Espace Eaux Vives

What Espace Eaux Vives does

Espace Eaux Vives is a public leisure and water-sports base located in Saint-Pierre-de-Boeuf, France, on the banks of the Rhône river at the foot of the Parc Naturel Régional du Pilat and along the Via Rhôna cycling route. The facility is owned and managed by the Communauté de Communes du Pilat Rhodanien, a French intercommunal public authority, and operates as a public-sector recreational destination rather than a private commercial company. Its core infrastructure consists of an artificial white-water river and a calm-water basin that support year-round kayaking, canoeing, rafting, paddle-boarding, and white-water swimming, with activities priced on a unit pay-as-you-go basis ranging from €5.50 (licensed half-day river access) to €86 (two-hour one-on-one guided session).

The site's offering has been progressively expanded beyond water sports into an integrated tourism destination. Sub-brands include the Camping de la Lône (pitches, chalets, on-site dining via La Paillote de la Lône), the newly opened Maison de la Lône (gîte/studio/room accommodation launched June 2025), the Brasserie des Eaux Vives restaurant, and the Espace Détente relaxation area. The venue is FFCK-sanctioned and regularly hosts national-level slalom competitions, regional selections, and FFESSM white-water swimming events, with bookings processed through direct on-site reservation, Open Billet, and Secureholiday for camping. Governance and capital projects are supported by a network of public and federation partners, including the LEADER European programme, Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, PNR du Pilat, FFCK, FFESSM, CDCK07, and the Club Nautique de la Platière.

Revenue mechanics are mixed: direct ticket revenue from activities and accommodation, supplemented by public operating subsidies and capital grants from the managing intercommunal authority and regional/European partners. The customer base is fragmented across individual leisure users, schools, corporate groups, and kayak/canoe clubs, with 11 employees and no disclosed financials. Strategic activity in 2023–2025 (renovation upgrades, Maison de la Lône launch, federation partnership expansion) indicates a measured facility-modernization and product-broadening trajectory within a fixed geographic footprint.

Name

Espace Eaux Vives

Legal name

Communauté de Communes du Pilat Rhodanien (Éditeur de l'Espace Eaux Vives)

Website

https://espaceeauxvives.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Espace Eaux Vives is a publicly operated French leisure base in Saint-Pierre-de-Boeuf offering artificial white-water and calm-water sports, accommodation, and FFCK-sanctioned competition hosting, managed by the Communauté de Communes du Pilat Rhodanien and serving individual tourists, schools, groups, and kayak clubs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Recreation & Leisure Services

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Whitewater & Paddle Sports Centers (Rafting, Kayak, SUP, Canoe) (THAAAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water & Marine Guiding Services (Kayak, Canoe, Raft, SUP, Sailing) (THAAALAB), Marina RV & Waterfront Campgrounds (THAMAJAH)

Keywords

• White water sports
• Outdoor recreation
• Camping accommodation
• Kayak rentals
• Leisure facility

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-Pierre-de-Bœuf

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Espace Eaux Vives operates a public leisure base offering white water and calm water sports activities (rafting, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, white water swimming), group and team-building events, and on-site accommodation (campsite pitches, chalets, gîtes, studios, rooms). It also features on-site food and beverage (Brasserie des Eaux Vives, La Paillote de la Lône) and hosts regional and national kayak slalom competitions.

Product overview

Espace Eaux Vives is a leisure base operated by the Communauté de Communes du Pilat Rhodanien, located at Saint Pierre de Boeuf along the Rhône river and Via Rhôna cycling route. The facility offers a portfolio of water sports activities (white water rafting, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, white water swimming), group activity packages, and accommodation services (campsite, gîte, studio, rooms). The site features an artificial river for slalom training and competitions, calm water areas, restaurants, and relaxation facilities. The operation functions as an integrated recreation destination rather than a software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Espace Eaux Vives (section): White-water and water sports area with activities including rafting, white-water swimming, inflatable kayak/canoe, slalom training and competitions.
• Camping de la Lône
• Maison de la Lône
• Espace Détente
• Brasserie des Eaux Vives

Products and services

• Rafting White water rafting experiences on the artificial river at the Saint-Pierre-de-Boeuf leisure base, available to individual visitors and groups.
• Nage en eaux vives (White Water Swimming) White water swimming experiences in moving water conditions, offered as a supervised discipline at the leisure base.
• Kayak et Canoë Gonflable Inflatable kayak and canoe activities on the artificial white water river, available for various skill levels.
• Balade en Kayak, Canoë et Paddle Recreational kayaking, canoeing, and paddle boarding excursions on the calm water basin for individuals and families.
• Activités de groupe Group activity packages combining nautical activities and terrestrial team-building exercises (biathlon, orienteering) with professional supervision for schools, clubs, and corporate groups.
• Camping de la Lône Natural camping area on the leisure base offering pitches, chalets, swimming pool access, and on-site dining at La Paillote de la Lône.
• Maison de la Lône Guesthouse accommodation offering gîte, studio, and room options for visitors, with calm-water activities and orientation courses. Opened June 2025.
• Accès rivière (River Access) Day access to the artificial white water river for kayak/canoe practitioners, priced at 12€ for non-licensed individuals and 7.50€ for FFCK licensed paddlers; half-day afternoon access at 5.50€ for licensed kayakers.
• Course d'orientation Orienteering activities available at multiple locations on the leisure base as a terrestrial complement to water sports.
• Brasserie des Eaux Vives On-site restaurant and brasserie at the leisure base serving visitors of the water sports facilities.
• La Paillote de la Lône Refreshment and dining outlet located at the Camping de la Lône, serving camping guests and day visitors.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Communauté de Communes du Pilat RhodaniencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe leisure base is owned and managed by the Communauté de Communes du Pilat Rhodanien, a local government intercommunal structure. The community oversees the operation, development, and maintenance of the Espace Eaux Vives facility.
• Parc Naturel Régional du PilatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe PNR du Pilat accompanied the renovation project that enabled equipment upgrades, space improvements, and new sports material acquisition for white water activities.
• Club Nautique de la Platière (CNP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal kayaking club that organizes regional slalom selections and national competitions at the Espace Eaux Vives facilities.
• FFCK (Fédération Française de Canoë-Kayak)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational federation for canoeing and kayaking that sanctions competitions held at the venue including French championships.
• FFESSM (Fédération Française d'Études et de Sports Sous-Marins)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizes national selection events for swimming in white water (Nage en Eau Vive) disciplines at the venue.
• CDCK07 (Comité Départemental Canoë-Kayak Ardèche)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizes regional double slalom competitions at the venue.
• EcologicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSporting goods collection program partner for recycling sports equipment at the venue.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stade d'Eau Vive de l'Argentière-la-Bessée: Alpine artificial whitewater course serving club training, slalom competition, and tourist rafting/kayak activities. Closely comparable business model combining federation events with pay-as-you-go recreational water sports.
• Stade d'Eau Vive de Bourg-Saint-Maurice: Artificial whitewater course in Bourg-Saint-Maurice (Savoie), supporting rafting, hydrospeed, kayak, and canoe activities alongside competition hosting. Direct French counterpart operating an artificial whitewater facility with tourism and federation event activities.
• Centre d'Activités de Canoë-Kayak de Cesson-Sévigné: Artificial whitewater slalom site near Rennes used for canoe-kayak training and competitions under FFCK sanctioning. Comparable as a regional artificial whitewater facility competing for the same French club and federation event calendar.
• Stade d'Eau Vive de Pau (Centre National de Slalom et de Canoë-Kayak): France's flagship artificial whitewater slalom course in Pau, hosting FFCK-sanctioned national and international events. Directly comparable as a purpose-built artificial whitewater venue serving kayakers, canoeists, and federation competition calendars.

Broad incumbents

• UCPA (Union nationale des Centres sportifs de Plein Air): Major French outdoor sports operator running multi-activity centers including white water, paddle, and water sports programming nationwide. Comparable as a competing operator of guided water-sport activities and group events in France.
• Hawai Surf Factory: Indoor artificial wave and paddle sports operator in France. Comparable as a France-based operator using artificial water infrastructure to deliver controlled paddle-based recreational experiences year-round.

Others

• Communauté de Communes du Pilat Rhodanien: The publicly owned parent authority managing Espace Eaux Vives. Relevant as the governing entity whose budget cycles, tourism strategy, and intercommunal priorities shape the leisure base's operating and capex outlook.

Emerging players

• Wavegarden Cove (Fédération partner sites): Designer and operator of artificial wave and whitewater facilities globally. Comparable as a technology/infrastructure provider in the artificial water-sports space relevant to venue design and modernization roadmaps.

Regional players

• Parc de Loisirs de Ty Nadan (Locunolé): Breton leisure park combining accommodation (camping, chalets) with outdoor activities including water sports. Comparable destination model pairing overnight lodging with multi-activity programming for families and groups.
• Base de Loisirs de Vassivière: Large French leisure base offering water activities, accommodation, and outdoor recreation. Comparable as an integrated multi-activity destination venue with on-site lodging and F&B, though focused on lake rather than whitewater activities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/espace-eaux-vives

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Espace Eaux Vives