ChrisB
VIP Member
Hi,
The wife & I have just spent a fortnight at Camping Picos De Europa near Avin (Asturias).
We live in Spain but the normal route for travellers from the UK would be to enter Spain Via Irun or either of the two ferry ports at Santander or Bilbao.The area is well served by the coastal motorway network so the site is only about an hours drive from Santander.
The site itself is accessed from the AS114 near Avin and it is really easy to find.
Reception:
The reception area is staffed from about 0800 to 2200 and some English is spoken. Information on local activities, such as canoeing, climbing hill walking etc is readily available from the staff who are very helpful.
Restaurant:
The restaurant is located adjacent to reception and is open every day from about 0800 - 2200 serving a variety of home cooked meals at very reasonable prices. There is a large menu, so there is always something that would appeal to both young and old.
WIFI & Mobile phone signal
Available around the reception and restaurant area, but it is slow, intermittent and pretty much useless. I don't think there would be much improvement even with a signal booster as the area it quite thickly wooded. 3G & 4G does work though if you are happy to pay the data roaming charges. Basic mobile phone signal is strong.
Site & Pitches:
The site is in a wooded area and it is split either side of a stream with an old stone bridge providing a crossing. The are a mixture of serviced wooden bungalows and camping pitches around the site. Most of the camping pitches have an electricity supply and a water supply nearby. The pitches come in 2 sizes but the small ones are not really suitable for a campervan and awning. Even the large pitches are 'compact' but there is plenty of shade to be found from trees.
The camping pitches are mostly level (ish) but drainage is not the best so they can get quite muddy in wet weather, with standing water being evident in some places when it rains heavily. Though there are pitch number signs, there is no real demarcation, so beware of your neighbours encroaching onto your area.
There are dedicated BBQ areas around the site, but I believe open fires are not allowed on any of the camping areas.
Pitch access is generally easy, but the whole arrangement could benefit from upgrading of the access tracks to prevent rutting and vehicle damage to the camping areas.
Kids & stuff.
This is a family site and be under no illusions it's noisy! If you are looking for tranquility, then this is not the place for you in the school holiday periods. There are plenty of activities for adults kids such as the swimming pools and childrens' splash pool. Trampolines and pool tables etc. Night time sound curfew is about 2300 and it does seem to be observed.
Toilets, communal washing areas & showers:
There are the usual communal washing areas for doing the dishes and washing clothes. There is just one coin operated washing machine and one dryer for the whole site. If you really need these, then you will have to get up very early. Easiest option is to pay a visit to Posada and use the laundrette there.
Hot water to the communal washing areas is limited (pretty much non existent really) so it's cold water only for dishwashing.
Overall, the showers and toilet facilities are barely adequate when the site is busy. All the shower blocks and toilet areas could do with some level of upgrading to bring them up to standard. The main problem we had was that they became quite 'Yukky' to say the least during periods of peak usage. The site owners really do need to make sure the cleaning staff are more active during these periods.
That said, there was plenty of hot water and the shower cubicles were larger that some I had used in the past. Always make sure you have your own loo roll just in case).
Surrounding Area:
It's the Picos de Europa! - Stunningly beautiful with loads of places to visit and some jaw dropping roads to drive.
As with all tourist areas, it gets really busy so if you want a day out on one of the many fabulous beaches, get there early because if you rock up after 10am you will need a miracle to find a parking slot.
Cangas De Onis, Potes and Llanes are all towns worth a visit.
Some of the high altitude roads are closed to tourist traffic during the summer, so if you want to visit the mountain lakes at Los Lagos then you have to park at Covadonga and take the tourist bus. All the tourist attractions get super busy during the holiday periods and it is not unusual to have to park some distance away from your chosen attraction.
Would I go again?
To the Picos - Absolutely!
Yes it's a tourist area and prices can reflect that, but at no time did we feel that we were being ripped off.
If you are into outdoor pursuits, then the place is awesome.
Overall impression of the campsite:
I would give the site a steady 7/10 overall and would say that it is 'adequate' during busy periods. It's a bit too noisy for us nowadays but it's good is you have kids.
The site does need upgrading, but it is open all year round. That's a big bonus for couples like us and I think it would be much better outside the really busy times.
There are loads of alternatives available, so you won't be spoiled for choice and I would probably re-visit for a low season break.
Hope this helps.
Chris B
The wife & I have just spent a fortnight at Camping Picos De Europa near Avin (Asturias).
We live in Spain but the normal route for travellers from the UK would be to enter Spain Via Irun or either of the two ferry ports at Santander or Bilbao.The area is well served by the coastal motorway network so the site is only about an hours drive from Santander.
The site itself is accessed from the AS114 near Avin and it is really easy to find.
Reception:
The reception area is staffed from about 0800 to 2200 and some English is spoken. Information on local activities, such as canoeing, climbing hill walking etc is readily available from the staff who are very helpful.
Restaurant:
The restaurant is located adjacent to reception and is open every day from about 0800 - 2200 serving a variety of home cooked meals at very reasonable prices. There is a large menu, so there is always something that would appeal to both young and old.
WIFI & Mobile phone signal
Available around the reception and restaurant area, but it is slow, intermittent and pretty much useless. I don't think there would be much improvement even with a signal booster as the area it quite thickly wooded. 3G & 4G does work though if you are happy to pay the data roaming charges. Basic mobile phone signal is strong.
Site & Pitches:
The site is in a wooded area and it is split either side of a stream with an old stone bridge providing a crossing. The are a mixture of serviced wooden bungalows and camping pitches around the site. Most of the camping pitches have an electricity supply and a water supply nearby. The pitches come in 2 sizes but the small ones are not really suitable for a campervan and awning. Even the large pitches are 'compact' but there is plenty of shade to be found from trees.
The camping pitches are mostly level (ish) but drainage is not the best so they can get quite muddy in wet weather, with standing water being evident in some places when it rains heavily. Though there are pitch number signs, there is no real demarcation, so beware of your neighbours encroaching onto your area.
There are dedicated BBQ areas around the site, but I believe open fires are not allowed on any of the camping areas.
Pitch access is generally easy, but the whole arrangement could benefit from upgrading of the access tracks to prevent rutting and vehicle damage to the camping areas.
Kids & stuff.
This is a family site and be under no illusions it's noisy! If you are looking for tranquility, then this is not the place for you in the school holiday periods. There are plenty of activities for adults kids such as the swimming pools and childrens' splash pool. Trampolines and pool tables etc. Night time sound curfew is about 2300 and it does seem to be observed.
Toilets, communal washing areas & showers:
There are the usual communal washing areas for doing the dishes and washing clothes. There is just one coin operated washing machine and one dryer for the whole site. If you really need these, then you will have to get up very early. Easiest option is to pay a visit to Posada and use the laundrette there.
Hot water to the communal washing areas is limited (pretty much non existent really) so it's cold water only for dishwashing.
Overall, the showers and toilet facilities are barely adequate when the site is busy. All the shower blocks and toilet areas could do with some level of upgrading to bring them up to standard. The main problem we had was that they became quite 'Yukky' to say the least during periods of peak usage. The site owners really do need to make sure the cleaning staff are more active during these periods.
That said, there was plenty of hot water and the shower cubicles were larger that some I had used in the past. Always make sure you have your own loo roll just in case).
Surrounding Area:
It's the Picos de Europa! - Stunningly beautiful with loads of places to visit and some jaw dropping roads to drive.
As with all tourist areas, it gets really busy so if you want a day out on one of the many fabulous beaches, get there early because if you rock up after 10am you will need a miracle to find a parking slot.
Cangas De Onis, Potes and Llanes are all towns worth a visit.
Some of the high altitude roads are closed to tourist traffic during the summer, so if you want to visit the mountain lakes at Los Lagos then you have to park at Covadonga and take the tourist bus. All the tourist attractions get super busy during the holiday periods and it is not unusual to have to park some distance away from your chosen attraction.
Would I go again?
To the Picos - Absolutely!
Yes it's a tourist area and prices can reflect that, but at no time did we feel that we were being ripped off.
If you are into outdoor pursuits, then the place is awesome.
Overall impression of the campsite:
I would give the site a steady 7/10 overall and would say that it is 'adequate' during busy periods. It's a bit too noisy for us nowadays but it's good is you have kids.
The site does need upgrading, but it is open all year round. That's a big bonus for couples like us and I think it would be much better outside the really busy times.
There are loads of alternatives available, so you won't be spoiled for choice and I would probably re-visit for a low season break.
Hope this helps.
Chris B
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