ABOUT THE CAMPSITE
On the Plateau de Sault, at 1,280 metres above sea level, lies Camping Les Sapins. With views across the valley, the high peaks of the Pyrenees are visible between the hills, some capped with permanent snow. Peace, space, nature and culture are at the heart of this place.
Camping Les Sapins is a holiday destination that leaves a lasting impression, thanks to its beautiful setting, spectacular nature and breathtaking views. From your lodge, you look out over charming villages and mountains, breathing in the fresh mountain air far away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
OUR LODGES
Plenty of comfort and tastefully furnished, a wonderful base
ON THE CAMPSITE
A safely fenced pool with a separate children's pool, open from late June to mid-September, with a view of the Pyrenees.
Daily specials, fresh pizza and snacks, and in the high season fresh bread and croissants every day. The mini-market has warm rolls and packed lunches to order.
Rafting, canyoning, white-water canoeing, rock climbing and mountain biking; for the children a trampoline, play equipment and GPS geocaching.
Horse riding and donkey trekking from the campsite, straight through the mountain landscape of the Plateau de Sault.
FACILITIES
THE CAMPSITE
IN THE AREA
The places Rink-Jan recommends himself, with the distance from the campsite.
Sports & activities23.6 kmRafting along seven kilometres of the Aude through the Pierre-Lys gorge, between Axat and Quillan. Children aged eight and over who can swim are welcome; if you want more, choose canyoning or hydrospeed. Changing rooms, showers and a picnic spot by the river.
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Sports & activities11.1 kmAdventure park in the Fontestorbes forest with eight courses, from a toddler course with a trampoline and a small zip wire to challenging routes for teenagers and parents. Combine it with the intermittent spring of Fontestorbes on the edge of the same forest.
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Sports & activities21 kmLarge reservoir below the Pyrenees with a lifeguarded beach on the Léran side, where you can hire canoes, pedalos and SUP boards. From the beach you look straight at the Pic de Saint-Barthélemy. You'll find quiet spots all around the lake.
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Beach & nature6.6 kmThree-kilometre gorge carved by the Hers into the limestone, with walls up to four hundred metres high. Starting from Comus you walk mostly in the shade, so it's fine with children too. In July and August swallowtails and Apollo butterflies flutter around you.
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Beach & nature11.2 kmSpring beneath a rock overhang that in summer swells up every half hour or so and then almost runs dry again, a phenomenon already known in antiquity. Sit down on the stones and wait for it; the water is ice-cold, lovely on a hot day.
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Beach & nature3.3 kmSmall lake on the edge of Belcaire where you can swim among the meadows in summer, at an altitude of a thousand metres. There's a playground, a pétanque pitch and pedalo hire in season. In the mornings the lake belongs to the anglers.
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Culture & day trips11.9 kmThe castle on the rock where the resistance of the Cathars ended in 1244. You climb a steep path for just under half an hour and then look out over the whole of the Ariège. The village museum displays the finds.
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Culture & day trips2.3 kmThe village where the Inquisition questioned the last Cathars around 1320; those records became Le Roy Ladurie's famous book. Walk up to the ruined keep above the village and the little church by the old cemetery, beautifully lit in the evening.
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Culture & day trips58.2 kmThe largest medieval fortified city in Europe: three kilometres of double walls and 52 towers around a maze of lanes. The Cité itself is free to enter; for the Château Comtal and the walk along the ramparts you buy a ticket. Park below and walk up.
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Culture & day trips33.2 kmBastide town with a square full of half-timbered houses on wooden galleries, the Place des Couverts. On Monday mornings the square fills up with the market, with cheese, sausage and vegetables from the region. Look inside the cathedral at the widest Gothic nave in France.
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Culture & day trips11.7 kmWolf park in the forest of the Orlu nature reserve, beyond Ax-les-Thermes, with packs from Europe, Poland, Canada and the Arctic. Plan your visit around a feeding time, when the keeper tells you about the animals. The terrace overlooks the waterfall.
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Culture & day trips28.7 kmEurope's first dinosaur museum, built around the richest fossil site in France. You see life-size skeletons and reconstructions, including a twelve-metre beast, and watch the laboratory at work through the glass. During the school holidays children can join in the digging.
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Culture & day trips22.3 kmMedieval theme park in a real castle: children shoot with bows and arrows, practise in the armoury, ride ponies and climb in the woods, and watch knights in a tournament. Best in summer, when the big family shows are on.
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Culture & day trips42.4 kmFour hectares of bamboo forest on the River Hers with two hundred species, from dwarf bamboo to twenty-metre canes, and the Jardin remarquable label. Shady on a hot day, and children love getting lost on the paths.
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Culture & day trips14.6 kmFalconers fly eagles, vultures and falcons freely beneath the ruins of a Cathar castle at almost a thousand metres. The show lasts forty-five minutes and the birds skim just over the audience's heads. Allow fifteen minutes' climb from the ticket office.
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Culture & day trips27.2 kmCave with drawings of bison, horses and ibex more than thirteen thousand years old, which you view by torchlight like the first explorers. Only by reservation and with a guide, so book ahead. The Parc de la Préhistoire in Tarascon fills the rest of the day.
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Culture & day trips17.8 kmThe best-preserved Cathar castle in the region, with a 35-metre keep in which the musicians' hall still stands. Down in the village, the Musée du Quercorb lets you hear the medieval instruments that have been reconstructed from the carvings.
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Culture & day trips45.8 kmThe capital of the tiny state over the pass, with tax-free shops along the Avinguda Meritxell and the Caldea thermal spa with mountain views. The drive there over the Col de Puymorens or through the tunnel is an outing in itself.
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Restaurant3.8 kmBelcaire's classic village hotel with a garden and terrace, where you eat regional dishes made with produce from the plateau. Good for lunch after a walk or an evening off from cooking, with a high chair available.
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Restaurant11.5 kmVillage restaurant below the castle of Montségur with dishes from Ariège producers, all prepared on the spot and reasonably priced. Terrace with a view of the rock. The obvious place to eat after the climb to the castle.
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Practical4 kmThe plateau's supermarket: small but well stocked, with bread, fresh vegetables and local produce such as tomme, sausage and beer from the Aude. The butcher and baker of Belcaire are next door.
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Practical24.6 kmThe nearest large supermarket, on the edge of Quillan in the Aude valley. Handy for the big weekly shop and easy to combine with the market or a rafting day near Axat.
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Practical56.3 kmSmall airport on the west side of Carcassonne, mainly served by budget airlines, including from Brussels-Charleroi. Pick up your hire car at the terminal and drive via Limoux and Quillan up onto the plateau.
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Practical103.8 kmThe region's main airport, with daily direct flights from Amsterdam. From here you drive via Pamiers and Lavelanet into the mountains, on good roads the whole way.
View on the map →GUEST REVIEWS
We had an amazing 10 days at Les Sapins. Jos and Lia put their heart and soul into making sure their guests are 100% comfortable. We stayed in a chalet which was fully equipped and tastefully decorated and also well-conditioned for the hot days and cool nights. The pool was nice and the surrounding area perfect if you want to get away from it all in a wonderful natural environment.
Very beautiful, peaceful campsite. Good, ample and clean facilities, its own clean and fresh little swimming pool, shady pitches, magnificent views and with Lia and Jos as passionate, warm and exceptionally helpful owners. Fresh (home-baked!) bread in the morning, an atmospheric terrace and a little bar for drinks and a lovely dinner. Stunning surroundings, highly recommended for a longer stay in the Pyrenees.
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Nice, cosy campsite, with friendly, hard-working Dutch owners, clean facilities, lovely pool and great walking options — see the photos of a morning walk from the campsite. We were heat refugees at the end of June, sunny during the day with a max of 30 degrees, duvet on at night. That's the advantage of being at 1200 metres altitude while the rest of Europe was struggling with the heat.
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Really lovely campsite right on top of a hill and surrounded by woodland. The owners are super friendly and give great tips for activities in the area. The bakery service is also handy so you don't have to leave the campsite for bread. Larger supermarkets are half an hour's drive away, but that's exactly what keeps you in a peaceful setting.
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Rooms neutral — we stayed with a caravan and tent, so no impression of the cottage interiors. Friendly, involved owners, nothing bad to say. Would definitely come back...!
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Beautiful view, plenty to do in the area and helpful, lovely owners. Close to a fishing pond, horse riding, Cathar castles, canyoning, paragliding and much more.
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Tranquil location to relax and feel good. Excellent food in a beautiful ambient environment. Lots of opportunities for adventure locally.
Amazing, magic place. Love it !!!!!! Very helpfull and friendly owners!!! ❤️❤️❤️ Highly recommended!!!!
Wonderful peaceful site. Owners and staff extremely welcoming and helpful. Super clean facilities well maintained.
100+ happy guests have already been
Fresh and unspoilt. Long-stay discount applies. Ideal for walkers and birdwatchers.
Nature awakens. Orchids and wild flowers in bloom. Quiet and spectacular.
Pool opens late June. Outdoor sports under way. Gorges de la Frau at their finest.
High season. Everything in full swing. Butterflies in the Gorges de la Frau.
Warmest month at altitude. Ideal for adventurous families and mountain hikers.
Quieter. Pool open until mid-September. Autumn colours in the pine forests.
Low season. Spectacular autumn colours. Long-stay discount valid until 30 October.
* Based on long-term averages. Actual temperatures may vary.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Camping Les Sapins sits at an altitude of 1,280 metres on the Plateau de Sault in the Pyrenees.
Yes, a pool with a separate children's pool, open from late June to mid-September. Both are safely fenced.
Rafting, canyoning, white-water canoeing, rock climbing, horse riding, donkey trekking, mountain biking, fishing and tennis. Sign up daily at reception. Qualified Dutch instructors.
Summer nights at 1280m can be cooler. A small heater can be rented at the campsite for a fee.
Andorra is just over an hour's drive away. A day trip is easily doable.
Yes, there's a children's pool, play equipment, a trampoline, table tennis, geocaching and various attractions in the area, such as a wolf park and a butterfly garden.
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Stay 7 nights, pay for 6
Book seven nights and pay for six: the seventh night is free. Valid for arrivals in the low season (spring and autumn).
arrival
