French Language and Watersports Summer Camp in Antibes for Ages 12–17

A typical weekday starts with French class at 9 a.m. The first two hours are conventional teaching covering reading, speaking, writing and listening, plus grammar, pronunciation and French culture, following the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The third hour is lighter: oral activities planned by the teacher to get students talking and build confidence. On the Monday they arrive, students take an entrance test and are placed by level, from beginner to advanced.

After lunch the group heads out on the water. The programme rotates through sailing, kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkelling and towed tubes, and the school says all of it suits beginners, with experienced teams guiding each activity. Students only need to bring a towel, swimsuit and sunscreen. Back on campus there are pool games, and the animation team runs evening events and shows and walks students down to the beach.

What separates this from a standard French language course is the afternoons. A classroom-only camp leaves the day half empty; here the language gets used on a boat or a paddleboard with other teenagers from different countries. The campus itself is unusual too: it belongs to the French Ministry of Agriculture and sits among flower gardens and greenhouses, so the setting is greener and quieter than a town-centre school building.

Supervision is structured and visible. A centre director coordinates all staff, a director of learning manages the teachers, a director of activities manages the leaders, and there is a deputy activities director plus security staff on the residence floors when boarders are present and at night. The director and leaders sleep on site, and night security starts at 7:30 p.m. Leaders record students entering and leaving the premises.

Rules on free time depend on age, calculated from full date of birth. Twelve-year-olds may not leave campus. Students aged 13 to 15 can go into town or to the beach after activities until dinner at 7:30 p.m. Students aged 16 and 17 can be granted permission for a 10 p.m. curfew Monday to Thursday and 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, with parental authorisation. Parents can also authorise evening outings.

Antibes is 11 miles from Nice Côte d'Azur airport, and the town centre and sandy beaches are walkable. It is a medium-sized Côte d'Azur resort, easy for teenagers to learn their way around. Transfers from and to the airport are included in the all-inclusive price.

What's included

- 20 French lessons of 45 minutes per week (9 a.m. to 12:20 p.m., max 15 per class) - Accommodation on the Campus Horticole in rooms of 2, 3 or 4 students - Full board meals - Watersports every afternoon Monday to Friday (sailing, kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkelling, towed tubes) - Watersports equipment including wetsuits and life jackets - Pool games, evening events and shows - Full-day weekend excursion on stays of two weeks or more - 24/7 supervision by group leaders - Night security from 7:30 p.m. - Transfer from and to Nice Airport - Free shuttle bus between campus and town centre or beaches during the day

What's not included

- Travel to and from Nice before the included transfer - Towel, swimsuit and sunscreen for watersports - Intensive French classes in small groups on two afternoons per week (available for a surcharge) - Personal expenses - Travel insurance