Le Haut Chandelalar

Le Haut Chandelalar is a 4-star naturist campsite at Briançonnet, in the highlands of the Alpes-Maritimes, between the Gorges du Verdon and the Côte d’Azur. Set at an altitude of around 1,000 m in the Préalpes d’Azur Regional Nature Park, the estate covers 80 wooded hectares bordered by a river, of which 10 hectares are given over to the campsite.

The family-run campsite champions a family-friendly naturism practised in a peaceful atmosphere, in touch with unspoilt nature. The estate holds PEFC certification for the sustainable management of its forest: felled trees are systematically replanted, and wood chips from forest maintenance heat the pool and the sanitary hot water. This commitment extends to the use of eco-labelled cleaning products and chlorine-free toilet paper.

The campsite has 70 bare pitches, spacious (100 m² minimum) and more or less shaded, as well as chalets and mobile homes arranged in a small village higher up on the site, near the reception building and spaced far enough apart to preserve everyone’s privacy. A Prestige chalet, fitted with a private spa, is suited to people with reduced mobility.

The campsite is open from May to mid-September, with reception open every day from 9am to 7pm.

The restaurant, run by Muriel and Héloïse, serves traditional, regional cuisine paired with fine wines, on round tables crafted from different woods sourced from the property. It opens every evening except Sunday, when a takeaway service replaces the sit-down meal; advance booking is requested to limit waste. A refreshment kiosk near the pool serves cold drinks and ice cream in the afternoon. The campsite’s grocery shop stocks dairy products, fruit and vegetables, tinned goods, wine and regional produce, as well as fresh bread and pastries baked every morning in a 19th-century wood oven.

The semi-Olympic pool, wood-heated thanks to the estate’s own wood chips, is complemented by a paddling pool for the youngest and sun loungers; a river lies around 30 minutes’ walk away. By appointment, a practitioner offers sports or relaxing massages (Californian, Swedish).

Reception, open from 9am to 7pm, advises holidaymakers on outings and activities in the region. Wifi is paid, but reaches much of the site, particularly near the pool, the restaurant and the rental accommodation. Pitches have electrical hook-ups over part of the site, there are four modern sanitary blocks including one bathroom adapted for people with reduced mobility and another for babies, as well as a large communal barbecue and freely accessible picnic tables.

On the campsite, a playground, table tennis tables and a multi-sports pitch keep young and old busy; a library of 1,200 books in three languages is freely accessible for those who enjoy reading in the shade. In summer, occasional entertainment sets the pace of your stay, between daytime sports activities and musical evenings.

The Préalpes d’Azur, between the Gorges du Verdon and the Mercantour National Park, invite you to hike and cycle; a free guided walk also sets off from the campsite every week in July and August. The region also lends itself to white-water sports (canyoning in the Clue de Saint-Auban, rafting on the Verdon), climbing, via ferratas, horse riding, paragliding and fishing, 5 km from the campsite.

The curious can observe wolves, bison and Przewalski’s horses at the Alpha park and the Monts d’Azur nature reserve, cross the Cayolle and Allos mountain passes (the latter beside Europe’s largest natural high-altitude lake), explore the reddish Daluis gorges or the underground galleries of Baume Obscure, and stroll through the hilltop villages of Entrevaux and Saint-Paul-de-Vence.