5 child-friendly eco-lodges for nature-based holidays! |

The air is filled with the scent of blossoming flowers and birdsong… Hooray, spring is here (at last)! As nature awakens around us, how about a cosy, environmentally-friendly family getaway to one of these 5 rural Breton ecolodges. Natural wood, fresh air, good-natured atmosphere… Sounds simply heavenly!

In the blink of an eye

1. Butterflies and cosy little lodges

La Belle Verte

“La Belle Verte” eco-lodges, near Vitré, promote upcycling and zero waste. In the Breton countryside, the semi-underground pods, entirely made from natural materials, can host families of four. It’s bedtime kids… on the mezzanine! Are they early-risers? It’s the ideal time to watch the garden birds: tits, robins, hoopoes… Ask for an observation kit at reception to help you identify them. Do the little ones need to release energy? Let them chase after the peacock butterflies and friends! Set off on a family treasure hunt and look for clues under the apple trees or in the meadow. Everyone, children and adults, can learn about animals, leaves, compost, etc.

La Belle Verte

Activity ideas:

Travel back in time at local castles: in Vitré or at the Marquise de Sévigné’s
Have a splashingly good time at the pool (Vitré)
For the first picnic of the year, head to La Valière Lake with its 6 km walking trail
Tour of France in miniature at the Promenade Chesnais, in Domagné (just over 10 miles south-west of Vitré).

2. Get back to nature at the farm

Ferme de Penquelen – Scaër

6 rustic lodges, sleeping 4 to 6 guests: at Clara and Cyrille’s farm, half an hour east of Quimper, delve into the wonders of nature. What a welcome committee greets us on arrival! There’s the cows (you can watch them being milked), as well as sheep, chickens, rabbits and ducks … The whole family gets stuck in to help … before a game of table tennis or a walk. Come nightfall, candles and oil lamps are brought out for a meal rustled up using products from the farm shop: fruit, vegetables, sausages, cider, home-made apple juice… Who’s sleeping in the cabin bed tonight? Tomorrow, a bike ride beckons on the greenway, to Pont-Aven (30 mins) or Concarneau (40 mins). Or how about Quimper? Authentic and invigorating!

La Ferme de Penquelen

Activity ideas

Discover one of the world’s largest menhirs in the village
Call in at Guiscriff Station: bicycle hire, treasure hunt, interactive visitor trail and more…
20 minutes’ drive away, ring the belfry bell at Sainte-Barbe Chapel in Le Faouët
Let off steam at Aven Parc in Pont-Aven

Ideas

The inratables of the summer, the place to be to treat yourself to a seafood platter, the best views on the GR®34, the best spots to start surfing… in short, all the good...

4. Dragon hunting deep in Léon country

Domaine de Kermenguy

Find the dragon’s lair in the Domaine de Kermenguy forest, in Cléder. A trail fraught with difficulties! Solve the fairies’ riddle by measuring a tree, hide from the korrigans, follow the animal tracks… A 100% natural adventure in which you will learn about Breton fauna, flora and legends. In the evening, relive your day in one of the family eco-lodges: the Jonquille tree house, 6 metres from the ground in an ancient oak tree; Stella, in a south-facing clearing, or the Victoria safari tent. Are you on holiday with teenagers? Will it be parents against children or girls against boys in a game of “Triskell pursuit”, an orienteering trail through the domain, covering 40 hectares? You can borrow compasses!

Domaine de Kermenguy

Activity ideas

Set sail to explore the Île de Batz
Go on a castle tour! Kerjean Castle, Kerouzéré Castle in Roscoff then hop in a boat to visit Taureau Castle in Morlaix
Challenge yourself to the treasure hunt at the Keremma Dunes

5. Front-row seats to view nature, close to Guerlédan Lake

Cabane de Quénécan

Play at Robin Hood in a tree house in Quénécan forest. You’ll have the best seat for watching nature’s spring awakening. Hidden in the branches of an ancient oak tree, watch a deer or a boar wander by, and listen to the birds. You can also venture into the forest or on the trails around the neighbouring Guerlédan lake. On the way, pick up leaves, seeds, moss and a whole host of treasures to make a scrapbook! Are the children older? Then try to solve the “Mission Quénécan”, a landscape game that plunges you into the history of Forges de la Salle. The “Cabanes de Quénécan” are installed around this former steel town: take advantage of a VIP tour!

Cabanes de Quénécan

Activity ideas:

A day out at Bon-Repos Abbey
A cycle ride along the Rigole d’Hilvern canal
A swim at the Centre aquatique du Blavet

Quirky accommodation