Fitness and Surf Wellness Escape for Families in Montalivet

The camp runs Saturday to Saturday. Check-in is after 4:00 PM on arrival day, staff show you to your tipi, and the first evening is a shared dinner followed by an early night. From Sunday, days follow a steady rhythm: a filling breakfast at camp, then everyone walks the 700 metres down to the beach for surf lessons, beach games and other activities. Lunch is served back at camp. Afternoons are unscheduled — this is the part of the day people use for the local market, a vineyard tour, the adventure park, longboarding or a second surf. Evenings are dinner together, and often a session on the beach with a glass of wine from one of the nearby vineyards while the kids play within sight. Departure day starts with breakfast before 10:00, with time for one last quick surf if the tide and schedule allow.

Surf lessons are optional and priced separately from the camp package, so you choose how much time your family spends in the water. The waves at Montalivet are generally small and manageable, which is why beginners — including young children — tend to pick things up here. As a rough guideline, the camp asks that children can swim at least 25 metres in a pool before joining surf lessons. For children aged 2–6, childcare runs during the adults' lessons across four sessions of five hours each.

Meals cover most of the week: seven breakfasts, five lunches, six dinners and snacks throughout. The food is a genuine draw — reviewers single out the kitchen, and there's always a healthy snack and water available, plus an ice cream and beer freezer. Vegetarian and vegan options are available if you flag them. Much of the appeal of the camp is that it's low-key rather than luxe: a shared kitchen, a trust bar for drinks, board games, and a crowd of families who end up eating and surfing together by midweek.

Montalivet itself is a ten-minute walk away — a small seaside town with restaurants, cafés and a weekend food market selling fresh produce and handmade goods. The wider region is worth a day trip or two: the Dune du Pilat, Soulac-sur-Mer, the climbing park and the Médoc vineyards are all within driving distance, and Bordeaux is close enough to combine with the trip. Most guests fly into Bordeaux and rent a car, which makes those excursions much easier.

The tipis are the one thing that surprises people. Reviewers who describe themselves as "not classic camping types" consistently say the tents were far better than expected — real beds, shelving for clothes, a table and chairs, electricity. The main tipi sleeps up to four plus a cot; larger families add a small second tipi next door that fits up to three children on two mattresses (no electricity in that one), so the family still sleeps together.

What's included

- 7 nights in a tipi tent (added during booking: Normal Tipi 490 EUR, Double Tipi 690 EUR) - 7x breakfast, 5x lunch and 6x dinner - Snacks throughout the days - Vegetarian and vegan options available - Use of surfboards - Use of wetsuits - 4 x 5 hours childcare during surf lessons (children aged 2–6) - Use of camp facilities - Member of the Travel Guarantee Fund - Best price guarantee

What's not included

- Airline tickets - Transport to and from the camp - Surf lessons (optional, priced separately) - Tourist fee - Travel insurance - Personal expenses