sailor girl Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 OK, I know that this is hugely subjective and has probably also been asked in differrent ways many times before, but we're after some site recommendations please! We're in Spain at the moment at the lovely Kiko Park in Oliva. We were planning to amble slowly south and when we find somewhere that has all - or most - of the things we want, just stay for the winter. However, I've been advised that if you want to stay for the winter, you should really get there by the beginning of November in order to get a good pitch - so I'm wondering if there's any chance this forum can help us make a short cut! Ideally, we'd love to find a site that has all of the following!! Sunshine over the winter. Good, clean facilities Nice atmosphere, preferable reasonably popular with English folk so we're not COMPLETELY surrounded by Germans! (Nothing against Germans just it's nice to be able to speak the same language as some of your neighbours!) Not too crammed in, in long regimented rows. At least some pitches that are fairly large as we're quite a big van. VERY close to the beach (preferably adjacent, but a few minutes' walk is OK. This is partly as we have a dog and want to be able to just go out and let her run on the beach without having to walk along too many roads first. And partly cos we love the beach!) A nice town close by - half an hour's walk or so. It doesn't have to be big, but just a real town, not just a few shops thrown up to meet the tourists' needs. (We don't really want to be on a site that's lovely but is in the middle of nowhere.) Does somewhere like this exist? Any thoughts? Thank you!!!! Lizx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron. Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Your asking a lot! You are probably in the best place already for winter weather. Go too far south and you can expect around the same temperatures, twice the rain, and it will be much more variable. I think that 'Internacional La Marina' at La Marina, about 32k south of Alicanti, would fill most of your needs. From memory the superb and almost empty beach is about half an hours walk though. However, this is gained through very nice pine woods as well as by road and would be ideal for your dog. The 'La Marina' campsite itself is very well run and has all the facilities you could ask for including an outstanding pool area. Recommended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron. Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 PS. The campsites on the Costa Del Sol are rubbish, bar none. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob M Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 Hi sailor girl, If you visit La Marina with your dog I have seen the processionary caterpillars in the pine woods going to the beach from that camp site, they can cause the death of a dog through the tongue swelling. Crossing the road outside the site you can walk up a road to another large pine forest where I used to meet a Brit. who lives up there, he almost lost his dog and his Spainish neighbour did lose hers. You may be aware of these creatures, I am just mentioning in case you are not aware. We walk our dog but are on the look out. The site is good but I personally would never go again as it charged me the highest price I will ever pay (admittedly at Easter) and for 2 friends to visit one afternoon there was a further charge (approx. £7.00 and it would have been more if the pool was used by them) About 1Klm down the road south is the Marjal (if you can get on it) much better and a 10 minute walk to beach and pine trees but not through them. In May this year when I visited Kiko Park ( having just left Kiko Park Rural which we found under staffed judging by the overflowing litter bins though it had been a Bank Holiday) I could not fit into any pitches offered to me, as larger pitches we had used before were not offered under the ACSI scheme. We left and headed inland and just past Pego we camped at Camping Vall de Laguar in the village of the same name, a family run site by very pleasant people. It will not tick all your boxs as it sits up a mountain and the shops are few and for the locals but as you are in the area it is worth a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 Setthorns camp site in the New Forest is open all year round. Tranquil area, lots of beautiful walks and the camp staff are friendly. Pub not far away either! C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sailor girl Posted October 26, 2008 Author Share Posted October 26, 2008 Thanks for these replies. Well, yesterday we took advantage of yet another dull/rainy day and did a bit of a road trip to check out a few sites within a few hours of here. La Manga and La Marina and a few others - they all seem very well equipped and lovely facilities etc, but my gosh they're HUGE! And generally seem to be quite a long way from anything else - which makes me understand things I think I've heard people say about there being a bit of a holiday camp atmosphere. Think we'd go a little bit stir crazy in a place like that! We're thinking about Cabopino, just outise Marbella. Anyone know it? Any thoughts? Interesting and a bit scary about the caterpillars. We have the 'spot-on' thing that we apply regularly, and also a special collar that she wears for protection against heart worm and other things (can't remember what exactly!) Does this cover the caterpillar thing d'you know? Cheers liz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob M Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 Hi liz, No, we use all that.Even if they have passed their hairs can be picked up of the ground by your dog. I am not computer clever but I will try to email a cutting taken from one of the Spainish papers printed in english. If it does not appear the worst times are Jan.Feb.March Reduced to bit map!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 Liz, Camping Los Pinos just outside Denia in the direction of Los Rotes should meet the bill. I preferred to wild camp at La Marina last winter rather than use the International site. I've usually found that the more flags that are flying the cost goes up and the standards don't go up the same. Don't worry about the processionary caterpillars they are not generally on the ground until mid Feb in the Algarve to around end March before they become moths. You will see their cotton wool type nests in pine trees all over the place, I believe they are now as far north as the Loire. I recently asked my vet about the issues with these beasties and he told me that if you are concerned you must ask a local vet about any treatment is required if your dog is affected by them. But do this before it happens. The vet thought that whilst this is a risk he had personally never had a client come in who had visited southern europe and had a problem with their dog, and he had never read an article in professional publications about this problem. He felt that whilst there is a risk its probably small and can be dealt with by the local vets. We have just bought worming and heartworm tablets from the vet. Frontline for ticks and fleas is cheaper in Spain than the UK. My thoughts are that the Spanish etc have all types of dogs and these are valuable to them in many ways, so they must do something to protect their animals against this risk. The site at Denia I mentioned sometimes get them in their trees but they cut the branches off and burn them. If the caterpillars are on the ground they just squirt lighter fuel along them and set them on fire but not near the vans! Trust this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob M Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 Hi liz, Will try one more time with the news print. If it does happen a frozen pack on the throat while rushing to the vets I am told helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron. Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 Liz We have used Capobino. There are perhaps half a dozen pitches that if you are lucky enough to get one will be OK. Apart from these you will need to watch yourself should it rain as you will quickly sink. Also there are not enough emptying facilities and it's common for the vans on the above terrace to simply run waste pipes over the edge and onto those below. However, on the plus side there is a nice marina ten minutes away with a good beach. If you really must stay in this area you might be better off at Marbella Playa, just a few miles on towards Marbella, it's probably the best of a poor bunch. After recommending La Marina I was sorry to hear about the caterpillars. Not being dog owners we had not encountered this problem, sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sailor girl Posted October 26, 2008 Author Share Posted October 26, 2008 Thanks again for these. Once we're a bit more settled somewhere, we'll certainly check out the caterpillar situation and ask around - and make sure we know where the nearest vet is! Ron - is Cabopino really that bad???? It looks lovely on the website. I know that a website is a marketing tool so they're not going to show pics of people emptying their waste water on other people's vans, but is that really a common practice there? Were you there quite recently or is there any hope that this might be an old situation that's been improved?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sooty10 Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 We have been on the Cabapino site a couple of times and it was ok. Toilets and showers clean and staff friendly, a few minutes walk to a nice marina with a few restaurants. Can't promise good weather but it is winter in Spain as well as here so anything can happen. Hope you make the right choice. Have fun, Sooty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron. Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 Liz Two years ago and it was that bad, we ended up renting an apartment instead even though we had the van. The waste water caper happened to us and others admitted to doing it to save the walk to the dumping point! One of the things about Cabopino is that much of it is terraced and the ground is very soft, consequently when it rains it causes a lot of problems. Obviously, as you say, things could have altered since we were there and one of the advantages of a motorhome is that you can move on if you are not happy, so why not try it and see. Just don't blame me ............ Another campsite worth mentioning if you are intending the far south of Spain is Camping La Rosaleda, Conil De La Frontera, not far from Cadiz. This one is a big favorite from other postings on this site and has everything you want accept that the beach is about a mile away,which is the reason I never mentioned it before. You would also be wise to phone ahead as it is very popular. See photo's and have fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hymer C 9. Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 sailor girl - 2008-10-26 8:18 PM Thanks again for these. Once we're a bit more settled somewhere, we'll certainly check out the caterpillar situation and ask around - and make sure we know where the nearest vet is! Ron - is Cabopino really that bad???? It looks lovely on the website. I know that a website is a marketing tool so they're not going to show pics of people emptying their waste water on other people's vans, but is that really a common practice there? Were you there quite recently or is there any hope that this might be an old situation that's been improved?? Can't comment on the waste because we did not come across the problem while there, but the toilets / washing faciilities / and site staff were all good and we found it a very centeral site to get to Puerta banus / Marbella/ and others for just 1 euro bus ride. Also the beach just a 10 min walk from the site is very good. Carol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tof Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 I'm with you Clive. Setthorns in the good old New Forest is superb. Just left there and had some of the best walks and weather of the Autumn so far. Lots of RVs here. But where's the pub? Tof Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 tof - 2008-10-27 9:58 PM I'm with you Clive. Setthorns in the good old New Forest is superb. Just left there and had some of the best walks and weather of the Autumn so far. Lots of RVs here. But where's the pub? Tof The snag is that it's not in southern Spain. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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