Opening Blog....Sunny Salou !
Our kids had not flown before and with the ultimate holiday plan of eventually taking them to Disneyland, we wanted to test out a shorter flight first to see how they would cope. After researching destinations with short flights, we decided on Salou in Spain.
Salou is situated on the Costa Dorada, between Cambrils and La Pineda. The appeal for us was the flight time of just over 1 and half hours with the added bonus of a transfer from Reus airport to our hotel of under 30 minutes. We didn’t actually stay in the centre of Salou but in Cap Salou, which is approximately 3km from Salou itself.
We flew from Gatwick (we live in Oxfordshire so it was the closest and most convenient), although various airports fly there including Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow to name but a few. Our children at the time were 10, 8 and 3 years old and as I have said, they had never flown before so there was a mix of apprehension and excitement. As it turned out, they loved it and our 3 year old was so relaxed he promptly fell asleep after take off (maybe something to do with the very early start to get to the airport and check in!)
We travelled in July so although it was nice and warm in the UK before we left, the kids still experienced that lovely feeling of stepping off the plane to be hit by the heat. It was great to have a smooth transfer through customs and it seemed like no time before we had retrieved our luggage and were on our way on the coach to our hotel. With the short transfer time we were sat having a cocktail by lunchtime – well myself and my husband were, the kids were straight in the pool!
We were staying at the 4 star H10 Mediterranean Village hotel. It is a family based hotel and we couldn’t fault it. The staff were friendly, the food fantastic and the entertainment for the kids throughout the day and evening was excellent. The room was modern, clean and tidy and the choice of three different pools was great, including a small pool for toddlers. There were lifeguards all around the pools and the entertainment staff were always walking about to chat to adults and kids and host various fun games. Our favourite part was the club dance that they performed at regular intervals throughout the day and by the end of the holiday we were all experts!
Of course, not everyone wants to go to a family hotel or sit around the pool all day on holiday. There are numerous hotels in the area accommodating for holidaymakers who do not have children. We like to go and explore a bit when we are on holiday and discovered an array of gorgeous local beaches a very short walk from the hotel. They were not overcrowded and the water was warm and clear. Again, there were lifeguards in attendance so it felt very safe.
We travelled into Salou itself several times and were amazed at how easy and cheap it was. Taxis were not expensive but you could also buy a cheap bus ticket which operated in a similar way to an Oyster card, you just scanned it when you got on and off the bus and it just counted for one journey. Really easy way to get around and there were kiosks to buy tickets at a number of locations. Salou is a lovely Spanish town with the usual shops and entertainment. The beach was clean and there were plenty of restaurants to choose from. The were several streets that had lines of restaurants but our favourite was a place called Lunatics right on the beach side. The food and staff were amazing, the kids made to feel very welcome and of course, most importantly, it wasn’t very expensive. A highlight for me was the lovely walk around the cliffs and coast from Salou back to our hotel at Cap Salou. A 3km stroll in the warm evening was beautiful.
As I have said, we like to explore a little when we are on holiday so we decided to take a days excursion to the nearby Barcelona. Just over an hour away on a coach and we experienced the beautiful city. We had booked to go to the zoo in the morning which was fantastic. Then of course, we had to visit Camp Nou, the home of Barcelona FC. My husband and eldest son were in their element although I have to say I was extremely impressed myself with the size of the stadium.
There was so much to see and do in Salou as well as Barcelona, however the trip our kids were looking forward to most was to the very nearby theme park of Portaventura. Again, it was extremely easy to travel there with a very short bus journey of around 10 minutes. The park itself is divided into six different ‘worlds’ – Meditteranea, Polynesia, China, Mexico, Sesamoaventura (Sesame Street!) and Far West. There are rides for kids of all ages and lots of entertainment and paces to eat. My eldest son’s favourite ride though was the Shambhala with a whopping 76m drop, needless to say neither myself nor my husband went on it with him! It all culminates with a wonderful parade at midnight followed by an amazing show around the central lake with fireworks, Wow!
There are other beautiful areas close by to Salou to discover and explore such as La Pineda, Tarragona and the beautiful Cambrills, but maybe I’ll save them for another blog. If you like the sound of Salou and what it has to offer why not get in touch and we can build a package that suits you?