Fed up with same old, same old?
Tuesday, 18 June 2013 22:39
Last weekend we decided to do something different...
...We have a small caravan – just for two people – that we haven’t used for some three years due to pressure of work. We would just pop into it every so often to make sure it was still clean and tidy and that there had been no unforeseen leaks. We kept looking at it thinking what good times we had enjoyed in it so, last Friday decided that, as we had a free weekend, why not take it down to the new campsite in Duquesa for a try-out.
We have been to a few sites in Spain and with the exception of one in Conil de la Frontera and a couple in Tarifa, they are very scrubby, with shale instead of grass on ground that isn’t very nice and with fairly unsavoury loo and shower blocks. I had found this most disappointing as we were used to the standards of England, France, Holland and Belgium where you would very rarely find a dirty loo and the campsites were a pleasure to be on.
Camping Bella Vista recently opened and, quite frankly, the owners must have spent a fortune on it! The pitches for caravans and tents are very spacious indeed at 10 metres x 12 metres – that’s 120m2 pitches that are double a lot of the campsites you go to in Spain – and will take a motorhome the size of a Winnebego with room for chairs, tables and all your cooking facilities you may want to put out on your “garden” as well.
Each pitch has its own 16 and 22 volt electricity supply, plus its own water supply which means that, unlike on most camping and caravan sites you don’t have to lug a water container half a mile for your own use. There are pitches with or without shading (extra shaded pitches costs just €4 a day so you can keep cool all through the summer too if you want).
Access to the site is easy whatever size motorhome or caravan you have. The roads within the site are wide enough to back in even the largest motorhome – all designed by the owner who has had many sites previously to base his designs on. There’s nothing worse than turning up for your well-earned break and finding it’s virtually impossible to get through tiny entrances and not be able to turn round without hitting a post or, worse still, someone else’s caravan!
Facilities-wise, Camping Bella Vista must be one of the best in Spain. The administration area houses the offices, plus an airy reception and the inviting campsite shop that has been stocked with a large range of wines, drinks, snacks and food, plus accessories and parts that you may need for your motorhome, caravan or tent. They also sell items for sunbathing such as sunscreen that you will need if you’ve forgotten to bring yours with you for sitting around your van or the pool area. The campsite also has a modern café area, a very nice restaurant and a lovely terrace shaded by coloured sails. The menu is international and varied, as is the wine and drinks list, or you could just have drinks from the bar on the terrace.
Camping Bella Vista has direct access to the paseo and then onto the beach so, no busy roads to cross with children or people less able to cross roads and bridges. You are within around 5 minutes walk to the nearest off-site restaurants and bars, with Marlows Fish and Chip restaurant within that timing. A little further at about 15 minutes walk along the seafront you’ll find Duquesa Port with all it’s boats to look at plus shops and lots of restaurants to choose from. Further afield, Gibraltar takes about 25 minutes to get to by car and Estepona is about 15 minutes. Sabinillas is around 5 minutes with their bars, restaurants and shops.
For disabled people, the site is an absolute find. Absolutely all areas are accessible and there’s even a chair lift to get in and out of the swimming pool.
Cost-wise, a caravan, camper or motorhome with an awning and two people will cost you €26 per night including water at this time of year. As I said previously, if you want extra shading, it will cost €4 more. There are discounts for longer stays and you can leave your mobile home or caravan there all-year-round if you find it more convenient.
I would thoroughly recommend this site as one of the best I’ve ever stayed at and certainly the best I’ve stayed at in Spain. So, why not do something different? It’s cheaper than a hotel but with all the advantages of being able to eat out at good restaurants and traditional cafés and ventas while also having your own cooking facilities if you fancy “eating in”. If you don’t have a motorhome or caravan, there are places that sell new and second hand ones, or a brand new tent will not break the bank and is fun for all the family.
You can book your stay at camping Bella Vista by calling 952890020 and they speak English if you don’t speak Spanish.
Written by Kym Wickham
Alberto started as a carpenter/cabinet maker when he was 17 with an apprenticeship in a workshop in Marbella where he spent the next seven years learning all aspects of woodworking, and all about woodworking tools and how to use them.
