Camping Los Arenales

There’s a very nice restaurant, and the campsite is set in beautiful countryside with lots of lovely trees around. You have water on your own plot. The water for washing dishes is cold, and the shower house needs renovating. Still, the owners are a young, motivated family, and I’m sure they’ll sort things out in the future.

Almagro was a lovely little town with a fabulous Plaza Mayor, well worth visiting. The campsite was a little haven in the middle of Spain, though it would benefit from some DIY. The shower block was dated and needed lots of maintenance. In the ladies’ area, locks were missing from both toilet and shower doors, and in the men’s showers there was just a hole in the floor for the drain, not somewhere you’d want to put your foot. The toilet emptying point was primitive, just outside some accommodation units and without privacy. Gritty ground got everywhere, although the pitches were level. There are lots of trees in the pitching area, so it took some care to manoeuvre around them. Two coach loads of noisy teenagers arrived for the night and spoiled the previously peaceful feel at the bar. We decided to eat at ‘home’ instead of the restaurant, and unfortunately the teens stayed noisy late. There’s a lovely bar, restaurant, and terrace behind Reception, and the pool looked nice, though it wasn’t open yet. Reception is in a delightful old windmill. Alberto greeted us and was clearly proud of the site. He came to help when we got lost trying to find our pitch, as we never could work out the strange numbering system. There aren’t many sites in this area, but Camping Los Arenales worked for us. Be careful on arrival: the entrance is tight, with a sharp turn to negotiate. There’s another ‘emergency’ entrance a couple of hundred yards up the lane, which I used when leaving. Its gate is set back from the narrow lane, making for a safe way off site.

The owners are amazing, so friendly and helpful. The bar was nearly closing, but they still let us have a glass of wine each with tapas. The food in the restaurant looked amazing, and the owner gets involved in everything, from greeting people to cooking. The locals are very friendly too. I’d highly recommend this campsite and will definitely visit again if we’re in the area.

The restaurant on site is really good, a nice choice for a long lunch or dinner. In March the campsite was very quiet, which I liked, and the bathroom was heated. The receptionist translated everything so we could communicate by talking and texting. Bring plenty of water if you come here. I didn’t know beforehand that I’d need to.