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Jo Chipchase

A single mother of two young boys with a slightly quirky view of life. Your author’s interests range from dyeing clothes on the terrace (a relatively harmless pursuit) to digesting the latest gossip, dining on whatever is on offer, imbibing the odd vino blanco, frequenting car boot sales, partying when child minding is available and having the occasional 'man hating rant' (I love 'em really... ahem!). Oh, yes, and I enjoy a good book and a night spent watching 'Shameless' or ‘Skins’ on the sofa when there's nothing better to do ...

Jo Chipchase Articles

Carry on Camping

Jo Chipchase stages an escape with two kids and a tent

For those of us who want to break out of La Alpujarra this summer – or, at least, visit different parts of the region – camping provides a quick, easy and affordable way to escape one’s own environment. If you don’t own a liveable vehicle and can’t beg or borrow one, all you’ll need (give or take a couple of dozen small items) is a tent (‘tienda’ in Spanish) a portable stove, some comfy bedding and a convenient location to erect your camp.

For review purposes, we chose official campsites over pitching a tent on the beach or lakeside as we hankered after proper facilities, such as showers for Mummy and swimming pools for the kids. However, pitching on unofficial sites could save you ‘dinero’ - so long as you don’t choose an illegal spot and run into strife with the police.

First, we went camping on the costa with a visit to one of Torre del Mar’s two main campsites, Camping Torre del Mar (http://www.campingtorredelm ar.com). Unfortunately, the initial impression was ‘run away’ rather than ‘carry on camping’. For those of us who are accustomed to English campsites with rolling fields, green grass and space between camps, the Spanish version is likely to cause an element of culture shock.  For example, our inaugural run at Torre saw us being allocated a plot with gravel floor, poles demarcating all four corners, no privacy whatsoever and two beer-drinking lads next door - i.e. about five metres away. I asked to be relocated beside a hedge where there was at least a smidgeon of shelter and privacy. My overriding impression was that this site resembled “a glorified car park with poles and awning” but, on the upside, it had good facilities blocks, the standard of cleanliness was unquestionable and the swimming pool featured an attractive-looking aqua slide.

After visiting other sites – including Camping Playa de Poniente in Motril and the scenic Camping Presa la Vineula at Lake Vinuela, north of Velez Malaga - my opinion has morphed into something rather more positive. I’ve discovered that, actually, all the Spanish campsites are like car parks but some are prettier and better organised than others and you can find a plot with some privacy and grass if you shop around. Furthermore, the campsites are great for kids as they can ride their bikes safely round the perimeter, mingle with Spanish youngsters and take advantage of the onsite swimming pools and play parks. When you consider that a quick trip to the public swimming pool with two adults and two minors can set you back 15 Euros, an extra 10 Euros will secure 24hrs at the camping and keep the kids happy and entertained for a while.

You’ll also gain an interesting opportunity to observe Spanish people ‘en las vacaciones’. An established part of Spanish holiday culture seems to involve maintaining the most professional of camps. We spotted caravan-awning-and-gazebo combos that featured sophisticated cooking areas, while some even had integrated LCD TVs in the lounge walls. Prepare to be impressed at the construction abilities of Spanish campers. It made our tent with a table and battered stove outside look a bit, well, basic! Not that we cared: our camp was quick to assemble and pack away the next day.

Advice for happy campers:

Walk round the site to see if you like it before committing to a booking. Often, there’s a choice of two different campsites located within a couple of minutes drive of each other. If you don’t like one, try the other.

Be sure to choose your own plot rather than allowing the receptionist to choose for you. Some plots are prettier than others and have more shade, trees and natural barriers such as hedges, etc. If you choose a plot on the edge of the site with a hedge behind you, you’ll have more privacy than if you’re slap bang in the middle of everyone else. Camping directly beside the facilities block may seem convenient but you’ll have people walking past your camp for most of the day and night when they need the loo!

If you require a new ‘907’ Butane gas bottle for your camping stove, you’ll be charged a 20 Euro deposit unless you have an empty one to exchange. So don’t leave the empty bottle at home or that will be the most expensive beans on toast you’ve eaten for a while!  Some campsites don’t stock 907 gas bottles at all so check before you leave home.

Take a rug, duvet or blow-up mattress to lie upon and make the feel of gravel disappear.  Also take your own towels.

You can pay between 3-5 Euros for use of electricity at most sites. So, yes, you can bring the kettle from home – if not the kitchen sink.

Many campsites provide an electric fridge for around 5 Euros. So there’s no need to run your electric cool box off the car battery and end up having to jump start the car.

The Spanish campsites tend to be noisy at night. At Camping Playa de Poniente in Motril, the site was busy and vibrant at midnight but nobody was moving at 9am. If your ethos is “early to bed, early to rise” and “silence is golden”, the busier sites might not suit your tastes.

Typical prices per night:

Tent – 5 Euros

Adult – 5 Euros

Child – 3.50 Euros

Vehicle – 5 Euros

Electricity – 3 Euros

Fridge – 5 Euros

Caravan – 5 Euros

Motorhome – 10 Euros

Recommended campsites:

Camping Presa la Vinuela - http://www.campinglavinuela.com
Camping Laguna Playa, Torre del Mar – http://www.lagunaplaya.com

Camping Playa de Poniente, Motril - http://www.campingplayadeponiente.com/

Camping Orgiva - http://www.descubrelaalpujarra.com/

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