children’s clubs, which is a great place to start for the children to make new friends from all over Europe. Our friendly and bi-lingual children’s entertainers host fun activities such as arts and crafts, sports activities and talent shows and they are excellent for ensuring that no one is left out. 

Once you’ve had a couple of hours of fun at the club, it’s time to head to the swimming pools, which offer splash zones and slides, all watched over by lifeguards at all times.

Perhaps in the afternoon the football mad teens could head to the football tournament for some friendly 5-a-side, whilst the grown-ups enjoy a game of tennis or take the French on at their favourite pastime – boules! (pétanque!).

Cultural and Natural Heritage

Many of our guests choose France not just because of the great locations and good facilities on park but also to explore local culture and introduce children to a country that is outside of their own but not too unfamiliar that it’s not relatable.

It may not be the first thing you think of to visit, but close by to Siblu park Le Bois Dormant there’s a small salt museum in the local area where you can watch a modern Vendee salt marker at work and learn how salt is produced and collected. Located on the Vendean salt marshes nearby, it is a fascinating way to learn a little about the area. 

For a more dramatic experience, go to Puy de Fou, the most visited attraction in France outside of Paris. This swashbuckling, medieval them park is a theme park with a difference, as visitors can become fully immersed in medieval life and watch some spectacular evening shows. 

2. Domaine de Kerlann (Southern Brittany)

Scenic Surroundings: 

Domaine de Kerlann is a good-looking holiday park (though we say so ourselves!) in south Brittany, close to no less than five different beaches, the pretty village of Pont Aven and local historic towns of Concarneau and Quimper.  It’s a very easy to drive to from the northern ferry ports, around a two hour drive of the port of Roscoff (sailings from Plymouth) and within a two and a half hour drive from St Malo (sailings from Portsmouth).  

Activities for all the family:

Domaine de Kerlann suits families who love a great beach holiday mixed with some outdoor adventure and the odd cultural excursion. The south coast of Brittany is probably most famous for its pretty coastline. Similar to Cornwall, you can discover pretty little coves and long sandy beaches, enjoy some rock pooling or swimming in amazingly clear waters, and perhaps try some snorkelling.  Unlike Cornwall, it tends to be easy – and free – to park near the beach in most places! There’s also plenty of opportunity to try out some water sports, in particular sailing, with various sailing schools in the area.

Sustainability Practices:

Domaine de Kerlann is a great example of how we develop a holiday park whilst aiming to keep the authenticity of the local architecture as well as the natural environment. 

Whenever we develop our parks – and we are always investing in new facilities such as pools, sports facilities and bars etc. - we always explore opportunities to restore or improve the natural environments in which it operates e.g., biodiversity, tree management, landscape integration. Domaine de Kerlann has become one of the best known parks in the region for its stunning natural landscaping and local architectural features. 

As a company Siblu has established an eco-tourism programme and are involved in ecological innovations, notably the development of a solar-powered mobile home – watch this space!

3. Bois de Bayadène (Loire Atlantique)

Close to Great Attractions: 

Fancy an uncrowded beach holiday? Bois de Bayadene is perfectly located just 500 metres away from a long sandy beach in the area known as the Loire Atlantique. This small region, just south of Brittany and just before you arrive in the Vendee, is where the longest river in France, the Loire, reaches the Atlantic Sea. 

When you’re not relaxing on the beach, we recommend a couple of day trips out. Head to Nantes for a bit of city life, shopping and great restaurants. For a day spent in relaxing nature then it’s worth a trip to ‘parc naturel régional de Brière’, a beautiful wetland nature reserve where you can enjoy a boat trip on the inland waterways and do a little ‘twitching’.

For the history buffs in the family, take a dive into recent history and visit the former submarine base in Saint Nazaire, one of the five bases that the Germans constructed along the Atlantic front during World War Two. A great way to bring those history lessons to life!

Variety of Accommodations: 

We like to think of ourselves as ‘cosy camping’. Our holiday parks feature stylish mobile homes that get the kids excited about an outdoor holiday, but leave the grownups relieved about the comfy beds, the en-suite bathrooms and the relaxing outdoor areas.

What makes us more special is that Siblu holiday parks are unique in being able to offer you the opportunity to pick out the exact accommodation and pitch that suits you, your family and your budget. Simply ‘Choose your Own’ when going through the online booking process. 

All our holiday parks offer a range of mobile home accommodation, with two or three bedrooms, living room, a fully equipped kitchen, WC and shower room plus an outside terrace with table and chairs. 

Value-for-Money Experiences: 

For those working to a budget, we offer a range of accommodation. Choose our Bien Etre or Essential mobile homes for the best prices. All our holiday homes come fully equipped and with garden furniture and BBQ (where local restrictions allow) so you spending less doesn’t mean you’ll miss out.

If you are flexible on dates but tied to the school summer holidays, then either early July or the last week of August are our cheapest dates. If you book early, you can also benefit from our Early Booking Discount. We pride ourselves in offering great value for money and being really competitive in regard to price against other popular companies such as Eurocamp. 

Flexible Payment Options: 

When booking a Sibu holiday, you only need to put down a 20% deposit at time of booking, with nothing else to pay until 28 days before your holiday (the full balance will be due if you book within 28 days of travel). However, if you wish, you can call our reservations team at any time to pay off some of the balance, helping you spread out the cost of your holiday. We also have the option where you can make any amends to your holiday free of charge until the end of March. 

Work-Life Balance

Stress-Free Holidays

The best feedback we get is when our guests tell us they were able to fully relax and have fun on their holiday. 

To ensure that you have a stress-free break, we like to think that we have thought everything through for you. Your holiday home will come equipped with everything you need, from the fully-equipped kitchen to an outside space with BBQ and terrace, perfect for relaxing with a morning coffee or an evening meal. The private space that you have outside your mobile home is just that – private, with relaxing sun loungers, giving you the quiet that you need to sit back and relax with a good book or a film download!

Our on-site teams are also available to help you disconnect you from any stress or concerns you may have. Because we own our own holiday parks, then every member of staff from the General Manager to the Lifeguard, are working to ensure that you can fully enjoy your holiday. If you have any issues, then simply talk to any member of our team and we will get you the help you need to enjoy the best holiday possible. 

Reducing Stress On Parents: 

Of course, a big part of any holiday is ensuring that the children are happy – happy children mean happy parents, we know that! Again, this is where our on-site teams come in. From our dedicated children’s entertainers to our qualified lifeguards at every pool, we offer services to keep your little ones entertained and safe.

Perhaps the most fun the children can have when not making with new friends at the free children’s clubs, is heading down to the family-friendly bar in the evening and joining in with fun family games, a mini disco or watching their favourite children’s club leader on the stage.

We know how to make holidays fun for the children, so that you can relax too!

We may be biased, but we believe that Siblu offers the best of a modern camping holiday that the kids will love and the grown-ups will want to return to time and time again. We look forward to welcoming you!