Domaine de l’Eglantière

The Domaine de l’Eglantière occupies 45 hectares of rolling countryside at Ariès-Espenan, in the commune of Castelnau-Magnoac, in the Hautes-Pyrénées. The river Gers borders the campsite for 1.3 kilometres, amid century-old oaks, meadows and wheat fields. The estate can be reached from Lourdes airport (65 km) or Toulouse airport (100 km), or by train to Lannemezan station (25 km), followed by a bus or taxi to Castelnau-Magnoac.

The estate has belonged to the Féraut Seguin family since 1985, now in its fourth generation, with Xavier and Isabelle at the helm. It brings together on one site a naturist campsite, an organic farm and the historic site of the Château d’Espenan. The farm, run under sustainable farming practices, gained ECOCERT organic certification in 2001; the estate has produced its own green electricity since 2012 and some of its own seed since 2016.

Naturism here is lived as a family, in a spirit of conviviality passed down from generation to generation since the site was first opened to holidaymakers by Maurice and Marcelle Féraut. Accommodation comprises 91 pitches, split between the Tradition, Tradition Premium, Sauvage, Sauvage Premium and RAW packages, and 29 rentals: the Orchidée and Riviera mobile-home cottages, the Calendula and Landine chalets, or the furnished Coco Menthe tent.

Rated 3 stars, the Domaine de l’Eglantière is open from 30 April to 20 September.

At the centre of the estate, a stone’s throw from the bar terrace, the heated pool, at 26°C, is open every day from 9am to 9pm, in a leafy, flower-filled setting. The main pool, 20 metres long and 1.30 to 1.75 m deep, is suited to swimming, water polo or aqua gym, while the small circular pool, only 50 cm deep, welcomes young children under the watchful eye of their parents relaxing on nearby sun loungers. Three tiers of solarium and parasols complete the area, which stays lit in the evening and offers a weekly night opening.

The campsite’s restaurant cooks fresh, local produce every day, partly sourced from the estate’s own organic farm, with cuisine inspired by Gascony: scallops, foie gras with armagnac, black pork stew from Bigorre or apple tart are among the specialities, paired with a selection of regional wines (Saint-Mont, Madiran, Pacherenc). A barbecue is held every Monday evening and a south-west or paella themed evening every Thursday. The bar and snack bar also serve homemade pizzas, chips, ice cream and roast chicken, to eat in or take away.

The estate’s grocery shop favours short supply chains and organic produce, with pastries and fresh bread delivered each morning from 8:30am by a farmer-baker, a newspaper point on request and everyday essentials; a supermarket is 5 kilometres away. On the hill above reception, the wellness area, set up in an old building, offers a sauna heated to 85°C, freely accessible three times a week, a massage room (relaxation, sports, shiatsu, foot reflexology), a lounge with a fireplace and a south-facing solarium.

The river Gers, free of industrial pollution upstream, is a playground in its own right: guided canoe trips twice a week in high season, with a return shuttle, and fly or larva fishing in this category 1 classified reserve (trout, gudgeon), with a weekly introduction for children and teenagers. Fish caught are cooked the same day so nothing goes to waste. Several small natural beaches, shaded by trees, invite free swimming or a nap by the water.

The sports and wellness programme includes archery, morning muscle wake-up sessions, pilates workshops and introductions to self-massage techniques, with sign-up at the restaurant’s activities desk. Teenagers and young adults have their own dedicated meeting space with free wifi access. In the evening, karaoke, concerts, talent shows, film screenings and pool parties punctuate the week, rounded out by a weekly campfire by the riverside.

Six mornings a week, from 10am to noon, the kids’ club looks after children aged 4 to 12 (closed on Saturdays, the arrival and departure day), with painting, forest walks or fishing workshops; on Wednesdays in summer, Kids Day extends the formula from 9:30am to 6pm, meals included. The estate’s naturist trails, where deer and squirrels sometimes cross paths with walkers, lead to the ruins of the Vieille Ferme, a mortarless stone building surrounded by centuries-old oaks, with views over the hills of the Magnoac and, in the distance, the Pyrenees.