Three weeks into Spain and Portugal, the trip was winding down in the best possible way, right up until it wasn’t. Lyndsay and Harry headed for the airport, Eddie touched down minutes later, and somewhere in the middle of all that we managed to fail at getting into La Marina for the second time in a decade. Some things never change.
Where we stopped
This leg of the trip kept us in the Alicante area, bouncing between a handful of sites as we tried, and mostly failed, to find somewhere with a pool that would actually have us.
The small campsite we visited ten years ago was our first port of call, and honestly it was perfectly pleasant. German owners who’ve had the place for three years, a pool, decent facilities including a laundry, and priced at 14 euros a night for six amps or 16 euros for ten. The catch was the electricity billing: they charge per kilowatt, which is 60 cents a unit. We were charging the truck’s batteries overnight, so by checkout the bill had crept up to 46 euros for one night once the electricity was added on top. Not outrageous, but not what we were expecting either. If you’re planning a longer stay or wintering there, the monthly rate apparently drops to around 11 or 12 euros a night, though the per-kWh electricity charge still applies, so factor that in.
La Marina water park campsite was the target. We’d called ahead for a few days and been told it was fully booked. We drove over anyway on the off chance there’d been a cancellation or a last-minute slot. There hadn’t. Fully booked, no day visitors allowed in peak season. They do open day visitor access from September, which is useful to know if you’re heading that way later in the year. For now though, no luck.
Laceria del Guardamar was the five-star option we spotted nearby and decided to try. The pool complex looked fantastic, and there was one pitch available for a single night. The problem was the price: 120 euros a night in peak season, with an active building site on one side. Lyndsay and I both agreed it would have been perfect a few years ago when the boys were younger and would have lived in that pool complex all day. At this stage, it felt like a lot of money for something that wasn’t quite right for where we are now. We moved on.
Camping Palmir was where we ended up settling in for a few nights, and it turned out to be a good shout. Close to Alicante airport, which matters when you’re doing a crew changeover, and it has a pool. The rate was 37 euros per night all in, though there’s a per-person surcharge on top of the base pitch rate of around 15 euros, which makes it a bit pricier than it first appears, especially when you’re travelling with adults rather than children who count at a lower rate. That said, it gave us what we needed: laundry facilities (4 euros to wash, 3 euros to dry, and everything came out properly done), a pool for the evening swims, and enough pitch space for the truck.
A day in Alicante: the bullfighting arena was better than expected
While I stayed back at Palmir to catch up on editing, Lyndsay took the group into Alicante for the day, starting with a tour of the bullring. I’ll be honest, I was a bit sceptical when I heard about this one. We’re not a family that’s drawn to bullfighting as a concept, and I think Steve and Lyndsay are both clear that the practice itself isn’t something they’re comfortable with. But the tour turned out to be genuinely interesting.
Each visitor gets a handheld audio device programmed in English, and you work your way around following numbered signs: the matador’s chapel where they pray before each fight, the clinic (apparently the oldest medical facility in the Alicante region at 135 years old), the holding areas for the bulls, and the arena itself. There’s even a VR section with three or four different experiences, including one on the bull farms where young bulls are trained. Lyndsay came away saying it gave her a real understanding of the cultural and ecological context, even if it didn’t change her view on the fighting itself. At 12 pounds for adults and 6 pounds for children (including the audio guide), it’s a decent way to spend 90 minutes.
After the tour, lunch in the old town: pizza diavola for Lyndsay and her mum, lasagne for Steve and George, followed by a stop at what was apparently the third best ice cream shop in all of Spain. The lemon was a good call. Then a cold drink in the shade somewhere with a sea view through the gap between Harry and Millie. A solid day out.
Crew changeover logistics (and the 1.25-euro wine verdict)
The real thread running through this part of the trip was the changeover: Lyndsay, Harry, Millie, and Linus were all flying home, with Eddie and Bernice arriving the same day. The timing was almost comically tight. Lyndsay messaged to say she’d taken off, and five minutes later Eddie messaged to say he’d landed.
There’s a genuine operational complexity to this kind of crew swap. Lyndsay had been quietly managing it the whole time: running laundry loads, sorting which bedding Harry and Millie had used, working out what needed washing before the new arrivals took those bunks, coordinating who had which towels. While she was in town with the group, she was also searching for activities to book. This is what Lyndsay does on a trip: she runs the logistics while also being present for everything else.
The goodbye was warm and a bit rushed, as airport mornings always are. Three weeks together, and then suddenly everyone’s heading in different directions. George and I are heading to Benidorm next, a place I’ve always wanted to properly visit rather than just drive past. Lyndsay has never had any interest in going, so this is firmly a boys’ trip. We asked the Facebook community for campsite recommendations and Villa Solimar came out as the clear favourite, so we’ll be trying to get in there.
One final note: the 1.25-euro wine. I opened it with a pocketknife because we’d forgotten a bottle opener. It was not good. I drank it anyway. Some things you just have to see through.
Questions people ask
What does the small campsite near La Marina charge for electricity? They bill per kilowatt rather than including electricity in the pitch fee. The overnight rate is 60 cents per kilowatt. If you’re charging a large battery bank overnight, that can add considerably to your bill: our stay came to 46 euros for one night once electricity was included, compared to the advertised 16-euro pitch rate.
Can you just turn up at La Marina without a booking in peak season? Based on our experience, no. We called several days in advance and were told it was fully booked. When we drove over in person to ask about cancellations, they confirmed no availability and said they don’t even allow day visitors in peak season. They do open day access from September, which might be worth knowing for shoulder-season trips.
How much was the Alicante bullring tour? The guided tour with an English-language audio device cost 12 pounds for adults and 6 pounds for children. It includes the chapel, the clinic, the holding areas, and a VR section. Lyndsay reckoned it was worth about 90 minutes of your time, particularly if you go in curious rather than expecting a straightforward condemnation or celebration of the practice.
How much is Camping Palmir per night? We paid 37 euros per night, though the base pitch rate is around 15 euros with additional per-person charges on top. There’s a pool on site, laundry facilities at 4 euros to wash and 3 euros to dry, and it’s very close to Alicante airport, which made it practical for our crew changeover.
The full video has the complete tour of the bullring, the campsite walk-arounds, and the goodbye at the airport, well worth a watch if you want to see how the crew changeover actually played out. If you’re planning a Spanish motorhome trip and working out which areas to prioritise, our motorhoming in Spain guide has a lot more on routes, campsites, and the practical stuff we’ve picked up over the years.
Watch the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9zQV7hrmdk