Winter in Spain.

[PaulRay_5041260]

My wife and I are planning to take our van to somwhere warm (Spain) for the winter in 2007 and would like to be away during Jan/Feb. Any adive on ferries, sites, good places to stay/visit would be most welcome plus any general advice and data.

 

[David.O]

Paul

My wife and I have the same plans in mind so I will be watching this topic with interest. I am told by those who have been there you do not need to go to fare west.

David from Suffolk

 

[JohnW1]

We had our first extended trip this year (December - March). Fopund Northern Spain a little cooler in January so went on down to the Costa del Sol. Many of the sites on the coast there there are overcrowded and have a lot of 'shanty town' type permanent placements .

We found a good CL type smaller site about 30 minutes inland from Marbella,Malaga and the other major resorts.

http://uk.geocities.com/fincadelapiedra/ They only take about 5 or 6 vans but are very helpful, and the site has excellent shower & toilet facilities, sensible electricity around 16A I think, free Sky Hook Up if you bring your box and Internet Access.

It suited us and we had a couple of months there. be happy to share my album of the area and pass on other information regarding our own experiences.

We are thinking of trying to organise a small group to go back this winter.

If you have any specific questions then maybe we can arrange to swop contact details somehow

Nick

 

[hymerman1]

We spent a couple of months at La Manga, Murcia, whilst there we visited various other sites but found that La Manga was the best. The leccy is about 10A and fairly reliable (low voltage at times) other sites were in the main 6A and not very reliable. At La Manga although a very large site you were not cramped and the pitches were hedged/treed whereas on most other sites we saw you were cheek by jowl.

we did not like the area and found it did not compare with our Portugal trip.

However if you like sail boarding then this is the place to go.

The weather was not brilliant, we spoke to people who were oldtimers and they said that there had been a change over the last couple of years, maybe global warming is having an effect.

Personally I hope to get back to Portugal for next winter.

 

[JohnW1]

We stayed at La Manga both on the way down and back, and agree that this is the best of the larger commercial sutes by a long way. The only downsides for us were that the weather tended to be a bit better on the Costal del Sol, and once you leave the site the surrounding area is less interesting around La Manga.

It really is horses for courses, and whether you want something quieter but with good facilities and a lot of places to visit / things to do locally or a site which is like a min village with a lot going on and no need to drive at all BUT less to see and do outside.

We enjoyed both sites.

Nick

 

[petercoachman]

hi we have just returned from porugal/spain used the bilbao/portsmouth crossing found it boring prefer to drive down. Bontera park at Bennicasim is a super site large pitches with water/waste to each pitch 5 min walk to town with plenty of bars and cafe's also a few mins from a beautiful beeach and prom very clean and not all built up with high rise flats. its about 60 miles north of valencia we were also at quarteria/portugal wich is also easy reach of a nice town/beach good site orbiter camping happy caravaning peter

 

[RayS]

Best route to Spain depends on where you are crossing from (sorry, but it's true). The centre of France can get very cold and nasty early January. From experience we now use west coast of France - Caen, cherbourg or st. Malo, then down to Bayonne via Bordeaux (two days easily) then into spain. For the east coast go Pamplona, Zargoza and Valencia. this avoids the potential troubles round Barcelona - the roads are excellent and fairly empty by comparison with the east coast autovia.

If going "to the bottom" e.g. almeria area, take the "inland " route from Valencia to Murcia which again avoids all the traffic in the Alicante area.

As a guide you are looking at 630 miles Mojacar to Bayonne. There are some good all year sites on this route - see CC Europe 1 guide book. Happy hols - we are now shivering back here in UK in lower temperaturesthan we had in Adelucia in January. (But don't expect Caravan Club standards at the sites)

 

[mike_5041102]

hi we have just returned from porugal/spain used the bilbao/portsmouth crossing found it boring prefer to drive down. Bontera park at Bennicasim is a super site large pitches with water/waste to each pitch 5 min walk to town with plenty of bars and cafe's also a few mins from a beautiful beeach and prom very clean and not all built up with high rise flats. its about 60 miles north of valencia we were also at quarteria/portugal wich is also easy reach of a nice town/beach good site orbiter camping happy caravaning peter

Large pitches - my eye! Just checked the website, pitches 25 sq mtr, 70 sq mtr or 90 sq mtr. Not large, just Normal, Small and Move Over Darling My Turn To Sleep In The Tent.