Camp Sites


Site No 204 - Camping Alentejo


Eurocampings

I have witten on this site many times and still feel as good about it as we did on our first visit which you can read HERE 

Site No 203 - Camping Olhao


Eurocampings

Camping Olhao is a large sprawing site that has a large dedicated following of campers of various nationalities that come back year on year indeed some have given up going home for the summer and live permentantly on site. Everyone who comes here year on year says what a fabulous site it is.

From our point of view it is an OK site, but no more. It has lots of small facility blocks all of which are kept spotlessly clean, although in common with many sites on the Iberian Peninsular loo roll, soap, hand towels are not provided.

As well as a supermarket, a newsagent and a snack bar close to the entrance, the site boasts a bar/restaurant more in the centre of the site where very cheap food can be bought to take away as well as to eat in. Sadly the food quality is quite poor although judging by the amount of noise the Brits (in particular) made as they staggered their way home somewhere around midnight the booze was better.

There is everything provided on the site that you could wish for, swimming pool (not open in winter), tennis courts, TV room etc and is close enough to town to walk or cycle in, and the staff were friendly, helpful and all spoke English so why did we not particularly like it here? In the fifteen weeks we stayed on site we hardly spoke to anyone, it was very much a case of come to the bar and get “ratted” five nights a week and you will then, and only then, be part of the Brit camping elite.

Many “Grey Nomads” love this site but I cannot see us ever coming back here.

Site No 202 - Camping Moncarapacho

This new (opened spring 2016) site has very easy access to all parts of the Algarve via the toll A22 or the toll free N125 both of which run from the Spanish border in the east to Lagos and beyond in the west. It is owned and run by a young and very enthusiastic French couple who have built everything on site from facilities blocks to electric hook ups to cafe and reception with their own busy hands.

The power supply is generally 6 amp but 10 amp is available at a very small extra charge (€0.50 per day) sadly until the supply system is complete, which should be quite soon, it is a little unreliable and prone to short outages.

The facilities are as stated above new and kept spotlessly clean with loo paper, soap and paper hand towels all provided

It should be a perfect site but for two things 

             1. Local dogs that like to bark 24/7. One that lived in a house that overlooked our pitch gets up on the roof and runs up and down the tiles yapping for hours on end

              2. The attitude of the French contingent on the site, the Dutch, the German every other nation on site was very pleasant but for some reason the French were rude, arrogant and generally unpleasant. When we left we gave our reasons for leaving early the lady owner said she sometime despaired of her countrymen.

We will not return and don’t feel despite lots of positives that we could recommend this site.

Site No 201 - Camping La Campina

Eurocampings

This is a small (31 pitches) site on the edge of the village of La Guijarrosa. It is not ACSI and so more expensive than  other sites we have visited on this trip, however everything is included in the price - electrickery, t’interweb etc., etc for just a couple of euros a day over the ACSI price.

The owner Matilde and her staff speak excellent English and are keen to help in every way they can. Indeed when one of the site trees backed into our car they were of great help interpreting for us with the garage and providing a telephone answering service.

The site may be small but it’s perfectly formed, the facilities are modern and spotlessly clean with all the requirements - loo paper, soap, towels etc but no toilet seats. The pitches are large and flat and at this time of year sunny although I can envisage lack of shade being a problem at the height of summer.

There is a swimming pool, restaurant and bar all of which are closed at this time of year but fresh bread is available in reception every morning. There are shops in the adjacent La Guijarrosa town the centre of which is less than 2km (1.2 ml) from the site.

This is a very good site to which we will return and that we can unreservedly recommend.

Site No 200 - Camping La Sierrecilla


We have visited this site on several occations and (apart from frequent “dog concerts”) have always enjoyed it. (You can click HERE to read out last report). It is very sad that the facilities I wrote about in my first report (click HERE to read the first report) as being “ . . .  quite new, are of a good standard . . . “ have suffered by receiving no maintenance and very little cleaning since our last visit and are no longer pleasant places.

It is unlikely we will return.

Site No 199 - Camping Las Lomas

ACSI logo


This well run site is high in the hills overlooking the Sierra Nevada, indeed my navigator cautioned against towing our caravan into the hills on roads for which it had no information but, although steep in places and with a couple of hairpin bends thrown in for good measure it is a good wide well made road that presented us with no problems, nor will it any well matched car and caravan.
The pitches on the site are a variety of sizes and the friendly and helpful staff pointed out the ones that would most easily accommodate our 8m twin axle caravan.
The facilities were kept spotless with all the necessities provided.
The views of the Sierra Nevada from the site are stunning
There is what looks a good restaurant on site but we did not try it but intend to next time we visit this very pleasant site.


Site No 198 - Camping Sierra María

ACSI logo


A steep 20 kilometre climb from the main road, however the effort made is well worth it to visit this quiet and peaceful site. Run by a group of enthusiastic staff the two ladies run the site during the day and the gents during the evening (probably when they get home from their day jobs).

The site is well laid out with large pitches, we chose open pitches facing south so we had sun all day long. There was 10 amp electricity supply to the pitch and a water tap close by.

Only one facilities block was open as the second was being refurbished. The one that was in use was in good condition and, as they were cleaned at 8.00am, 4.00pm and 8.00pm every day, spotless with a full range of necessaries.

There was not a great deal to do, other than walking or cycling, in this remote area and it was quite a way from any large town although there was a castle a few kilometres down the hill.

Despite there being few campers on site the restaurant was open (almost) all day (closed 4.00pm to 7.00pm) everyday except Tuesday but the bar stayed open all day including Tuesday. We discovered it was popular with the locals and so tried the €10.00 menu del dia (menu of the day) it was on the whole very good although Rosemary thought her Lubina (Sea Bass) was greasy, mine however was delicious. The whole was excellent value for money.

This was a great little site to which we would be happy to return.

Site No 197 - Camping Las Palmeras

We visited this site because on Google maps the access seemed easier than for the ACSI site (CAMPSITE LA FUENTE) next door.

With clean and modern facilities and a site restaurant and bar that when we arrived was packed with locals, large open pitches, not much shade in summer but great at this time of year and English owners, this site seems to have everything going for it.

Sadly the aforementioned English owner is a most unpleasant man, who should you be forced to shake hands with you must remember afterwards to count your fingers.

He was rude to both Rosemary and Sue at checkin and when asked about the restaurant stated that it was nothing to do with him and would not answer questions.

The electricity was metered, no problem there as many are in Spain, however this owner refused to tell us what the meter reading was. We turned everything off except the fridge and computers the only other use being the occasional drop of water in the kettle for tea or washing up in 36 hours we were charged for 8kw of electricity. Frank turned of ALL power except the TV and was charged for using 10 kw.

You can see from the numbering system that this is the 194th site we have visited since starting our retirement travels and I hate to think what number we have visited since starting caravanning in 1984 and cannot remember a welcome such as this person gave us.

We visited the site restaurant for a "menu del dia” (menu of the day) and had a very good four course meal, with wine and coffee after for just €10.00 each.

Were we to visit this area again we would certainly not stay here but at Campsite La Fuente although we would come back to this site to eat.

Site No 196 - Camping Javea

ACSI logo


We have visited this site on a number of occasions and apart from the dog concerts (held regularly day and night) have always enjoyed our stays. That said we have always stayed on the north west section of the site where the pitches are arranged such that caravans and motorhomes are usually parked parallel to the road at the back of the pitch giving a very open area in front of the van although that means you can be quite close to van behind. On this occation, the site was very full, we were in the centre of the site on the western section which was not only very crowded, we were on a pitch of inadequate size that had sun shading over, very necessary at the height of summer but at this time of year making the pitch dismal and depressing. The facilities here have always been very good but now they have been very recently refurbished and can now only be described as outstanding. The internet is as bad as the facilities are good i.e a complete and very expensive waste of time.

To read my report after our first visit CLICK HERE.

Despite the negatives on this visit, Camping Javea is a site we enjoy, in an area that we like and I have no doubt we will return soon.

Site No 195 - Campsite Kiko Park Rural

ACSI logo


We have previously visited this site twice, as it is close to the motorway between Madrid and Valencia. Apart from the loss of a micro brewery it seems much as before. CLICK HERE to read my original report.


© S W Ghost 2016