As predicted, the kids were massively unimpressed at the 'early' start but after the obigatory arguing, pleading and sullking we made it to the top of the site for 9am for the pick up. We were then driven upstream for about 10km, where we were handed cold, damp wetsuits to put on. I've no idea why we didn't take our own - they've been all warm and dry in the trailer since we left home!
We were teamed up with another English family for the raft and soon set off down the river. It's a lovely, wide river and doesn't require much paddling and steering but has just enough fast bits to keep it interesting. It wasn't as exciting as we'd hoped but we were puzzled when they had us dragging the rafts out of the water and climbing up to a path that ran alongside the river. We were still confused when they hauled one of the rafts up the bank, turned it upside down and tied it to a tree but all was revealed when one of the guides jumped onto it and was catapulted into the river! I'd like to say I had a go but I bottled it at the last minute but Isaac loved it and had a couple of goes.
We set off back down the river for a while but were then told to drag the rafts out again, this time in a faster flowing part. We were then walked back upstream for a while and invited to go down the river without the boats. That was more like it for me and I was straight in. Lots of fun and the only tricky part was swimming back out of the current at the right point so I didn't carry on too far down the river!
At the end of the trip there was a weir to navigate, although that's not quite as dangerous as it sounds as there was a chute to one side that we were able to slide down safely. At the bottom it only seemed right to have a water fight with the other rafters but Amelia came off worse than most because Isaac pushed her in. She did at least find it funny though.
The afternoon was spent mainly starting to pack things away, ready for the drive to our next stop in Avignon but we had a last walk back up to Luz in the evening.
I'm going to miss the Pyrenees but the kids are happy to move on now. They've seen as many mountains and waterfalls as they can cope with for a while and are hoping for a bit more fun on the site.
The Site - Airotel Pyrenees
This site is in a valley in the French Pyrenees and is completely surrounded by mountains. As a result the scenery is absolutely stunning, although the weather is very changeable and rain and thunderstorms are frequent. There's a lot to see and do within an hour's drive so it's a great place to be based.
The staff at the site are very friendly and welcoming and most speak fluent English. Nothing seems too much trouble, they're happy to suggest good days out in the area and can even book some activities for you at a discounted rate.
The site itself is quite large and has a lot of Europcamp tents/chalets plus several statics for hire. Despite this though it still manages to feel like a smaller site, especially at the bottom end where we were. The tent pitches are all level and spacious and 10amp hook up is available, although you do need a euro adapter.
The facilities block is large and is kept very clean but it is unisex, which takes a bit of getting used to. As well as showers and toilets, this includes laundry facilities and the washing up sinks so expect to hear some interesting noises as you're washing up....
There are four swimming pools (speedos compulsory), one of which is indoor and another has two great waterslides. None of the pools seemed to get excessively busy and we never saw queues for the slides. In addition to the pools there is also a well equipped gym (adults only), multi-sport pitch, climbing wall (can only be used one evening a week), table tennis tables and a good sized playground with bouncy castle. There is also a spa, which can be used by adults for a few euros, although I didn't go in so can't really comment on it.
Wifi is free and the signal is strong throughout the site but the drawback is that you are only provided with one code per pitch and it's not possible to buy any more. It's obviously a good way of ensuring there's enough band width to go around but it causes lots of arguments when you're camping with two teenagers!
There's a takeaway next to reception, which we didn't try, and you can also order bread and pastries for the following morning from the shop. The shop itself isn't really up to much and is limited to little more than drinks and ice creams but this isn't a problem as there's a good supermarket less than a mile up the road.
Luz Saint Sauveur is a lovely little town and is only a ten minute walk away. There are several very good restaurants and bars, plus the usual bakers, butchers and ski shops and a good tourist information.
An impressively well run site in beautiful surroundings. 10/10.
This site is in a valley in the French Pyrenees and is completely surrounded by mountains. As a result the scenery is absolutely stunning, although the weather is very changeable and rain and thunderstorms are frequent. There's a lot to see and do within an hour's drive so it's a great place to be based.
The staff at the site are very friendly and welcoming and most speak fluent English. Nothing seems too much trouble, they're happy to suggest good days out in the area and can even book some activities for you at a discounted rate.
The site itself is quite large and has a lot of Europcamp tents/chalets plus several statics for hire. Despite this though it still manages to feel like a smaller site, especially at the bottom end where we were. The tent pitches are all level and spacious and 10amp hook up is available, although you do need a euro adapter.
The facilities block is large and is kept very clean but it is unisex, which takes a bit of getting used to. As well as showers and toilets, this includes laundry facilities and the washing up sinks so expect to hear some interesting noises as you're washing up....
There are four swimming pools (speedos compulsory), one of which is indoor and another has two great waterslides. None of the pools seemed to get excessively busy and we never saw queues for the slides. In addition to the pools there is also a well equipped gym (adults only), multi-sport pitch, climbing wall (can only be used one evening a week), table tennis tables and a good sized playground with bouncy castle. There is also a spa, which can be used by adults for a few euros, although I didn't go in so can't really comment on it.
Wifi is free and the signal is strong throughout the site but the drawback is that you are only provided with one code per pitch and it's not possible to buy any more. It's obviously a good way of ensuring there's enough band width to go around but it causes lots of arguments when you're camping with two teenagers!
There's a takeaway next to reception, which we didn't try, and you can also order bread and pastries for the following morning from the shop. The shop itself isn't really up to much and is limited to little more than drinks and ice creams but this isn't a problem as there's a good supermarket less than a mile up the road.
Luz Saint Sauveur is a lovely little town and is only a ten minute walk away. There are several very good restaurants and bars, plus the usual bakers, butchers and ski shops and a good tourist information.
An impressively well run site in beautiful surroundings. 10/10.
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