Papea Parc

On the outskirts of Le Mans, in Yvré-l'Évêque, Papéa Parc is the largest amusement park in the Pays de la Loire. Led by its mascots Papéo and Lola, it now offers 31 attractions for all ages: four roller coasters (including the Speedy Nuts figure-eight coaster, opened in 2023), four water attractions, along with family rides and gentle attractions for toddlers such as Le P'tit Poussin and Les Grenouilles. A circus show and several food outlets round out the visit.

Since 2024, the park has added a summer water zone, Aqua Papéa, complementing the thrill offering anchored by attractions like Le Totem or the Le Cyclone tower (20 meters, opened in 2016). This upward trend, sustained by regular investment, has pushed attendance to about 200,000 visitors a year, compared with fewer than 50,000 in the 1990s.

Operated by the company Plein Air with a team of about twenty employees, Papéa Parc has become a must-visit family outing in the Le Mans area, whether for families with young children or for thrill-seekers.

A bit of history

Papéa Parc opened in 1971 in Yvré-l'Évêque, in the Sarthe; the name "Papéa" stands for "amusement park for children and adults." It began as a small park built around an American western theme, far from the scale of today's park.

A decisive turn came in December 2007, when the family of Roger Sacreste bought the park and launched major renovation work, diversifying its themes to reach a wider audience. A series of major investments followed: the Mega Disk'O Apache in 2015 (€600,000–700,000), the Le Cyclone tower in 2016 (€500,000, 20 meters tall), the Speedy Nuts figure-eight coaster in 2023 (€3 million), and then the Aqua Papéa water area in 2024.

This series of projects went hand in hand with steady growth in attendance, from fewer than 50,000 annual visitors in the 1990s to about 200,000 today, making Papéa Parc the largest amusement park in the Pays de la Loire.