Camping Bahía de la Plata

The location is good, but the facilities aren't in the best condition and there are no rules for users. For use of the site, car parking, noise, and rules, this is the worst camping I've seen in Spain.

We've stayed here often, and at the end of March decided to spend a few days with the family at the camping site. When we got to the Bungalow in the late afternoon, my wife found an unpleasant insect in the bathroom. We asked for insecticide to kill the first cockroach, and the kids were disgusted and worried there might be more. The next day at dinner time, another unpleasant insect was on the plates when we opened a kitchen cupboard. It was late, so we stayed that night and planned to move to a cleaner place early the next morning. At reception, we asked for a refund for the last night we wouldn't be staying, but they said no. They wanted proof of the cockroaches and said they'd fumigated and had a Health Ministry inspection, which we don't doubt. We didn't like how they handled it. They made us feel as if we were lying to prove what we were saying. Next time I'll collect them in an envelope and show the administration. Tourism is always booming, so our review probably won't affect the business, but the quality for the price wasn't what we expected, especially with those unpleasant insects sharing the space. Good service and client satisfaction are essential in business, and neither was there.

The best part was direct access to miles of golden sand and clear, clean water. The welcome was warm and efficient: we chose a camper plot, then went back to finish check-in. Pitches are spacious and shady, and the shared toilet and shower block was very clean and well kept. The evenings were peaceful. There's a bar/cafe that was closed in the evening out of season, though it looks like a decent facility. The first two rows have stylish wooden cabins. At €28 in mid-September, including electricity, wifi (which I didn't use), water, and the rest, the price seemed fair. I'd recommend it.

We were cycling and chose a cabin instead of pitching our tent because the weather was really bad. The campsite is in a good spot right on the beach, and it was quiet at this time of year. The cabins were very clean, but dated and a bit tired. Small things could be better, like hooks in the bathroom for the large towels they supplied. Since it rained during our stay, the towels didn't dry. It's a fairly large campsite, with good pitches and plenty of shade. The laundry setup seemed inadequate to me: just one top-loading machine, no dryer, and nowhere to hang washing. All the campsites we'd visited over the previous four months had laundry facilities. The nearest public laundry isn't in Zahara but 10 km away. At this time of year, the restaurant and supermarket are closed.