Camp Sanguli, Salou

...Spain and was sent to Camp Sanguli in Salou. I was a little wary at first, mainly because my Spanish isn't very good, but I very quickly fell in love with the place. With a long promenade lined with palm trees and beautiful, long, golden beaches, what wasn't to like?

ACCOMMODATION:

As I previously mentioned, I was a rep on a camp site. This was called Camp Sanguli, situated at the older end of Salou which is a little ...
...with two supermarkets, two large pools, numerous take-aways, bars and restaurants plus good security. The site itself has numerous areas used specifically by certain companies providing package holidays - for example, Siesta, Haven, Eurosites, etc - but there's also a lot of room for those just wanting to come on their own. There are plots for tents or camper vans plus the site itself provides mobile homes and log cabins. Of course, this is not the ... more

During my gap year before I went to university, I worked for a travel company called Siesta International Holidays. I was one of their reps in Spain and was sent to Camp Sanguli in Salou. I was a little wary at first, mainly because my Spanish isn't very good, but I very quickly fell in love with the place. With a long promenade lined with palm trees and beautiful, long, golden beaches, what wasn't to like?

ACCOMMODATION:

As I previously mentioned, I was a rep on a camp site. This was called Camp Sanguli, situated at the older end of Salou which is a little quieter than the new town. The site itself is large with two supermarkets, two large pools, numerous take-aways, bars and restaurants plus good security. The site itself has numerous areas used specifically by certain companies providing package holidays - for example, Siesta, Haven, Eurosites, etc - but there's also a lot of room for those just wanting to come on their own. There are plots for tents or camper vans plus the site itself provides mobile homes and log cabins. Of course, this is not the only accommodation available in the town. There are numerous hotels, most around 3-star grade, and other sites where you can camp. More and more accommodation is being built as the town expands. Port Aventura (Universal's theme park on the edge of Salou) has it's own hotels as well though these are a little pricey compared to other available accommodation. If you're not going as part of a package deal, I'd suggest a quick route around on the internet as the hotels are always doing late deals.

ENTERTAINMENT:

There is plenty to see and do in and around Salou. For the cultured among you, there are the Roman ruins not far away in Tarragona which is easy to reach by train. There are also plently of museums and art galleries around. Of course, about an hour away by train, is the Catalan capital of Barcelona. Here you can admire Gaudi's magnificent architecture and tiled buildings (I especially reccommend the beautiful Parc Guell) plus his cathedral, called the Sagrada Familia. This is actually still being built according to Gaudi's original plans. For those of you like me, Las Ramblas is a good place to head to in the centre of the city. It reminds of Covent Garden in London for all the street entertainers.
Back to Salou though, there are plenty of bars and restaurants. I would suggest eating out slightly later than you normally would back in England as the Spanish have a long Siesta in the early afternoon so the dinner hour is closer to about 8pm in Salou. I would also highly reccommend trying out the local tapas bars or at least the fish resturants. Most of their dishes follow the traditonal Catalan/Spanish recipes and are simply delicious. There are a lot of British bars (one of the best being the Railway Bar run by a couple of ex-reps). All the bars provide some kind of entertainment, ranging from quizzes and karaoke to flamenco dancers and tequila races. (Piece of advice, that last one is better to watch than to take part in...) There are numerous clubs in Salou itself but one very popular one is Pacha (originating in Ibiza), just outside Salou in La Pineda. They regularly have international dj's like Roger Sanchez and alike which makes for a good night for those interested in clubbing.
If you are going on a family vacation, I would especially reccommend at least a day at the Port Aventura theme park. Food and drink is a little more expensive once you are inside but still cheaper than if you went to somewhere like Alton Towers or Disneyland. The park itself is huge so I'd suggest comfortable shoes and, if you're a bit of a daredevil, an empty stomach. The park has some brilliant rides like the Dragon Khan or the walk-through Templo de Fuego (Temple of Fire) which are fun but not for the faint-hearted. They have also just opened a water park next door which means that the whole resort is actually bigger - and better - than the rather pitiful Euro Disney. There is a little tourist train (basically a long car that travels on streets slowly but still fun!) that runs throughout the day which goes up to Port Aventura and stops off at most of the hotels as well. A regular bus service is available though I warn that this can get as packed as a sardine can. There are also numerous family events available though some are only open during peak tourist times so I would suggest checking once you reach the resort. For example, there is a large fairground near the new part of town plus things like paintballing (wear padding!) and horse riding (if you're as bad as me, again, wear padding!)

PRICES:

Since the Euro has been introduced, prices have crept up a little though I think this is true for most European countries. It's still a lot cheaper in Salou than in Britain though, especially for food, alcohol and cigarettes. Overall, the town is good value for money... though all the money you save will probably be spent in the numerous shops!

All in all, I would reccommend Salou to pretty much everybody. I would warn though that the town, despite it's current beautiful setting, is quickly becoming very commercialised. New buildings are springing up everywhere as well as bars and clubs. It's still a wonderful coastline with mountains not far behind, not to mention the fact that everybody is incredibly friendly. Almost all the bars, restaurants and shop are English-speaking so don't worry if your Spanish isn't great. I would still suggest trying a little though as at least it shows you care.

NB: As I was actually living there, some of my choices like "Type of travel" aren't quite accurate as they don't really give me the kind of options that I need! So sorry about that! 

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