A panda who came out of a cardboard box and became one of the faces of the campsite. His story, his adventures… and a few surprises for children to print.
July–August
🐼 You can meet PO at the campsite in July and August.
“PO” has been our mascot for more than 10 years now.
How a panda asleep in a cardboard box became one of the faces of L'Étoile d'Or...
Once upon a time… no, wait. This story did not begin in a bamboo forest on the other side of the world. It began much closer to home, at the foot of the Pyrenees, under the Argelès-sur-Mer sunshine. And, as incredible as it may seem, it began… in a cardboard box.
For many years, Team Spirit Animation has worked alongside L'Étoile d'Or to bring holidays to life for our guests, young and old. Games, shows, laughter, new friends and thousands of memories shared season after season.
And somewhere among Team Spirit's props, costumes and entertainment gear, a panda lay sleeping. He was waiting. For how long? Nobody really knows. Perhaps he was simply waiting for the right place and the right moment to wake up...
One day, our team opened that famous box. Two big black ears, a round tummy, a funny little face and, above all, a look that already seemed to say: “So… when does the holiday start?”
We knew straight away that he would not be going back in his box.
We gave him the colours of L'Étoile d'Or. We introduced him to the children. And something rather magical happened.
The children came up to him. They gave him hugs. They wanted to dance with him. Take photos. Give him a high five. See him again the next day.
And, season after season, our panda became part of the campsite. He was no longer a costume. He had come to life. There was just one thing missing...
We could have looked for a complicated name. But sometimes the most obvious things are right in front of us.
Our panda had found his home here, in the Pyrénées-Orientales. The Pyrénées-Orientales... P.O. Two letters. One name. PO.
And in the end, the name suited him perfectly. Because PO has become a little ambassador for our part of the world: the Mediterranean, the Pyrenees, Argelès-sur-Mer, the sunshine, nature and that southern accent you take home with you a little when the holiday is over.
Since that day, PO has lived at L'Étoile d'Or. Well… “lived” might be a big word. Because he is rarely in the same place for long!
In July and August, one morning you might bump into him by the pool. A few hours later, he pops up at the kids' club. In the evening, he may come and dance with the entertainment team. And sometimes he simply wanders around the campsite looking for a child to wave to, a photo to pose for or a hug to give.
PO adores children. But he soon discovered something strange: parents and grandparents often love having their photo taken with him almost as much as the little ones do! Just don't tell them we told you...
PO doesn't have a job description. And that's probably for the best. But if we had to write one, it would be quite simple: make people smile.
PO is here to welcome new guests. To reassure the little ones. To make the older ones laugh. To dance. To play. To give hugs. To appear when you least expect him.
And above all, to be part of that very special thing we try to build every summer at L'Étoile d'Or: holiday memories that last a long time.
Over time, PO has settled in perfectly in the Pyrénées-Orientales. With the Mediterranean, the Albères mountains, the beaches of Argelès, Collioure, the Catalan villages and more than 300 days of sunshine a year, he has never really shown any wish to leave.
Rumour has it he now even understands a few words of Catalan. We have never managed to find out which ones, though.
PO is curious. So when he leaves L'Étoile d'Or, he loves exploring his part of France. The sea. The mountains. The villages. The markets. The traditions. And he always comes back with a new adventure to tell the children.
That's why you can now find him on our website in:
PO will take you to discover his favourite places in the Pyrénées-Orientales, his ideas for days out and a few of the secrets of our region.
July–August
Find PO at the campsite in July and August
Something for children to look out for during their holiday. Because PO loves playing hide-and-seek too. On the campsite, on our website, in our welcome booklet or during our activities, keep your eyes peeled.
🎋 Did you know? In the wild, a panda can eat up to 12–13 kg of bamboo... a day!
Three little treats to take with you, or to print before you leave on holiday.
Print it and colour it in during your holiday! Once it is finished, give your best drawing to PO on one of his walks around the campsite... or keep it safe to give to Mum or Dad as a souvenir.
PO at the beach, at the campsite, at the pool, on his bike, by the campfire… 8 A4 pages to print so you can colour in all his adventures.
Download the 8 colouring pages (PDF)Want to meet PO in real life? He often turns up at the campsite's kids' clubs and evening shows.
