# Over-wintering Spain Portugal 2013/14



## dw1

We're going to overwinter next year for the first time, and so I'm going to enjoy the planning (sad eh?)
I wondered if anyone could suggest some good sites they've enjoyed during the winter. We enjoy the coastal areas so near the coast would be good.southern Spain and Portugal.
Thanks in advance!
David W


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## damar1

Camping roquetas at roquetas de mare not far from Almeria in the south . A good site with all facilities bar etc and the longer you stay the cheaper it get we spent 4 months there a few years ago


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## wobby

Bonterra Park. Benicassim about 270k South of Barcelona.
Our third year here, it's a good site near a beautiful beach. The village is a short walk away and the super market is just across the road. Beautiful area mountains behind sea in front and plenty to go and see including the lovely city of Valencia which is a one hour train ride away. There are also miles of cycle paths to use including one that runs parallel with the sea along the old railway line that connected Benicassim to the next village. If you stay more than 90 days the pitch fee nxt year is €11 plus electric, we use gas as its cheaper down here. 

Wobby


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## cavaqueen

Hi there,

I have recently posted the new deals for camping Marjal Guardamar De Segura & Camping Marjal Costa Blanca in Crevillente, both really good sites, if you need any further details please ask, they also have very good websites if you want to see what they look like,

cheers Cavaqueen


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## teemyob

dw1 said:


> We're going to overwinter next year for the first time, and so I'm going to enjoy the planning (sad eh?)
> I wondered if anyone could suggest some good sites they've enjoyed during the winter. We enjoy the coastal areas so near the coast would be good.southern Spain and Portugal.
> Thanks in advance!
> David W


Sad!

Why Sad?

Only sad part is we can't all do it!

Happy & Safe Travels.

TM


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## wurzelwagon

we wintered away in Spain for the first time 2011/12 with not a huge amount of planning and absolutely loved it
Part of the thrill was not knowing where we would be from one night to another having said that camping Javea in Javea was excellent as was the aire San antonio right on the seafront in Altea
camping Nerja at Nerja was also another excellent site if slightly a bit far out of town
but for us on our first time we really enjoyed our first go at wild camping with the beach to the west of Tarifa looking out to Africa a must an the beaches around the Cabo de gata fantastic
an ACSI card is a must as we found the campsites a bit pricey 
but you,ll have a brilliant time an your fellow motorhomers will always point you in the right direction


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## isadora

Camping Eden in Peniscola is exc for a Winter stay. Peniscola is a beautiful town,with its Palm lined front with cycle lanes all the way into town & to Benicarlo in the opposite direction. It has a medieval Castle on a rocky promintry,& interesting restaurants & bars. The site is 5 mins from the seafront, it has heated facs with hot hot water (v important for a Winter stay) & its own restaurant with a daily 10 euro menu. For walkers there is the Irta natural park with marked walks.


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## Garcia

Well Ria Formosa in Cabanes just outside Tavira in the eastern Algarve is hard to beat . 9 euros a night if you stay a month and that included good eleccy supply, excellent signal internet, 2 dogs 2 people and a pitch! Quiet site, spotless loos , great cycling, lovely village with bars and restos and a coast front boardwalk. 15 minute pedal into Tavira itself, mostly off road (45 min walk). Site has a bar /resto and shop. Nice helpful staff. Tavira has 2 good curry restos!

Camping Roquetas near Almeria is good, BUT MORE THAN TWICE THE PRICE OF Portugal. And you have to pay extra for internet.
Beer and meals out in Portugal were less than half the price of Spain. Dish of the day on the campsite at Cabanes was 4.50 euros! 
Also Roquetas is a good way out of town!Though the site has a shop and a bar /resto

Nerja is a nice friendly site but small and tight for a big van.


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## damar1

That sounds good, have to give that a try later in the year. Is that just a winter price or all the year


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## Garcia

That's the winter price.......
They have various sized pitches....some more expensive. Tho for a modest extra sum (30 euros a month or so.....)they allow you 2 of the small pitches in the low season. 
If I had one criticism of the place it was that , I thought, that the small pitches would have been too small in summer if the site was full. A van and an awning would use up the whole pitch. and you would feel a little close to your neighbours.
Maybe that would be good as the trees were small and under developed so there'd be little shade in summer from them, and maybe the closeness of the vans would help. That was NOT a prob in the winter! There were MANY sunny pitches for winter sun.
BUT , that's a niggling point. We'd go back....Portugal was great value.

Some people on the Cabanes site said they preferred the site at Olhao. (About 15 k west ) . Bigger, more established . VERY shady. More lively. But, we were told , worse for eleccy and internet and the pitches were SMALLER still than Cabanes, BUT it was apparently even cheaper and has its fans.
Garcia


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## patp

Having overwintered in Spain and Portugal I agree about watching out for shady pitches. In the winter you do not want them! We had to put the heater on once because our pitch was so cool under the heavy shade. A kind Dutch couple invited us to sit with them in their sunny pitch.
In the end we went wildcamping to find the sun!

We are going in 2013/14 too so this is a very interesting thread for us. We were being drawn towards Almeria for its very dry climate but it sounds as though Portugal may be the cheaper option and the Portuguese so like us Brits


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## Garcia

I think the climate at the Almerian coast is better than the Algarve. Certainly we have had many winters there and it is generally warm and dry.
This was our first winter visit to the Algarve....and we'll go again . But we were told, if the wind is wrong it can be VERY wet and wild . It was cool in the eves and early morns but GREAT during the bulk of the day in the sun.
Garcia


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## patp

Just noticed you live in the Languedoc region Garcia. My ancestors came from there (heugenots). Before I even knew this fact I felt so at home there when I visited. We plan to look into the region later in the year. What is the best time of year to visit?


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## Annsman

Camping Torre Del Mar at Torre Del Mar. About 50Kms East of Malaga, just off the motorway. Nice site, nice beach, flat prom for walking on. Good market, 200 mtrs from the town. Low rates for long term stayers. Gas van delivers to your pitch every week. And the clincher. A top rank churros vendor in a little wooden cabin by the bus station. Sit there have chocolate and churros while the ladies shop! See ya there from October


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## Littlebt

*Southern Spain*

Southern Spain,Well you can't get much further south than Manilva/Duquesa, This site only opened this year completely remodelled and apart from its top class facilities it has direct access to the beach,two supermarkets within 5 minutes walk,Restaurants and Bars abound on the Marina of Duquesa 5/10 minutes walk, Fabulous Fish Restaurants 2 minutes away in Castillo complete with its Moors Castle and yet the area is really quite undeveloped.
www.campinglabellavista.com

Check it out you won't be disappointed,enjoy


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## Garcia

Well, Ms PatP
The Languedoc is fine, but guess why we go to Almeria or Algarve in Dec and Jan????
It's not so much the weather (tho with global warming the last coupla years have been aweful!!! We've been down to -17 at times and we're only 30k to the Med !!!!!)
Best time to come ???????
Hot in July / Aug..... 40 degrees is certainly poss and + 30 is common.
Spring and Autumn can be glorious.
Winter is cold, but winter is (normally ??) short.
The prob with winter is that everything shuts....it can be difficult to find a bar /. resto that stays open. After the summer season they all go to Martinique and close down for Dec / JAN !!!!!drives us mad at times. Far too old to want a wild nightlife but , a walk to the bar with the dogs and a chat over a coupla beers would be nice !!!
Garcia


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## patp

Might well check out Languedoc in the Autumn then!
We, like you, just like a quiet life so may wander on down to Almeria or Portugal in the winter.


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## Gary1944

May I suggest camping Rosaleda in Conil de la Frontera. Lovely heated shower blocks, and plenty of them. Good sized pitches separated with hedges/walls and 10amp electric for just over €9 a night over 30 + nights. Restaurant on site, and everything immaculately clean. Oh and free wifi that I'm using now. We've only been here for 4 nights, but already thinking about coming next winter for longer.

Gary.


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## kimkim

Is the free wifi in your motorhome or in the restaurant?


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## Gary1944

kimkim said:


> Is the free wifi in your motorhome or in the restaurant?


Hi Kimkim, it's in the m/home. Full signal on our pitch, but I don't know about all pitches. Not heard any complaints though. Great to get really usable wifi on a site without cost.

Gary.


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## Wizzo

Gary1944 said:


> May I suggest camping Rosaleda in Conil de la Frontera.
> Gary.


Also worth looking at in that area is Camping Roche. Its a beautiful site. The back end was redone a couple of years ago I believe. Lovely green pitches (its some sort of grass but not as we know it Jim) that drain well but are firm enough for a motorhome. Beautiful showers, site wifi (in motorhome), restaurant/bar. It is flatter and a bit more open than Rosaleda but its further out of town. Very similar price to Rosaleda (it cost us €285 for a month last year inc electric etc.)

It can be a very windy area but quite different to the rest of southern Spain. Cadiz is well worth a visit.

JohnW


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## costawarrior

*Portugal*

Hi,
We are planning a trip to Portugal et the end of March. After a 2 day stay in Cadiz we want to enter Portugal at Badajoz and visit many of the classic sights - inland and on the coast.No too bothered about the Algarve. Any suggestions. We are based in Southern Spain (Estepona). Hope to spend 2 weeks.


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## Billy23

I must admit I haven't looked at thi post to see if this site has been placed but this site has very good reviews from guys/girls that have stayed.

http://www.parqueautocaravanasalbufeira.com/

Check it out.

Bill


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