The 5 best water parks in France for families

Ask my kids what their favourite day of our round-the-world trip was, and they’ll tell you without a moment’s hesitation: Sunday 1 December. What was so special about it? We went to the Aquapark in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Yes, you read that right. Out of a whole year of travelling, that’s the day they loved most! Turns out it’s not that hard to be the best parents in the world! 🤭

And the good news is that you don’t need to ga as far as Cambodia for this one: there’s a water park near wherever you’re heading on holiday! Here’s a selection of the 5 best water parks in France to delight your kids, whatever their age. Dizzying slides, wave pools, lazy rivers and areas just for toddlers: water parks have become one of families’ favourite summer outings. Hopefully this will help you choose your next family day out and, as a bonus, I’ve added campsite ideas nearby to make planning your holiday easier.

* A totally subjective ranking, of course.

1. O’Gliss Park, Vendée: hands down one of the best water parks in France

O’Gliss Park is one of the best water parks in France, and I’m not saying that just because it’s close to home. Opened in 2016 in Le Bernard, in the Vendée, it quickly became the water park to visit in the Western part of France, and quite simply one of the best water parks in France. Its 6 hectares are entirely devoted to water fun, which makes for a full day out for the whole family.

The youngest kids love Ludo’Park, with its water jets and small slides for their first splashy thrills. Lifeguards keep watch, which is a huge help when you’re looking after toddlers! Teens and thrill-seeking parents head for Délir’Space, where the park’s most intense rides are. There really is something for everyone.

In 2024, O’Gliss Park took things up a level by opening the biggest slides in Europe, which turned it into a destination known well beyond the region. The Stingray, a set of slides towering 26 metres high, was voted best attraction in the world in 2024. No small thing!

The location is another big plus. Le Bernard is a stone’s throw from the Vendée beaches, so you can combine a day at the water park with a swim in the sea on the same trip. The area has plenty to see, and Puy du Fou is only an hour away by road. A great combo for a family holiday!

A campsite nearby: At Camping Les Mancellières (4 stars, in Avrillé), you’ll find everything you need for a relaxing holiday between sea and countryside, with plenty of kid-friendly days out close by. The campsite has an indoor pool, a paddling pool and an outdoor pool that’s heated in July and August. The team organises family and children’s activities, and you can even buy your O’Gliss Park tickets at the campsite reception. Everything is set up to make your life easier!

O’Gliss Park: open every day from late June to early September, 10am to 6pm (7pm in July and August). Tickets cost €17 for ages 3 to 4, €29 up to age 10 and €37 from age 11. Combined tickets with O’Fun Park are available.

2. Wave Island, Vaucluse: for budding surfers and thrill-seekers

Wave Island is Provence’s go-to water park for anyone who loves sliding and surfing. It’s in Monteux, 20 kilometres from Avignon. What sets the park apart is the variety and originality of its attractions: its heated indoor artificial wave, CityWave, lets the whole family try surfing or bodyboarding whatever the weather. Right next to it, you can take on Houba Wave, the biggest artificial wave in the world. It suits every level, and more experienced surfers can work on their best tricks.

For adrenaline junkies, the Chute Palombienne promises (much) more than a few thrills! It’s a 33-metre free fall at speeds of up to 80 km/h. Don’t worry, there are gentler options too: tube slides for one or two, whirlpools and crazy races!

The little ones get their own world at Wave Island, Kids Island, with a paddling pool and safe mini slides. And if they fancy a break from all that swimming, the Acro’Palombi adventure course will keep them busy!

Provence is especially sunny in summer, so a day at Wave Island fits naturally into a holiday that could also take in Avignon, the Luberon or Mont Ventoux. It’s 1 hour 20 minutes by road from Marseille and less than an hour from Provence’s ochre landscapes, for example.

“Kids, if you don’t moan during the hike today, tomorrow we’re all going to have fun at Wave Island!”

A campsite nearby: Camping La Montagne (4 stars, in Sorgues) is ideally placed, 10 kilometres from Wave Island and 15 kilometres from the centre of Avignon. It offers mobile homes, chalets or simply pitches for your tent or caravan. It’s a no-frills campsite where you feel at home, with a heated pool open from 30 April to 15 September.

Wave Island: open every day from mid-June to early September, 10am to 6pm. Tickets cost €26 for children from 1 m tall up to age 11 and €33 from age 11. Combined tickets with Parc Spirou are available.

3. Walygator, Lot-et-Garonne: slides plus an amusement park

Walygator, in Roquefort near Agen, is a great stop for families driving through the south-west or staying in the region, roughly halfway between Bordeaux and Toulouse. The water park is known for its spectacular slides, including the Tornado and the Vulcano, regularly named among the most vertigo-inducing in France. The rides are well balanced between a safe kids’ area and a thrills zone for older children, so everyone in the family finds their thing.

The Walygator water park also has the advantage of sitting right next to the amusement park of the same name. That makes a two-day summer break possible by combining both parks.

A campsite nearby: There are plenty of campsites not far from Walygator, of course, but I’d like to tell you about Domaine EcÔtelia, an hour from the water park. It’s a rather unusual place, with quirky accommodation that takes you on a trip around the world: yurts, cabins in the woods, a perched temple, an Indonesian hut, a riad and more. All of it is set in greenery, with a real commitment to respecting the environment. Even the pool is eco-friendly, with natural filtration by plants. A place to disconnect that will delight kids and grown-ups alike!

Walygator: open at weekends from mid-June to early September and every day in July and August, 10.30am to 6pm (7pm in July and August). Tickets cost €28 for ages 4 to 10 and €35 from age 11, with access to both parks included.

4. Aquaparc BeFUN, Ain: a different kind of water park

Aquaparc BeFUN is a different kind of water park, made entirely of floating inflatable modules. It opened in 2020 on the shores of Lake Cormoranche-sur-Saône, about 15 minutes from Mâcon and an hour from the centre of Lyon, covers nearly 2,500 m² and quickly became one of the biggest water parks in the region. The courses are often compared to an aquatic “Ninja Warrior”: pyramids, monkey bridges, slippery logs, slides 6 metres high, 7-metre floating trampolines and even an 8-metre trapeze.

It’s a very different experience from a classic water park: much more physical and hands-on, and just as good for children from age 6 (with an adult) as for teenagers and adults after a good laugh. The park has an average rating of 4.9/5 from more than 1,500 Google reviews, which makes it one of the best-rated places in France in its category.

You can round off the day with paddleboarding, kayaking, pedalos, cycling and mini golf across the 42 hectares of the site. To find out what else you can do on holiday in the area, have a look at our dedicated article!

A campsite nearby: You can’t get any closer than Camping du Lac de Cormoranche (4 stars). It sits right in the heart of the leisure centre, 8 km south of Mâcon, in 42 hectares of greenery with direct access to the lake’s fine-sand beach. The campsite has a kids’ club in July and August, a restaurant, activities for all ages and watersports on site. Accommodation ranges from standard pitches for tents and motorhomes to comfortable mobile homes, plus tipis and lodge tents for anyone after something a bit different.

Aquaparc BeFUN Mâcon-Cormoranche: open every day during the summer holidays, 11am to 6pm. There are several formulas, from €25 for 2 hours (or 3 hours between 11am and 2pm) up to €40 for the whole day. Quick 45-minute sessions are also available for €15. Entry to the lake’s leisure park is an additional charge (approximately €4.90 for adults and €3.20 for children).

5. The Aquascope, Vienne: the water park of the future

The Aquascope is the newest kid on the block among France’s big water attractions, and it hits hard. Opened in 2024 and part of Futuroscope, this indoor water park has 4 distinct themed worlds and 8 XXL slides. Being indoors, it works whatever the weather, which is rare for a water park and a real plus for families, even when the sky is grey.

It has already won awards from international bodies like the World Waterpark Association, a sign that the concept quickly convinced people beyond France’s borders. And no wonder: the Aquascope isn’t like other water parks. There are no palm trees or shipwrecks here. Instead you get a modern, futuristic atmosphere that fits the spirit of the park around it.

• The Sensations area has 8 water slides, one of them a world exclusive, a wave pool topped by a giant net and a way into an outdoor current river.
• The Immersion zone takes visitors into an aqua-digital environment with a water cinema, video-mapping games on the water, fountains and water special effects: an experience you won’t find anywhere else in France.
• Finally, a kids’ area, La Faille de Kraki, rounds things off for the little ones.

If you choose the Aquascope, you can easily plan a two-day stay by adding a day at Futuroscope itself, which has its own tech-driven, immersive attractions for children of all ages. You’ll find our complete guide to visiting Futuroscope with kids here.

A campsite nearby: Camping du Lac de Saint-Cyr (4 stars, in Beaumont Saint-Cyr), only about ten kilometres from the Aquascope, lets you extend your holiday in a natural setting by the water. Whether you go for a simple pitch, a mobile home, an eco-lodge or even a yurt, you’ll enjoy a calm, restorative environment. A heated pool and a paddling pool for the little ones complete the picture. It’s a practical, family-friendly choice, so you can enjoy both the Aquascope and Futuroscope without losing time on the road.

Aquascope: open every day all year round (check the opening calendar before you go). Tickets cost €32 for ages 5 to 12 and €39 from age 13. Opening hours vary with the season, and you choose an entry time when you buy your ticket. Booking is compulsory. Buy your Aquascope tickets here.

Which of these water parks tempts you most? Do you have others on your own list of the best water parks in France? Share your favourites in the comments!

♥♥♥ Flo & co ♥♥♥

Love amusement parks? Find all our articles on theme parks, tested and approved by our family!

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