I am going camping. Advantages and disadvantages for the different camping options

Either for a long weekend or for a long holiday many travelers decide to camp.
Spain is a country where camping  is very successful. You can go to a rural campsite in the mountains or you can visit a camping in Benidorm and enjoy the beach or you can go to a campsite near of a theme park such as Parque Warner in Madrid.
Travelers have different options to choose from when they go camping, each one with its advantages and disadvantages, so they can enjoy their rest.


Tent, the cheapest option

For the youngsters or the beginners on "the camping adventure"

Advantages

• The initial budget is the cheapest one of all. It may seem that you have to buy loads of things to have a comfortable stay, but nearly all of them are quite economic and you can buy them second hand if you want to save a bit more money.
• More contact with nature.
• More freedom to look for a camping site due to the cheaper reservation fees compare to the ones for caravans or if you rent a bungalow.
• Normally, the zone for tents is the closest one to the common areas, which will be an advantage for us to enjoy all the facilities from the campsite if we are travelling with children.

Disadvantages

• Setting up can be complicated if we have not to learn to do it before.
• The tent is more uncomfortable to sleep in than a bungalow or a motor caravan.
• The tent will obviously get damage (zip, floor, etc.) easier than a motor home.
• Shower and toilet. You will have to use the common areas in the camping site, so you have to consider the inconvenience that this will cause you.

Caravan/motor home

It is normally the next step that all the campers take from the tent option.

Advantages

• Comfort. In a caravan or motor home you will have the same facilities that you will have at home: toilet, kitchen, wardrobes, beds, etc. And you do not need to set up when you arrive to the camp site.
• Better protection against the bad weather than the one you get with a tent.
• Less space problems, because you do not have to worry about fitting everything in the car boot or in the tow storage box.
• Easier to travel, you do not have the inconvenience of dates for planes or to check in with luggage. You will have everything you need with you, so you will only have to worry about finding a nice place to put your caravan on.

Disadvantages

• The price. A caravan, even a second hand one, is going to cost you for sure more than all you may need to travel with a tent.
• Maintenance. To be able to have a nice journey every time you want to use the caravan it will need some repairs done (electrical items, tyres, humidity problems, etc.).
• As it will happen in a tent, the limited space can cause you some inconvenient.

Bungalow

Mainly all the camping sites offer to their clients the option of renting a bungalow, that will give you the facilities you will get in an apart hotel and the freedom of being in a camp site close to nature.

Advantages

• They are normally for more than 2 people, so they will be perfect if you are travelling in family or with children.
• Although they are more expensive than a tent, they are still cheaper than a motor home. If you look for it with time, you can find some offers, more than anything if you travel in group.
• You do not have to worry about the bad weather or the things you are travelling with.
• You do not need to set up anything, so you will 'save on time'.
• If you are travelling with children, they will be more comfortable to sleep and to have something to eat.

Disadvantages

• They are normally in the farther end of the campsite.
• As they are bigger than a tent or a caravan, you will have to spend more time cleaning them.
• The price could be far more expensive than the one you will pay with a tent, if you want to get good prices you have to look for the offers or reserve with plenty of time.

Camping Villasol

Long Stay Campsite in Benidorm

http://camping-villasol.com/camping-in-benidorm.html

Not Long for the Low Festival in Benidorm

The Low Festival comes back to Benidorm for another year on the 25th, 26th and 27th of July. With more than 100 confirmed artists in between all the stages, this festival becomes on this weekend in the indie music epicenter in Spain.

Stay in a camping site, the cheapest way to stay during the Low Festival
The accommodation  in Benidorm offer during the whole year, and especially during the summer time, is varied and affordable for all budgets, although, the cheapest way for all those who want to enjoy the Low Festival is to stay in a camping site in Benidorm. Either in a tent or a caravan, all the campers that want to enjoy the festival activities and save some Euros will find the right place for their tastes in Benidorm.


Seven stages and more than a hundred artists for 68€
Although the time table for all the shows is still pending, we do know the names of all the groups and Djs that will play in the seven stages that will be set up in the Low Festival. The Festival organisation has placed the stages in a way that all the people taking part in the Festival could attend the shows of their favorite bands, trying not to overlap the timetables.

The entire top of the bill acts will be at the Budweiser stage: Vetusta Morla, Iván Ferreiro, Love of Lesbian or Massive Attack will play on the central stage of the festival during the weekend.

On the rest of the stages you will find renowned groups as Sidonie, Second or Milky Way Express (on the Ron Matusalem stage) or new Valencian talents with a bright future like The Soda Club or Daze of Dawn (in the Sounds of Valencia stage).

A stage to stand out is the VIP POOL; it is a floating stage that will delight all the festival participants. Well-known names of the Electro music will play in this stage.

The prices for the three days start on 68€ for the normal ticket, 100€ for the VIP ticket and 135€ for the VIP POOL ticket. The cheapest tickets for one day are already sold out, but you can still buy tickets on the festival's web site (http://lowfestival.es/abonos/) for 42€ Friday, 45€ Saturday and 40€ Sunday.

Rest areas, room and no queues, the best of the Low Festival
The Low Festival wants to be characterised by being different to the other musical festivals you can go in Spain during the summer time. That is why you can find resting areas for all the festival attendants where they will be able to relax in between shows all around the sports complex Guillermo Amor.

Apart from that, the organizers boast about the fact that in the Low Festival there will be no agglomerations or long queues like in other similar events, due to the area capacity for 40.000 people and the prevision of 20.000 attendants, so everybody will be able to enjoy a stress-free weekend. On top of that, the different bar areas and the intelligent wristbands to stop queuing will better the festival experience to all of those who will come to Benidorm on this weekend.

All the information about the Low Festival is available in its web site: http://lowfestival.es/festival-indie/que-es-el-low-festival/.

Entertainment for all the family in Camping Villasol in Benidorm

The Camping Villasol in Benidorm offers to all its clients a new entertainment concept with activities for all the family members during this summer. Children, youngsters and adults will have the opportunity to enjoy an experience that will not leave any family member indifferent in this camping in Benidorm.

The camping Villasol is the only campsite in Benidorm that will offer during this summer a different experience with a 5 people entertainment team that will try the impossible to make every single member of your family have fun, from the youngest to the oldest one.

The philosophy of this new entertainment concept in the campsite is to make all the family members enjoy one by one or all together organizing activities where parents and children will have to work together to get the maximum fun in family.

So for all the clients to enjoy this new experience Camping Villasol presents:

Artatek
In the Artatek zone in Camping Villasol children will find loads of activities to enjoy the morning next to the swimming pool area. Workshops where they will learn face painting, how to create their own pet or how to design their fancy dress for the Saturday musical... They will play table games, enjoy a beautiful fairy tale, get cinema sessions and more activities that nobody will want to miss out.
Pool party
Aquagym, water gymkhanas and sport games will be some of the activities you will be able to enjoy in the Pool Party zone. In this swimming pool area there will be funny activities during nearly all day. You will play treasure hunt or aquatic volleyball, group games for children or adults. All this combine with music sessions from our Dj's learners.
Sport Area, sports for everyone
One of the most attractive activities during the summer is practicing sports. Camping Villasol has a special area where you will be able to practice different sports adapt to all the preferences and ages. There will be football, basketball or badminton tournaments, multisport sessions, batukadas... the perfect occasion for competition and fun.
Shows under the sun
Every night is special and different in Camping Villasol. In the Sun Shows area the clients will be the main characters: musicals, theme parties, boys vs. girls’ competitions, 'Talent Show', karaoke, couple games, humor... Loads and loads of night shows with the entertainers and the clients combined team that will surprise everybody.

Camping Villasol has confidence that many clients will come to experience this new philosophy of how to enjoy a camp site in this perfect surrounding, Benidorm city.

Camping Villasol
Family Campsite in Benidorm
http://camping-villasol.com/en/index.php

Do sport in Benidorm

Every year the beaches in Benidorm become the perfect place to play aquatic sports due to the warm weather in the Eastern coast of Spain and the quality of the sea water.

Scuba diving in Benidorm, for beginners and experts
Benidorm is one of the areas in Spain where you can find one of the best and cleanest bottom of the sea, ideal to practice scuba diving.

The Benidorm Island is a tourist attraction on its own, but it is normally busy due to its exceptional seafloor areas. Some of the most well-known ones for diving are: The North side, 'el Garbí' and the 'Bombo' cave, but the most remarkable area is the one called 'el Bajo de la Llosa' at 300 meters on the south of the island.

You can get up to more than 30 meters depth in the 'Bajo de la Llosa' mainly because of the crystal clear waters in the Mediterranean Sea. It is a beautiful place to scuba dive because of the amount of light you get, mainly in the early afternoon. It is ideal for expert divers or for beginners, because you can find a shallow area for the beginners and a deeper one for the experts.

The sea nature lovers can enjoy the fauna and flora all around the Benidorm Island area: It is usual to find morays, octopus or bogas when you dive. It is surprising the vision of different coloured sponges on the rocks and how the shoals of damselfish pass by.

There are different clubs in Benidorm that organize scuba diving trips. There are some hotels and camping sites in Benidorm that have agreed plans for divers with these clubs. You can find some of them in the Marina area, some offer training courses or advance lessons for expert scuba divers.

Wakeboard and cable ski, aquatic sports for the adrenaline lovers
Apart from the 'usual' sports like sailing or windsurf, the Benidorm sport offer gets special with these two sports that will attract those sport lovers looking for a new and thrilling experience.

Wakeboard and cable ski are based on aquatic ski, but without a boat to propel the person. The cable ski
circuit made in the 60's in Benidorm was the first one build in the sea. The circuit is located in the Levante beach and consists in 4 towels connected by a cable where you can move at a high speed, either with a board (wakeboard) or skies (cable ski).

On top of that, as the boat is not necessary it is possible to have more than one person practicing the sport at the same time, which makes this activity ideal for groups of friends. It is only necessary to be averagely fit and to follow some basic rules and technique. After that you can enjoy the sea, the sun and the speed. You can find more information about the circuit, the prices and the timetable in www.cableskibenidorm.com.

Enjoy Benidorm on a kayak
Apart from the Benidorm lovely beaches, you can find an excellent Mediterranean sea to practice another maritime sport: kayak. You do not need to be very fit to practice this sport and it will give you the opportunity to watch beautiful places all around the Alicante littoral, even some that you will never get to in a different way.
The Benidorm Bay is one of the routes that the kayak lovers normally take, but you can enjoy the cliffs and the hidden coves in the Rincon de Loix, get to the Benidorm Island from the coast or visit the beautiful 'Sierra Helada'(frozen mountains) natural park, called like this because of the way that the reflexion of the moon makes its cliff shine at night, making the mountain look like an iceberg. On the day time, it is an unmissable visit.
Apart from the ones we have been talking about, you can find other sports to consider in Benidorm, like fishing, kite surf, sailing or enjoy a nice trip on boat. Benidorm can be the perfect place for holidays or weekend breaks for the sport lovers due to its diversity and place for everyone.

Camping Villamar
Campsite in Benidorm
http://campingvillamar.com/

Easter week in Benidorm, a festival full of tradition

Benidorm is a city that can offer you more than just sun and beach, during the Easter week you can enjoy one of the most dug in traditions in Spain: the processions.

 

From Friday the 11th 'Viernes de Dolores'(Friday of Sorrows) until Sunday the 20th 'Domingo de Resurrección'(Easter Sunday), there are loads of very special processions that can be seen in Benidorm during the Easter week.

 

But maybe the real attractive thing of spending the Easter week in Benidorm is the possibility of combining the dug in traditions and the beach, the sun and the large leisure options that a hotel or camping in Benidorm can offer you in Holy Week.

 

The processions, the main attraction during the Easter week in Benidorm

Easter is one of the most loved and awaited traditional festival during the year. In Benidorm, you have to add to this its touristic attractive for the foreigners that get surprised with the light, the colours and the penitent outfits, all in velvet and with hood. Every single procession, with its different Passion float, refers to a scene and a character of the Bible showing the Passion Week that Christ suffer until his Death and Resurrection.

 

The Easter processions history starts in Spain at the end of the Middle Ages when the Franciscan priests started organizing them. Ever since then there have been some changes and times that due to the Spanish particular history these processions stopped or were reduced. Nevertheless, processions still come out on the streets every year, bringing illusion to the believers and an art and colour show for everyone.

One of the processions with more fans in Benidorm is the Maundy Thursday one: The solemn Our Lord Jesus in His agony on the Mount of Olives brotherhood that represents, as seen on its name, the Mount of Olives scene. It is a night procession like nearly all of them and goes round the Benidorm streets starting and finishing in the 'San Juan Bautista' church.

The procession of the Resurrection Sunday is an important one too in Benidorm. The thrones of the Lord and the Virgin come on the streets from the 'San Jaime' church for the Encounter Procession. It is very impressive when it starts early in the morning because of the special light that time a day.

Easter events in Benidorm

There are different religious events over the Easter week in which people can take part. A surprising characteristic about the Spanish eastern coast processions is the palm leaf specially prepare for the processions, you can blessed them in different churches. Other acts that you can enjoy over Easter are the triduums, the Stations of the Cross or attend to the special masses.

Apart from all the religious events, Benidorm will offer another dug in tradition in the Spanish eastern coast for the Easter week: bullfight. For this year 2014 two different festivals have been prepared: one bullfight and a shown on horseback.

Gastronomy, another interesting thing during the Easter week in Benidorm

The Easter week has a 'special flavour'. It is tradition to have a specific cake for tea time. The traditional. 'Mona de Pascua', made with flour, eggs, milk, oil and sugar and topped with a boiled egg. You can find them with plenty of different shapes: circles, animals, extra big... The enormous chocolate eggs are typical too. Another typical dessert on these dates are the 'torrijas', made with stale bread dunk in milk and fried after wards, although this dessert is more typical of the centre area of Spain.

Benidorm Easter programme

Friday 11th of April, FRIDAY OF SORROWS

20’30 h. Church of Nuestra Señora de la Almudena. Announcement of the Holy Week.

Sunday 13h of April, PALM SUNDAY

10´30 h. Ermita de Sanz. Benediction of the Palms followed by a Holy Mass.

 

11’00 h. Church of Nuestra Señora de la Almudena. Benediction of the Palms and Procession by the surrounding streets, followed by a Holy Mass.

 

Church of San Jaime. Benediction of the Palms and Procession by the streets Santa Faz, Paseo de la Carretera,Alameda, Mayor and Plaza de San Jaime, followed by a Holy Mass.

 

Church of San Juan Bautista (La Cala). Benediction of the Palms and Procession by the streets Alfaz del Pi, Santander, Mont-Benidorm, Pajares and Plaza de las Tiendas.

 

11’30 h. Church of San Francisco de Asís. Benediction of the Palms and Procession, followed by a Holy Mass.

 

11’45 h. Church of Nuestra Señora del Mar. Benediction of the Palms and Procession, followed by a Holy Mass.

 

12’00 h. Church of El Buen Pastor. Benediction of the Palms and Procession by the surrounding streets, followed by a Holy Mass.

 

12’30 h. Church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen. Benediction of the Palms and Procession by the surrounding streets, followed by a Holy Mass.

 

20’30 h. El Buen Pastor Church. Solemn Procession of Our Father Jesus of Health and Humbleness and Our Ladyof the Hope and Peace escorted by the music band “la Primitiva” from Callosa, , the Musical Society Virgen del Sufragio and the National Police of Benidorm.

 

Itinerary: Church of El Buen Pastor, Puig Campana, Roldán, Almendros, Limones, Maravall, Apolo XI, Jazmín, Plaza de España and Puig Campana, to get back to the Church.

 

Sunday 13th, Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th of April

19’00 h. Mass sung by the Choir of the Church and triple duet for Our Father Jesus Nazarene. Church of San Jaime.

 

Monday 14th , Tuesday 15th and Wednesday 16th of April

19’00 h. Triple duet for the Christ of the Forgiveness and Good Death and Holy Mass. Church of Nuestra Señora de la Almudena.

 

19’30 h. Holy Mass and Confessions. Church of San Juan Bautista (La Cala).

 

Wednesday 16th of April, HOLY WEDNESDAY

22’00 h. Solemn Procession by the Brotherhood of Our Father Jesus Nazarene. Church of San Jaime.

 

Itinerary: Plaza de San Jaime, Mayor, Alameda, Plaza de la Cruz, Ruzafa, La Biga,Tomás Ortuño, Apolo XI, Almendros, Paseo de la Carretera, Santa Faz and Plaza de San Jaime.

 

Thursday 17th of April, HOLY THURSDAY

19’30 h. Holy Mass of the Last Supper of the Lord and Ritual Washing of Feet. Church of Nuestra Señora de la Almudena.

 

19’30 h. Holy Mass of the Last Supper of the Lord. Church of San Juan Bautista (La Cala) and Church of San Jaime.

 

21’00 h. Solemn Procession of the Silence at the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Almudena with the Brotherhoods of the Last Supper, the Christ of the Forgiveness and Good Death and the Virgin of Sorrow.

Itinerary: Church of la Almudena, Ginés Cartagena, Capitán Cortés, Castellana, Velázquez, Acacias, Goya, Jardines, and Ginés Cartagena, to finish in the Church.

 

21’00 h. Solemn Procession of the Brotherhood of Our Lord during his Agony at the Olive Trees Mountain.

San Juan Bautista Church (La Cala).

 

Itinerary: Plaza de las Tiendas, Pajares, Mont-Benidorm, Vicente Llorca Alòs, Murtal, Santander, Mont-Benidorm, Pajares, Plaza de las Tiendas, to get back to the Church.

 

23’00 h. Holy Hour and Way of the Cross at the Church of San Jaime.

 

23’00 h. Holy Hour at the Churches of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, San Francisco de Asís and El Buen Pastor

 

24´00 h. Holy Hour at the Church of San Juan Bautista (La Cala).

 

01´00 h. Holy Hour at the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Almudena.

Friday 18th of April, GOOD FRIDAY

07’00 h. Procession from San Jaime Church going to Monte Calvario (Old Graveyard), where the Way of the Cross and he Sermon of the Seven Words will take place.

 

20’30 h. General Procession of the Holy Burial, with all the Brotherhoods, departing at San Jaime Church.

 

Itinerary: Plaza de San Jaime, Mayor, Alameda, Los Ángeles, Pintor Lozano, Ricardo, Martínez Alejos, Paseo de la Carretera, Santa Faz and Plaza de San Jaime.

 

23’30 h. Way of the Cross. San Juan Bautista Church (La Cala). Brotherhood of Our Lord during his Agony at the Olive Trees Mountain. Departure from the San Juan Bautista Church going to the Chapel of Our Lady of the Sea (Tossal).

 

Sunday 20th of April, EASTER SUNDAY

08’00 h. Procession of the Encounter of the Lord and the Virgin. Departure from San Jaime Church.

 

Afterwards “Embassy”.

Camping Villasol

Easter Holidays Benidorm

http://camping-villasol.com/

Buy a second hand motor home: 10 tips

When you decide to buy a second hand motor home, either to a private owner or to an authorized dealer, you must take into consideration some details to make sure that the motor home is in perfect condition and that it will not cause you any problems in a close future.

Getting a motor home allows the owner to travel anywhere he wants with total independence. You can plan a summer holiday in a camping in Benidorm, a week of snow in a camping site in the Pyrenees or getaways for the weekends or long weekends all around the Spanish territory.

In conclusion, it is not a cheap purchase and it is suppose to last for a long time.

Search for the motor home adapted to your necessities and budget
Before starting any purchase, you have to think what use you are going to give to the motor home, your space or size necessities and the budget you have. With all these things in mind, it will be easier to find the perfect vehicle for you.

Check the second hand motor home documentation in advanced
As you will have to do when purchasing any second hand vehicle, you must pay special attention in checking that all the paperwork is in order before buying: the log book, the fact sheet or the insurance for the motor home.

Motor home experts advise you to check on the registration date and the kilometers; it could give you a good idea on the use that that motor home has had.

Check on the condition of the tyres and the engine.
It does not matter if you are an expert or you do not know much about engines, it is very important to examine the condition of the engine of the motor home (or take it to a garage to have it done) before purchasing it. Ask for the maintenance book to check on the oil changes or the general services.

It is also very important to drive the motor home for a few kilometers, if possible, to check on the pedals condition, if it brakes properly, if it is difficult to change gears... anything that can help you to get an idea on the general state of the motor home. Do the same with the tyres; check on its maintenance, if all four have been change together or if they vibrate more than normal.

Pay attention on the exterior
As it normally happens when you buy something, the second hand motor home will first of all 'get in your eyes', so you better pay attention on the small exterior details that can show you if the vehicle is been well looked after or not.

Check on the bumpers, if there are any dents on the body, but, mainly check on the underside of the motor home, because there you will see if the previous owner took good care of it, if that was not the case, it could finally cause you a lot of troubles.

General state of the motor home interior
Apart from a vehicle, a motor home is a 'house', a place where you will spend a lot of time, so it is essential that you check on simple things like if the shower works or if there is a wardrobe not closing properly, anything that can be an expense after wards, you can ask the seller to repair it or you can try to get a reduction on the price.

Try all the extra features
The most expensive and the most difficult thing to change if it brakes is the toldo, so you better check it before buying. Unfold it and look for dampness, for any tear or if you find it hard to fold it again.

Do the same with any interior or exterior feature. Examine the roof and the bicycle racks, if the motor home has them. Pay special attention on the interior anchor points.

Proper functioning of the electrical appliances
It may seem evident, but sometimes we forget to check on the proper functioning of the electrical appliances before purchasing a motor home. Everything should work at A 12v and 220; put special attention in the refrigerator, the interior lights or any other appliance that you find in the motor home, because you are paying for those too.

Dampness
If you find dampness in the wardrobes or on the ceiling, bad sign, that means that the previous owner did not take good care of the vehicle or that it may have an isolation problem which will make complicated to enjoy the motor home in the future.

Roof
Many of the future dampness and filtration problems will come from the roof. If you can check it from the top, look for anything that may look strange: too much silicone, it is bend, any crack, etc.

Consult forums and second hand motor home websites
It may be simple, but normally in the second hand motor home user's forums you can find lists with the different models and makes where they explain what problems these motor homes can have or they give you exact details that can help you check on the vehicle real state before buying it.

Camping Villamar
Campsite in Benidorm
http://campingvillamar.com/en/index.php

Not long for the Electroweekend 2014

On April the 18th and 19th, Benidorm will be the meeting point for the electro music lovers all around the world. Having a confirmed programme of the performers, it is time to organize the journey to enjoy a problem-free weekend and get the most out of good music.

What will happen in the Electroweekend?
The list of artists for the Electroweekend has been confirmed since mid February. The top of the bill are Marco Carola and Dubfire, but plenty of groups and Djs will meet here during the weekend. Techno, dubstep, minimal... no matter what stile you like, you will probably find it in any of the stages that will be set up for the Electroweekend.




Where buy tickets for the Electroweekend?
There are two possible ways to buy the Benidorm Electroweekend tickets: through internet on these two
web pages, Entradas a tu alcance and Ticketea, and in different points of sale along the Comunidad Valenciana and Murcia.

No matter what option you take, you will find different prices, discount brochures and options to combine the entrance ticket and the accommodation. Until the 31st of March the pass for the two days will cost 40€, afterwards it will be 50€.

More information about the points of sale in: electroweekend.es/entradas.

Save money and time in your stay: Book a camping during the Electroweekend
Benidorm can offer a great variety of accommodation for the Electroweekend adaptable to any budget and likes. The cheapest accommodation option for these days will be to use any of the camping in Benidorm, either bringing your own tent or renting a mobile home with your friends.

Look for your comfort to enjoy the festival with no last minute problems.

Official bus, an easy way to Benidorm
The Electro Music Festival offers you the possibility to book this bus to Benidorm from thirty different cities in Spain. You can have a return ticket at affordable prices that will change within the proximity of the festival. See you festival web site : electroweekend.es

Everything is ready for you, so you can easily organize an economical journey to the Electroweekend in Benidorm. If you like electro music, you will not want to be anywhere else this Easter.

Camping Villasol

Camping in Benidorm

http://www.camping-villasol.com/