Club Med Kamarina : Authentic Sicilian charm for the whole family.

Brian Telfer on 31 January 2018
The main appeal of Club Med is the great mix of sporting activities, good food, childcare and an opportunity to relax. It's a perfect family destination which includes great club facilities for children specifically devised for the different age groups and run by professionals.

Flying out from Gatwick was very relaxing, with civilised flight times. We took advantage of the Meet and Greet car service offered via Travel Counsellors, and I have to say, it was the most efficient, prompt Meet and Greet service we've experienced.

Our flight was enjoyable with nice friendly staff and a good meal. Their sticky toffee pudding on the return flight was the second best I've ever had.

From the moment we were greeted with a drink and a warm welcome from the Chief of Village and team in Kamarina on our arrival, to the time we departed, we had a great time. Most guests on our coach were staying in bungalows in the village, which is designed to be like a typical Sicilian "Villaggio" - a very pretty labyrinth of narrow streets and paved squares, with flowers everywhere - as you can see from the photo. After collecting our keys, we were driven a little away from the centre of the resort to the Kamarina Hotel. Our Club Room with sea view was very comfortable, quiet and relaxing. We were hungry and, as dinner was not until 7pm, we went down to the beach in the Villaggio area where the sailing activities take place and had a really nice snack of pizza and panini at the Beach Bar.

We joined a tour of the resort before dinner that evening and were shown the five restaurants, shops, swimming pools and the main bar in the centre of the village, together with the theatre, spa area and circus school. The hotel has its own pool and a very nice rooftop garden bar, which was a great place to start and end the evening - including the occasional vicious game of cards!

We joined the tennis sessions each day, run by Max and Mika. These were great fun, with all the guests encouraging each other in the team games. We also had some private lessons with Mika - he worked us very hard and we could definitely see an improvement by the end of the week.

We also tried archery, kayaking, petanque and crazy golf. We would have liked to participate in the sailing lessons - however, we could not fit these into our schedule. What was nice was that each activity arranged a special evening where you could meet up with other guests for cocktails.

Our favourite place for lunch each day was the Il Cavallo Marino restaurant - only open in certain months. There was an extensive cold and hot buffet and we usually spent two hours having a lazy lunch here, overlooking the Mediterranean. In the evenings, we chose either the Il Trinacria in the hotel or Il Vulcano - it really depended on what kind of themed meals were on offer. At all these meals, we could just help ourselves to red, white or rose wine. We usually had breakfast in the terrace area of Il Trinacria under the blue sky.

If you're staying in the village, Les Dunes restaurant would probably be your choice, with an Italian trattoria-style atmosphere. If you have a young family, there is baby zone in the resort's main restaurant, with baby foods and all the equipment necessary for preparing your baby's meals.

The second beach is near the hotel - a nice stretch of fine sand, equipped with deckchairs, parasols and showers. We whiled away a few hours here towards the end of the week, relaxing and reading with the occasional swim to cool down.

We enjoyed the international mix of guests and staff, and we could either join a larger table - particularly at lunchtimes to chat to other guests - or else have a more intimate dinner for just the two of us. Although a large site with many guests, it never felt crowded.

If you'd like to find out more about Club Med holidays for you and your family, please contact me on 020 3432 2510 for a chat, and then I can research and arrange it all for you.