Huttopia Lac d'Aureilhan - Mimizan

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The staff was very welcoming and friendly, but unfortunately, the cleanliness of the restrooms and the pool was very disappointing. A special thanks to Margot for her excellent crepes and to Shane for the sports activities. The proximity to the lake is a real plus.

A nice campground, quiet and surrounded by nature. Compared to other Huttopia sites, the restrooms were slightly less clean but still acceptable.
I really like this style of camping
Not all the campsites are shaded, but it was comfortable since it was well-ventilated

We’ve camped at several Huttopia campgrounds, but we didn’t think this one was really worthy of the Huttopia name. It was more like a festival grounds where everyone is right next to each other instead of having a private space.

The restrooms near our site weren’t neat or clean. Several lights weren’t working in the evening, and one of the door locks wasn’t working either. At the dishwashing stations, there were several spots where there was only a cold-water faucet, and where there was a hot-water faucet, the water that came out was very lukewarm. The showers only had one setting—either cold or hot. Showering with young children was nearly impossible. Later, we did notice that another restroom building at the front of the campground had better facilities.

They organized fun activities, such as the circus. But the activities that required the children to be registered were already fully booked for the entire week by the day we arrived. So, unfortunately, they couldn’t participate in those.

The lakeside location is nice. A great spot for kids to swim and paddleboard. The water stays shallow for a long way out from the beach. Same goes for the beach. It’s about a 15-minute drive by car, and even then, finding a parking spot was quite a challenge. But the beach is beautiful and clean, with nice places to eat and friendly people.

The staff is very friendly and happy to help.

Lake Aureilhan, located across from the campground, is very pleasant; it makes for beautiful photos at sunset and is ideal for enjoying an aperitif on the grass.
There’s a small beach with a very nice beach hut just a 15-minute walk away; Viviane gives you a warm welcome, and you’ll love her specialty—mussels in chorizo sauce—it’s exquisite!
But that’s where the utopia ends with Huttopia...
The cleanliness of the restrooms leaves much to be desired,
Several sites at the back have no shade at all,
The “Comfort Plus” surcharge—which supposedly just covers a picnic table—is not justified,
Be patient at the front desk; you may have to wait up to 30 minutes if there are two or three people ahead of you,
Don’t hesitate to contact customer service—they found a solution to our problem.
In summary, the value for money needs improvement; it’s expensive for a 3-star campground.

We stayed at the Huttopia Mimizan campground with our family of five—three kids aged 10–
—and a folding trailer. Beautiful, shady sites with lots of lovely, large trees. The climate was pleasant because it cools off nicely at night with the breeze from the sea. There were plenty of other kids, so it was easy to make friends. The pool was fine, though it could get very crowded; nowhere was deeper than 1.20 meters, and the central section with palm trees was in need of maintenance and was closed off. The restrooms really aren’t cleaned often enough—feces on the walls was no exception. I found the activities for the kids somewhat mediocre and often required a fee. I took part in a bike tour where the guide got lost 😂.

I wouldn’t call it a beach campground myself because you still have to drive at least 20 minutes to get to the beach. You can rent a bike at the campground; it’s a half-hour bike ride to the beach. There’s also one cargo bike available for rent, as well as bikes for adults and kids—though there aren’t many bikes sized for 8-year-olds.

Parking at the beach gets crowded, but you can always find a spot nearby—and it’s free. Beautiful beach, great surfing spots. The most popular beaches are Plage, Remember, and Zuid; we liked Remember best—it has two surf schools and is less touristy than Plage. There are plenty of cute shops and restaurants everywhere.

The Courant de Mimizan River flows all the way from the sea to the lake near the campground, with great canoeing options. The lake near the campground offers fishing, stand-up paddleboarding, and a chance to cool off. Personally, I found there was so much seaweed in the lake that I only went out on it once and never again, haha. You can go for a run around the lake, and there’s a beautiful botanical garden, La Promenade Fleurie, to explore. Heading from the campground toward Fleurie, you’ll come across a cute little lake-side café; in Fleurie itself, there are also restaurants and a hotel restaurant just around the corner.

There’s a nice little bakery a 5-minute walk from the campground, and a Lidl just around the corner from there, but other than that, there’s nothing else. I didn’t think the market in Aureilhan was worth the trip.

All in all, we had a great vacation. By the way, it’s definitely worth reserving a campsite by the lake! It’s not a mountain lake, but the view is still really nice. The cabins are completely surrounded by the forest and don’t get any sunlight.