La belle histoire du Dauphin
A passionate family dedicated to your well-being
Our 5-star campsite in Argelès-sur-Mer, in the Pyrénées-Orientales (66), France, extends over 12.5 hectares of landscaped grounds and offers a wide range of accommodation across 516 pitches. 96% of our guests are satisfied, because listening to our guests and ensuring their satisfaction have always been at the heart of our philosophy.
Les plus
A committed approach to quality and environmental responsibility
A focus on the well-being of our guests during the low and high seasons
A passionate family and a dedicated team
Listening to our guests and ensuring their satisfaction
A dream comes true
Our guests’ well-being always comes first, and our team is guided by this commitment to quality, passed down through generations of a passionate family.
Camping Le Dauphin was founded in 1970 by Claude and Marie-Jeanne Bessoles. Newlyweds, they decided to make their dream come true under the sunny skies of the Pyrénées-Orientales: to create the best campsite just a short distance from the beach in Argelès-sur-Mer, on a vast piece of land dotted with apricot trees.
At the heart of this project was Claude Bessoles’ passion for nature, together with his construction expertise and practical skills. These qualities enabled him to build the site and its first facilities. From the very beginning, his wife made a point of listening to guests and paying close attention to their needs, always striving to make their holidays as enjoyable as possible.
These values have been passed down through the generations and remain deeply rooted at Camping Le Dauphin. With a strong commitment to quality from the outset, the couple created large, spacious camping pitches, each measuring at least 100 m², set within beautifully landscaped surroundings. It wasn’t long before the campsite was welcoming guests to a full house in Argelès.
In 1982, continuing their pursuit of quality and comfort, Claude decided to create private sanitary facilities on many of the camping pitches, including a sink, toilet and shower. A true pioneer in both vision and execution, he placed his guests’ comfort above all else. Today, Camping Le Dauphin continues to benefit from this unique feature, as it is the only campsite in Argelès-sur-Mer to offer such an advantage: 97 pitches with private sanitary facilities, a unique concept that continues to delight guests and set the campsite apart among campsites in the Pyrénées-Orientales.
In 1987, Claude continued his commitment to providing space and comfort at Le Dauphin. His forward-thinking approach to space led him to create not one, but three swimming pools: a semi-Olympic lap pool, a pool designed for learning to swim, and a paddling pool where children could discover the joys of the water.
The campsite’s range of accommodation was expanded with fully equipped mobile homes, while the range of services continued to grow, including a restaurant, tennis courts, mini-golf, a children’s playground and an entertainment hall.
The continuation of a dream…
A blend of dreams, hard work and emotion, Camping Le Dauphin was taken over in 2002 by Claude’s son, Paul, who in turn devoted himself to this 5-star campsite in Argelès-sur-Mer, where he had spent his entire childhood.
He took up the family legacy, developing the facilities, introducing new high-end services, and enhancing the green spaces and the site as a whole. Having evolved into a true Camping Club, Paul created the entertainment area in 2007, which has welcomed shows, cabarets, musicals and themed evenings every summer ever since.
Guest satisfaction and comfort remain at the heart of our campsite’s commitment to quality. His father had dreamed of it, and together they made it a reality. In summer 2011, the campsite’s new water park was unveiled, featuring a dolphin-shaped swimming pool, hydromassage jets, multi-jet areas, a counter-current swimming lane, whirlpool baths, water slides and massage fountains…
1,300 m² dedicated to well-being and 6,000 m² of poolside relaxation areas!
That same summer in Argelès-sur-Mer, Paul became a father — and Claude became a grandfather…
