Camping del Mar

The reception lads were so helpful when the bracket holding my camper van’s exhaust broke. They called a local garage, and it was fixed within 25 minutes for 20 euro. The pool was nice and clean, and the staff were friendly and helpful. The campsite is right on the beach, where you can hear the waves at night. Great location and staff, we’ll be back!

The children had a great time with the activities. The staff were energetic and engaging, and they deserve 10/10 for that. The pool, bar, and restaurant area was excellent and usually not too busy. A glass of vino costs less than 2 euros, while a burger is 11 euros. The beach is clean and not too crowded if you like Mediterranean beaches, though there seemed to be gravel or stones at the bottom of the pool, so be careful jumping around. Hopefully the staff will clean it more often. The campsite looks lovely at first, but closer inspection was disappointing. It’s just north of Malgrat Del Mar, between two other campsites and surrounded by salad farms. The area is a little rough around the edges, and part of the beach road to the north has been reclaimed by the sea. The beach across the road has rough sand and a steep drop into the water. For nicer beaches, head farther south. Barcelona is an hour’s drive away, but we prefer staying farther down the coast, where you can take an air-conditioned coastal train into the center for just a few euros if you buy a book of 10. According to the signs and staff, there’s no potable water on site except 5l bottles from the campsite shop. Water at the local supermarket, a 9-minute drive away, is reasonably priced. Staff told me you can drink the site water, but they don’t recommend it. The electrical supply is only 6A or less. Our power system can limit the draw, but it still tripped randomly at 6A. Reducing it to 5.5A helped, though every time it tripped we had to call reception to reset it, which was a pain. The main camp showers had either no hot water or very little for the first seven days. We reported it four times, but staff didn’t take it seriously enough to call the right people. After the fifth report I spoke to the camp manager, who finally investigated properly and called in outside help after quite a bit of discussion. The owner offered us 10% off our stay and a meal for all of us, which seemed adequate compensation. The manager’s handling of the issue was badly lacking and needs retraining. We booked 11 nights in August in March for a family of four with a dog, paying a little over €800. For what we got, it seemed a bit overpriced. The campsite may suit people who like simple, pretty camping, but it lacks easy access to clean drinking water and a strong electrical supply. I like my comforts and would have enjoyed it much more if they hadn’t cut so many corners. I wouldn’t call it especially dog-friendly. The dog beach is a 16-minute walk along paths that have seen better days, and the area for dogs is very small given how large and empty the beach is overall.

The pitches are large, the staff are great, and the restaurant is good. The toilet blocks were very clean and tidy, though they might be overrun in peak season. It’s a lovely little campsite near the beach, with an excellent pool area and sea views. Malgrat is a small, traditional working town with some tourist interest.

The camp is right on the coastline and has its own pools, a small one for kids and a larger one for older children and adults. There’s also a restaurant, bar, and shop, plus toilets and showers for people staying in their own campers or tents. It’s a great spot for a quiet, relaxing family holiday. We stayed in the glamping section and found it clean, comfortable, and very nice. It was like a small apartment, with a fully equipped kitchen, toilet, and shower, but with fabric tent walls and a roof instead of brick, and a wooden base. We had a pretty bad storm and rain on the first night, but nothing leaked. We chose the camp because the price was great.