Camping du phare d opale L14

The area is the best thing about this parc. The local village has plenty within walking distance, there’s lots to do nearby, and it’s easy to reach by car. The bar is pleasant and reasonably priced, and the site itself is affordable, though other nearby sites offer more for roughly the same price. Onsite, there’s not much to do. The shop has only Coke, water, tea, coffee and crisps, so it hardly counts as a shop, and the place doesn’t seem suited to young children. The site is rather run down, though improvements are underway. The vans vary and look tired, and some things felt unsafe. We reported an issue but were told it wouldn’t be looked at until after our stay. It’s okay if you’re just sleeping there and heading out each day.

We cut our six-night stay down to one and contacted the ferry company to leave on the second day. Between that and the food we had to throw away from the fridge and freezer, the trip cost us far too much. Honestly, this was the worst place I’ve ever stayed. Avoid it, and don’t waste your money like we did. Caravan H017 was tiny and filthy, covered in sand, with black sludge behind the sofa. The beds were very hard. The oven didn’t work, the gas hob was inconsistent, and the fridge only began getting cold on the second day. Reception was closed more than it was open. When we raised the problems, we were told the oven had a safety feature and had to be turned on with the door open. There were no instructions for that anywhere, though there was plenty of information about cleaning charges, BBQ rental, bedding hire and the caravan’s itemized contents. It felt like we were being fobbed off. We tried turning it on with the door open, but after 15 minutes the oven was still cold. The campsite is very run down. According to the campsite’s own paperwork, issues won’t be dealt with if you don’t report them within an hour of arrival. With five of us, including young kids, that’s unachievable when you need to make beds, unpack, find the nearest supermarket and get food to cook. Reception was closed again when we left to catch our 3pm ferry. We left the key with the absolutely lovely bar manager, who was the only person who seemed to care. We believe his name is Gillian, and he’s independent from the company that runs the camp.

The view is great, and the staff are friendly. The facilities were fine, with a bar and a small shop. The camping field is at the far end of the site on quite a steep slope, so you’ll need levellers if you’re in a van. It’s a good walk into Le Portel and longer to reach Boulogne. Buses seem regular, with the stop about a kilometre away, and getting around by bike works fine if you don’t mind a moderate hill.

The location near the beach is great, and the view over the Atlantic is amazing. But the campsite is noisy, with music and loud people late into the night. There are dogs off their leads and dog mess in the grass. The sanitary facilities are beyond gross, and it doesn’t seem very suitable for tents. We were next to the garbage bins on a neglected patch of grass with no shade.