 My friend with the dog who doesn’t mind what she pays for a campsite, unlike your tight fisted reviewer, recommended Le Chateau de Galinee so nous avons passse nos vacances en France, and that was about the extent of the French needed as everyone speaks excellent English.
St Cast Le Guildo is on the north Brittany coast twenty miles from St Malo so if you don’t fancy towing a caravan too far in France it is a good choice, otherwise it is 332 miles from Calais with good roads all the way.
The campsite is part of the Les Castels chain of independent campsites and has over three hundred pitches; a third are statics, a third Eurocamp and the rest are for tourers.
The touring section is away from the rest of the site although they all share the one toilet block which would become rather stretched in high season but was very clean and well kept when we were there at the end of May, when it was very peaceful. The pitches themselves are of a generous size and separated by small hedges and some have water taps on the pitch.
There is a swimming pool complex with three pools including one with slides and a new indoor pool is planned. Alongside the chateau are a pretty lake and some goats, and the amenities include a bar, restaurant, shop and take away. If you need more than what the shop can provide there are two supermarkets within a five mile drive.
St Cast is only two miles away and has a long sandy beach and a pretty little port just round the headland. But along this stretch of coastline there are lots of sandy beaches as well as plenty of variation between the sandy beaches, rocky headlands and islands and creeks.
 Twenty miles south of St Cast is the lovely old hilltop walled town of Dinan, full of picturesque old houses overhanging the narrow cobbled lanes underneath. From the Garden of the English are wonderful views over the river Rance below and if you are very fit you can walk down one of the lanes under the town walls, to the port and old bridge far below. But beware it is a long, very steep walk back up again.
Another day out is a trip to Dinard, a favoured resort of Edward V11, which has declined somewhat over the years. However it still has its casino and there is a beautiful sandy beach for the children. The sea is sprinkled with little islands making it very picturesque and a drive back round the coast to the campsite includes lots more of the same pretty views of off shore islands. In May the beaches were empty and made the perfect evening stroll.
All in all it was certainly worth the £15 per night that we paid in May and we enjoyed the area, but I wouldn’t want to be there in high summer when all the statics and tents are full. But then I always want it all to myself.
Jenny Sargeant |
