Seaside camping in Saint-Georges-d’Oléron
Campsite close to the beach
The Sables Vignier beach is one of the most remarkable on the Ile d’Oléron. It appears in ancient iconography of the island. What’s so special about it that even our forefathers, who didn’t bathe, kept it on their shelves?
First of all, it’s on the island’s Atlantic coast, the famous ” wild coast “, with its sunsets, tidal waves, tall grasses and immortal dune flowers. Opposite is America! But this is Paradise!
Whether you’re lazing on the sandy beaches of the Atlantic coast or renting equipment for your water sports activities, we’ve got it all for your seaside holiday in Poitou-Charentes!
In terms of size, it forms a wide west-facing cove between Pointe de la Chardonnière to the south and Pointe de Chaucre to the north. So there are no dangerous currents along this Oleron beach.
It’s wide enough for everyone to put their towel down, and if the tide is very high, you only need to walk a few dozen metres to the right to find your own quiet spot, as it’s so long.
Its golden sand, fine but not too fine, is very pleasant to the touch as it rolls underfoot. It’s a joy to sink your toes in with every step.
On the left-hand side of the beach, the landscape changes. Mother Nature has given this beach a rocky foreshore prolific in underwater flora and fauna: this is the Pointe de la Chardonnière*, stretching out over 2 nautical miles into the Atlantic Ocean. Over 3.7 km….
The beach is supervised during the high season. It is accessible by a wooden path in summer. For people with reduced mobility, a tiralo is available on request from the supervisors.
*Not to be confused with the Pointe de la Chardonnière in Haute-Savoie, which rises to 2723 m – it’s not the same thing!
Water sports on the Ile d’Oléron
At low tide, some fish on foot, others fish with angling, still others paint the iridescent contours of this natural plateau, and still others set off on a voyage of discovery with a book in their pocket.
To introduce you to all this, we regularly invite Cécile from the association Art et Nature for discovery workshops that will open your eyes and ears to the abundance of Creation down here. Departure from the workshop next to the reception area every week in season.
If you walk a little further along the beach, you’ll find a sailing school.
In the evening, enjoy a picnic with family and neighbors, or stroll along the beach to admire the sunset. Emotions guaranteed. Every night is different.
Back at the campsite in Saint-Georges-d’Oléron, you can extend your swim in our pool while listening to the sound of the waves on the beach. Fffrrrouushhh!
The Lazor pirate
A little history for this beach. Who was Pirate Lazor?
A long time ago, the island of Oleron was not very rich and there lived a man called Lazor, who understood very well the disastrous role that the rocky plateau outcropping at the Pointe de la Chardonnière could play (see above). He tied lamps to his donkey’s neck and gave it a ride up the dune.
From a distance, after dark and in heavy weather, sailors thought they were approaching the northern tip of the island (where the Chassiron lighthouse now stands). In the early hours of the morning, Lazor and his pirates would come to recover the goods washed up on the sand… brought in by the tide.
Pirates!
