Camping à la ferme on a basic aire naturelle site is one approach to simplified summer living, but L’Étournerie is even smaller than that. It’s a non- classified campsite, which means it must have no more than six pitches. Sisters Jacky and Renée and their family also have a chalet and 2 stylish gîtes, so the site is a truly bijou alternative. It’s not basic, though, as it has a small heated swimming pool, meals can be ordered, and it sits in its own land in the hills of the southern Vendée.
The site is run by a Dutch family, who have realised their dream of living in the beautiful light and sweet air near the Atlantic coast and have created a place specifically for people who enjoy the same sort of things. The only noise is likely to come if the two dozen geese, the goat, and the chickens are disturbed, but as they don’t even have foxes to worry about, that doesn’t happen often.
The Vendée and its sandy beaches traditionally attract mainly French tourists – Jacky and Renée speak French, English, and German as well as Dutch – but the links with Holland go back a long way. Dutch engineers helped build the dykes and drain the marshes of the Marais Poitevin in the 17th century. Now nicknamed ‘Green Venice’, it’s a maze of waterways and islets that’s best explored in boats, but there are walks and cycle routes, too. The site also has access to a nearby reservoir, where you can fish, swim, or mess about in rubber boats. Although not designed for sports and leisure, this is a great site to hike around or cool off in on hot summer afternoons.
Lake 328 yards (300 m) away is nearly on site. Guides to walks and cycle routes within 30 miles (50 km), plus golf courses and vineyards. Surf beaches on Atlantic coast, but Renée recommends the sheltered sands of La Faute-sur-Mer. ‘Green Venice’, aka the Marais Poitevin, lies to the south, but for historical spectacle and fun family experience at Château Puy du Fou (0033 820 09 10 10).
Our tips: Île d'Yeu, Île d'Aix, Île de Ré (although very busy in summer), La Rochelle, Nantes, Puy du Fou, Marais Poitevin, hiking, beaches.
Meals and breakfast service available on site. Nearest shops and restaurants 21⁄2 miles (4 km) away in Mareuil-sur-Lay-Dissais.