Joined: 13/6/2006 Platinum Member
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I have stayed at the site, as well as Las Dunas and Camping Aquarius – all of which are within 2 miles of each other along this stretch of coast
Firstly Nautic Almata is a good site – very family oriented with a good swimming pool complex, but no slides when I was there. There is evening entertainment every night which can be very intrusive if you are close to the pool / entertainment complex – but not an issue if you intend to be there. The site itself is at the mouth of the River Fluvia, it has mooring for boats and a windsurf and sailing school. Due to the river, there are quite a few mosquitoes – but it wasn’t really a problem for us, but you need to work to keep your sleeping area Mosquito free. It is a very long narrow site, with 2 distinct area – the part close to the beach has less shade (although we never had a problem with this), the area close to the river has large trees and lots of shade. Most of the campers on the site are Dutch, but there is a mix of British, German, French and Italian campers. The beach is one of the main features of this part of the coast – fantastic golden sand and safe warm sea, and due to the river, it is accessible only from the campsite, so completely safe – however, if you are taking young kids the sea in front of the site gets waist deep quite quickly, although this might change year on year – at Aquarius and Las Dunas the sea is shallower further out
Other highlights of the site are the proximity to Sant Pere Pescadore, which is a 10 minute cycle along a lovely cycle track. The site is also right next door to the nature reserve, which has Europe’s largest flock of wild Flamingoes and lots of bats at night (they don’t tend to come into the campsite). You are free to walk around the nature reserve or take part in an organized tour (the evening bat walk is great fun)
Downsides of the site – The site is used by a kids holiday camp group – we found that a large gathering of teenagers were sometimes a little high spirited and noisy, although they were polite and didn’t cause any real trouble. I am trying not to generalize too much, but we did find some of the speed boat / jet ski owning community a little…..
Many of the people on the site come back year after year so it has a very loyal following – and for keen water sports enthusiasts, this is the site to visit, however, in my opinion, there are better family sites
Camping Aquarius is my firm favorite, however, I have stayed here 14 times since 1979 (when I was 7). It was also the winner in Alan Rogers Camping guide this year, so others clearly agree with me
So why do I like Aquarius – firstly it is a relatively small site, it was set up and is still run by the Rupp family, who run the site with typical German efficiency – it is spectacularly clean and impeccably well maintained. The site has a real mixture of pitches – most have a good degree of privacy with hedges around the pitch (although some in the newer section do not have hedges). Part of the campsite is really well shaded with mature trees, although some of these can drip sap onto your car and tent / caravan. Toilets and washing facilities are excellent; the newest shower block has family rooms which are brilliant for families with young children.
There are 2 really good playgrounds for the kids. Entertainment is family oriented and vary varied. The restaurant serves a range of German and Spanish food, it is acceptable, but not great, although the restaurant is always busy. The site is best for families with young children and people looking for a quiet camping holiday; my 13 year old has a good time as there are always other friends to hang about with, although there are not many organized activities for teenagers. Many of the teenagers staying at Aquarius go L’Amfora, the next door site which has a disco every evening.
Aquarius does not have a pool as the campsite owners have are opposed to them – depending on your view point, this is an advantage or disadvantage – personally I hate swimming pools, I would much rather spend time on the beach, if there is a pool at the site then my children always put on pressure to spend all of their time at the pool. In addition, I would be very reluctant to let my children roam freely around a site where there is a pool as I would be concerned about safety. However, I do understand why people do like pools. If asked my kids would say that on balance they would rather visit Aquarius rather than another site with a pool
Undoubtedly the best aspect of Aquarius is the beach – the site is on the beach, so access couldn’t be simpler. The sea is really safe, as it remains shallow for approx 50m, even toddlers are in their depth for the first 20m or so. The sand is ideal for castle building or digging holes. There is a public access to the beach, but it is down a long track, with almost no parking so the beach is never crowded and I have never felt unsafe or worried about theft
There is a cycle route into town, that uses a combination of cycle track and quiet road, it is about 3 miles or so – less if you take the direct road to town. I would not be happy for my children to cycle on the road.
Apologies for such a long reply – any other questions feel free to ask
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