Getting There
Located in the Morbihan department of Brittany this campsite is within easy reach of most of the UK and Ireland ferry ports west of Calais. If arriving into Roscoff the drive is quite short but coming from Cherbourg would involve following mostly main roads up to Lorient and then getting into smaller roads to Plomeur and beyond. As this site is located in a quiet but urban area road access is good enough to accommodate buses so getting a motorhome, camper or caravan to site isn’t much of an issue. After arriving on site there is an area to park up while checking in and the staff at reception are very helpful – as would be expected for a Sandaya site.
Pitches and Facilities
We were allocated a pitch under a large tree which helped keep things cool as we had ample shade, however the site was quite uneven due to the tree roots and pitches weren’t demarcated terribly well. In spite of this I’ve seen much worse and the motorhome did manage to level out on the air suspension without a need for ramps. Pitches don’t have individual water or drainage and we found it difficult to source an appropriate tap. I ended up resorting to the collapsible watering can to top up the water on site. Eventually we did find a tap with a screw on connector about 10 pitches away from ours but it would involve uprooting the motorhome to fill the tank. The lack of fresh and waste water on site is a limitation if you are looking to stay longer than a few days. It was also quite a long way to the electric hookup so a long cable is essential as the tree cover does limit the ability to stay topped up using solar. I would note that the pitch we booked was listed on the website as a two ‘shell’ pitch so we did have reasonable expectations before arrival.
Overall the site is a bit rough around the edges. The waste emptying point (pictured) was quite basic but at least was dedicated for emptying only which avoids any mishaps with filling up with non drinking water (eau non-potable). The toilet blocks were kept quite clean but were unusually marked out as being unisex on the signage with a paper notice on the door saying they were for men only. This was an inconvenience for the ladies in our group who had to use a separate sanitary block much further away. There are signs of neglect such as an out of use building the role of which I could not fathom (also pictured). Don’t get me wrong, I’ve stayed on far worse sites but this just had a bit of a haphazard feel to it that’s not typical of any Sandaya sites I’ve stayed in previously.
Despite the shortcomings in the accommodation areas there are plenty of facilities on site with a decent sized pool which is well lifeguarded (some people were ejected for not following the rules), a bar and restaurant and direct access to the beach. We did visit at the peak of high season so we did noticed the restaurant and bar to be quite short staffed with service being particularly slow at peak times. Outside of Les Grandes Vacances the allocation of staff might be sufficient but they were definitely struggling between the hours of 6 and 7. We ate at the on-site restaurant on our first night and found it to be reasonable priced with adult meals being approximately 16 euro and children’s meals for 7 including a drink and small ice cream. Beer was on the expensive side (7-8 euros for a large beer) and wine was reasonable at 3 euros for a glass.
Around the Area
As noted above the site is located with direct access to the Plage de l’Anse du Stole which is a nice quiet beach which you can walk along to get the the port area of Lomener. The port area has plenty of restaurants and located nearby is a market (every Monday morning) and a small Intermarché for all your essential shopping. It’s a comfortable 10 minute walk from the site to the town centre and this helps keep everything
The nearest large town is Lorient. We took a day trip to Lorient to visit La Base. La Base was a German submarine pen during the Second World War and has tours in English and French daily. You can do a tour of the largest bunker (K3) or do a tour of a decommissioned French submarine. Overall it’s a nice way to spend the day and is within easy reach of the campsite. The base can be cycled to in about 30 minutes or 25 minutes on the T4 bus which cost €1.50 per person when we visited. If you want to do the English tour (of the submarine pens) pre-booking is recommended in high season as the English tour can sell out in advance. The submarine tour is mixed language using multimedia headsets and is recommended but as with the other activities pre-booking is recommended.
Summary
Overall Sandaya Belle Plage is a bit rough around the edges but still has plenty to offer. It is also well situated for activities off-site which adds to the experience with Lorient being within reach by road, bike or public transport. Facilities for children are decent and the staff are friendly and pleasant. Travelling with a young family I think this site presents a good option for a 3-4 day stay.
Dates Visited: 04/08/2024 to 07/08/2024 (3 nights)
Cost: €230.40 (€76.80/night for motorhome, 2 adults, 4 children, electric hookup)