· Wow at last a query I can help with!
I took my two teenagers to the Basque area of Spain three years ago, in August. We stayed mostly at Camping Sopelana. It is very laid back (ie a bit noisy) but ideal for Bilbao as it about a ten minute walk to the metro (very cheap and conveniant) and five mins from the excellent beach. There is a pool, a cafe/restaurant and a shop. The loos were clean and pitches were level and easy to get pegs in. If you go in August check dates for Aste Nagusia it's a wild fiesta in Bilbao.
We also found a good site up the hill above San Sebastian. it was busy but quieter and more "family". Book/get there early.
We stayed in a smelly one near a sewage farm in Zauratz - nice beach, but not recommended.
Finally we went to Mundaka - a top surf venue (it was flat!) the campsite is pretty good, a bit out of the village, terraced and quiet. Lots of travelling surfers and French weekenders. Laid back and good natured. We also hit Mundaka's fiesta which was a real Basque village affair with stew and wine making comps and dancing and bands in the streets etc. Great fun.
If, like us, you're veggie you'd better get used to omelette, chips and pasta. We didn't have enough Spanish to risk the tapas which looked excellent, especially in San Sebastian. Finally it rained - a lot - and hard.
Cheers,
Dave Greaves
· When we visited the area in May 2000 we found an excellent campsite 20km north-east of Bilbao - Camping Sopelana (tel +34 94 676 21 20), Playa Atxabiribil S/N, 48600 Sopelana, Bizkaia. From the campsite it is 200m to Sopelana beach and around a 15 minute walk to the metro station at Sopelana. From here the excellent metro will take you cheaply and in style into the heart of Bilbao, five minutes' walk from the Guggenheim. We found the details through the site listings on www.vayacamping.net
Ian Coldicott
· We holidayed in northern Spain recently and found the area to the west of Santander more beautiful, less industrialised and quieter than between Santander and Bilbao, although a trip to the Guggenheim in Bilbao is a must!
The campsite I recommend is Camping La Paz at Playa de Vidiago near Llanes, Asturias (tel 985411235). It is a delightful, terraced site around a small bay with good facilities and a proper restaurant if you get tired of cooking! It is just south of the main road along the coast and can also be accessed via the small gauge railway which runs west out of Santander.
It may be worth mentioning that this year the north coast of Spain may not be the best destination in view of oil pollution from the Prestige disaster details of which can be found on the Surfers Against Sewage website
David Hilton
