Cave-aged cheese, vintage wines and medieval villages — there’s no denying that some of the best things in France are mature. And that goes for camping, too. Down in the rather grown-up region of The Lot, Château de Lacomté Country Club is an adults-only campsite that gets the Hipcamp thumbs-up, regardless of it being a little on the large side. It’s true there are 80-plus pitches here, but there are also 32 acres, ensuring enough space for your setup.
As this vast site is reserved for adults only, it’s a peaceful place and there’s plenty of greenery to provide privacy between the spacious, grassy pitches. And as the “country club” name suggests, it’s rather well to do with a focus on leisure pursuits and sociable spaces. There’s a swimming pool, a tennis court and sports pitches for volleyball and boules as well as an on-site restaurant and bar where live music, weekly barbecues and quizzes are often on offer for guests.
Every pitch here has electric hook-up (if you want it), a water tap and drainage. The place is kept clean and tidy with immaculate communal facilities. For those who want more than a place to pitch or park up, there are a few wooden chalets tucked among the trees, a handful of mobile homes and a gite, each set up for self-catering stays.
The relaxed vibe, the on-site facilities and the generally favourable weather all make this the sort of place you’ll want to book for two weeks rather than two nights. Add to that the huge range of tourist attractions and activities of The Lot and neighbouring Dordogne and you might wish you could stay even longer. Rocamadour, a medieval village built into a cliff face, is not to be missed. Likewise, the underground boat rides of the Gouffre de Padirac, perhaps the most spectacular of the limestone caves that are characteristic of the region. There’s plenty for active types, too, including potholing, kayaking, canoeing and cycling, and to top it all off there’s the food; there are walnuts, truffles and pates from the countryside, for sale at local markets. There’s the wine of Cahors and the cheeses of Rocamadour — all the better for being mature and perfectly suited to grown-up palates.
The site is within the Parc Regional Naturel des Causses du Quercy which is home to lots of tourist attractions of the region including the medieval city of Rocamadour, about 15km from site, the underground caves Gouffre de Padirac, about 31km from site and the pretty village of Saint Cirq-Lapopie (45 km away). The Dordogne and Lot region are known for beautiful countryside and there is plenty of walking, cycling, canoeing and caving in the area. Also within an hour's drive, you can visit villages and towns including Autoire, Martel, Sarlat-la-Canéda, Cahors and Figeac.
