"The quiet country roads are ideal for bike riders to explore the surroundings"

That is a quote from Sequoia's own brochure. We were there in the summer of 2004 and I can vouch for the fact that this is a lovely site. I wanted to go back again this year, but was out voted so we are going to the Dordogne in the summer.

Sequoia Parc is set in a lovely area and the camp site is quite well spread out with decent sized pitches. Though we did not go for any bike rides ourselves (wife can't ride a bike), the area around the site and in this area generally is fairly flat. As long as you turn left out of the camp sit entrance and head for the countryside, riding your bikes should be quite easy and relaxing. Turn the other way and you are heading for Marennes and a very busy road, not best for cycling on.

I would suggest taking your own bikes as we did. If you end up on a pitch towards the edge of the site, it can be quite a distance to the shop and reception, so essential to have a bike handy to go and get the early morning croissants. For a bit of fun, they also have large go-carts for hire, which you can use to explore the site with.

Apart from the locaility, there are plenty of other places to take your bikes to for some leisurely cycling, the Isle d'Oleron for example. Round the area of Cote Sauvage, you will find these roads used by serious cyclists and it is quite hilly.

The bar and pizza takeaway at Sequoia Parc are fine and the evening entertainment, what we saw of it was good. Though we didn't eat in there, the restaurant menu looked interesting and it was busy most nights. The shop has most things you would need with plenty of fresh bread, vegetable, meat, milk and bread.

The pool complex is great, though the loungers soon get filled up. The only drawback with the pool is that it is not heated, but it was that hot when we went, that was a bonus. Unless they have extended recently, on two sides of the site are fields together with their resident donkeys who love being fed, though they can be a bit noisy sometimes.

You have to be aware that this site is a good 15 minute drive away from the nearest beach, so unless you are staying on site or going for a bike ride, you will be taking the car everywhere. However, the actual site makes up for its lack of proximity to the beach.

There is a lovely cafe in the main car park/square in Marennes, the nearest town and where the supermarket is. You can sit outside and enjoy the beer and wine and local oysters, plus plenty of other things.

All in all, I would thoroughly recommend this site and yes, you should be able to have some leisurely bike rides around the surrounding country side. Hopefully we will be back there in the next year or two.