Camping le Bois de Valmarie

Mumsnet were invited to review Camping Le Bois de Valmarie - which turns out to be a bit of a find, as campsites go. Perched on a hillside a couple of hundred metres from the French Med, it has the lovely, relaxed feel of a small site that's charmed visitors for many, many years.

At first glance, it's a little bit down-at-heel. One small shop, an OKish bar/restaurant and mobile homes that have definitely been round the campsite block a bit. Ours, like many on the site that aren't privately owned, was small, had no air con (not ideal in sweltering Med climes) and very little outside space.

But then there's the pool - or pools, to be more precise. Prepare for your children's gobs to be smacked! The three main pools in the complex are linked by waterfalls and ("again, again!") water chutes but there's space enough to swim, too. There's also a top-notch toddler/small child pool, with well-designed space all around it from which you can watch your progeny paddle and splash. There's a good does-what-it-says-on-the-tin poolside snack bar, and an astroturf sunbathing terrace for those whose skin doesn't lobster-ise as fast as mine. And, as the pool complex is right at the top of the hill, it has the most stunning views over the bay of Argelès.

At the centre of the site is a lovely Roman Baths-esque shower block (a relic of the days when all visitors stayed here under canvas; now, only a small number do). It's a delight: cool and shady, with a small-child-enchanting central pool full of lily pads and goldfish.

The beach nearby is typical French Med: very hot and very crowded. But the beauty of staying at a campsite right at its edge is that the (still stunningly warm) sea and sand's all yours in the evening when the sun-worshippers have gone.

There are lots of pizza-type places to eat in small town of Le Racou (a mere stumble from the site) - and a very much posher gaffes, too. And there's always the bigger, more touristy Argelès and Port Argelès, if you fancy venturing further afield.

There are a fair few aquaparks and fairgrounds within striking distance but we had the most fun at the tiny little Port-Canet Aquarium - which has piranhas, sharks, turtles and weirdy little cavefish with no eyes. Our smallest boy (7) would also recommend the Valley of the Tortoises in Sorède (which is, well, a valley with some tortoises in it) but our two oldest would wearily disagree. They much preferred Le Jardin D'Arianne near Sainte-Marie Plage - with its giant maze made out of maize, through which you wander, slightly sweatily, trying to answer the vegetable-based clues that guide you towards the way out.

A lovely quiet campsite, good for families who want to avoid the hustle and bustle of busier Med sites - as long as you don't mind trudging up quite a hill to the pool every day.