Cool Bungalows by the Sea (and the Railway Tracks!)
10 July 2015 at 16:10:21
Stel is a good camping site, with a big (but crowded in the afternoons) swimming pool for children, good sports facilities for teenagers, and a cool, shady and very well-designed bungalow area, with winding footpaths and lots of beautiful flowerbeds, so it is very suitable for families with young children... who can walk or ride bikes in ample traffic-free areas. But its surroundings are not so glamorous as it is constrained by a busy national road on the west and a busy railway track on the east, which you have to go under to get to the sea. The beach is less than a 6-minute-walk from the furthest pitch, and it is not too crowded, especially in the afternoons and evenings. The water was very warm during the heat wave in first week of July, and only a couple of days the odd jelly-fish could be seen offshore away from the main bathing area. You can walk for one hour along the beach on either side, but, again, the railway tracks sometimes spoil the beauty of the coast in many stretches.
We rented a Stel-4 bungalow, which was very new, with a fully equipped kitchen, air-conditioning and TV, and a spacious bathroom. Everything was very neat, clean and tidy. The bed was very comfortable, but the sofa had little glitter specks, that stuck to your back and the furniture in the porch was a bit small to allow 4 people to eat outdoors. The price, €1033 per week was, perhaps, a bit high, taking into account the surroundings of the camping grounds.
There is a small supermarket, which is very convenient, but if you want lower prices you can go to Mercadona, 5 minutes away on the main road to Tarragona, or to Bonpreu, with a wide range of first brands, less than five minutes towards Barcelona. There are also some shops, laundry facilities and a small gym. The restaurant offers good pizzas for around €9, and a decent paella for €12 per person (you have to book the size of the paella in advance), among other dishes, and there is a crepe-van, which is not extremely popular, perhaps because the crepes are a bit expensive: the savory ones are around €5 each, but the fillings are enticing: homemade humus (mashed chickpeas) with cheese and honey; bacon, goat cheese and honey; chicken, cheese and crunchy onions (they were all very good). The sweet crepes are cheaper.
Most of the campers were Spanish, although there were some Dutch and Belgians too.
The camping is next to the Roman Arch of Bara, and there are more Roman ruins in Tarragona. Port Aventura Park, the main tourist attraction of the area, and Reus airport are each around 30 minutes away from Stel. In Altafuya, 15 minutes away, there is a nice castle to see and a quaint waterfront.
Find out more
Campings.com reviews 100% verified
Location
25 May 2019 at 17:24:39
29 September 2016 at 17:42:54
