'We found the perfect sunny camp spot — where sunsets get a standing ovation'

The sunset over the surfing beach of Messanges Plage Sud is such an event, it actually gets its own round of applause. During the summer months, holidaymakers and locals carry bottles of fizz through the pine forest and over the dunes to sit on the sands stretching down France’s southern Atlantic coast and clap as the orange fireball sinks over the sea. This nightly ritual during our stay with Eurocamp at Le Vieux Port holiday park, which backs directly onto this beach in Landes, made us so glad we’d chosen this site. We are real Eurocamp fanatics because we love holiday parks with loads of facilities, waterparks, entertainment, activities for the children, and the freedom of self-catering and taking our own car.

But when there is the choice of 400 Eurocamp parks across 11 European countries, it can be difficult to narrow it down to a top 10, let alone pick one. The Eurocamp website’s search tool is designed to help, offering options such as, “epic waterparks”, “toddler-friendly” and “more for teenagers”, as well as prices, star-rating, distance from beaches, ports and airports. Being close to a surfy beach is always a bonus for us, and the waves at Messanges Plage Sud, just a few minutes’ walk away from our modern, three-bedroom mobile home with decking, really made the holiday for us. Le Vieux Port is a very large and lively park too, with holidaymakers scurrying everywhere in swimwear and folks walking with baguettes tucked under their arms.

The Eurocamp mobile homes here are nicely spaced down a peaceful lane on the perimeter of the camp, far enough away from the action, car barrier and shower blocks, so you’re not disturbed by fellow campers passing by. With a camp this large, it was handy to have a pop-up patisserie in the centre of the site selling croissants, bread and pastries every morning. There’s also a well-stocked Spar shop near the entrance if you prefer.

Le Vieux Port has some of the whizziest waterslides in the Eurocamp portfolio too, with racing chutes, flumes to ride down on inflatables, a death slide, walk-in wave pool, splash zone with water guns for little ones, plus a Jacuzzi and a surf simulator. With plenty of sunbeds and shades to go around, we spent several hours a day here just messing about in the pool and chilling. There’s also an enormous amount to do, with organised football matches, tennis courts, a large play park, games room, outdoor gym, kids’ club, spa and live entertainment at night, plus on-site eateries. And of course, there’s that giant stretch of soft sand beach, just out of the back gate.

Bayonne, with its narrow medieval streets, is a handsome option for a day trip, just 27 miles south from the campsite. Stretching along the banks of the Rivers Adour and Nive, there are plenty of waterside cafes and bars to sample. Being so close to Spain, many have a distinctly Spanish flavour, serving tapas and pintxos – those stacked, flavour-packed snacks of crispy bread, cured meats, cheeses and pickles.

We stopped for a bite to eat at L’Estegi Restaurant, grabbing a table by the water’s edge, and picked our way through plates of fried octopus, cheese and thinly-sliced Bayonne ham, traditionally cured for seven months to produce its delicately salty flavour and pink colour, and served with chillies and gherkins. Bayonne is, in fact, so serious about its ham, the town has a museum dedicated to its history and how it is made.

Try it with a glass of Irouleguy wine, a local speciality from the French Basque region. A few miles further down the coast is the rather glamorous sounding seaside city of Biarritz. In the 17th century it was home to the first French production centre of chocolate confectionery. It’s also where, during the reign of Louis XV in the early 18th century, the first “bonbon” (filled chocolate) was created. Biarritz has many chocolate shops as well as the Planete Musee du Chocolat, where visitors get to sample a drop on their way in.

Those of a certain vintage may remember when Cadbury named its triangle-shaped box of dark chocolates after the city in the 1980s and its TV advert featuring the Barry Manilow song “Bermuda Triangle.” Oh so glamorous at the time. Biarritz still exudes a ritzy kind of vibe, with elegant villas, art deco details, trendy beachfront bars and seafood restaurants. It has six beaches to choose from including Cote de Basque, its epicentre for surfing backed by enormous cliffs (park at the top, then zig-zag down the steps and ramps), plus there’s Le Grand Plage, a large stretch of sand in the centre, next to Miramar Beach. For a different swimming experience or relaxed paddle-boarding, head for the sheltered cove of Le Vieux Port.