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Original poster

Would you recommend Salou?

53 replies

TheLionAndTheRose · 03/01/2019 19:08

Just as the title suggests, would you recommend Salou for a summer holiday? We will have DC 7 & 6 with us.
Any hotel recommendations? And is there plenty to do when you are there?
Never been before but I’ve found a deal online, just over 2k for the 4 of us for 2 weeks self catering which is decent, but would love some personal stories/recommendations before I go ahead and book.
Thanks in advance Smile

OP posts:
BonApp · 03/01/2019 19:12

We were at a eurocamp nearby and popped in to Salou one day. I thought it was grim tbh. Maybe we went to the wrong bit but we couldn’t wait to get out of there...

PipersOrange · 03/01/2019 19:13

Definitely not. It's where uni students go on 'tour' with sports teams. Full of seedy bars and if you go from March - to July you're likely to have hundreds of drunken students with you

GreenTulips · 03/01/2019 19:14

We went all inclusive
Kids liked the pool and entertainment

Depends what you want though

southnownorth · 03/01/2019 19:19

Yes Salou is lovely in the summer months for families. We tend to visit just for Portaventura as we love it. We usually stay in one of the theme park hotels as we like the unlimited entry.

Never seen any drunken students in high season. Think they go early on.

Original poster
TheLionAndTheRose · 03/01/2019 19:19

Oh dear!

We are fairly easy to please. DC love the day and night time entertainment and are generally happy as long as there’s a pool. DH and I happy as long as there’s nice restaurants to eat out in and nice walks.

OP posts:
WeShouldOpenABar · 03/01/2019 19:20

Four of us got food poisoning, in four different places on four different nights Shock

southnownorth · 03/01/2019 19:20

I recommend you join the Facebook group Portaventura and salou for brits. Lots of people who actually like the place will be on there.

outforawalkbitch2018 · 03/01/2019 19:21

Try La Pineda for a more family friendly resort, 10 min taxi ride from Salou/Portaventura, has lovely beaches and a water park for the kids.

Original poster
TheLionAndTheRose · 03/01/2019 19:21

That’s extremely unlucky WeShould!

Thanks south, I’ll look for it now.

OP posts:
southnownorth · 03/01/2019 19:21

Cambrils is nice as well.

Hecksonaplane · 03/01/2019 19:22

We went with a young family in 2009 and we were very pleasantly surprised, it was lovely.
Didn't their government spend a lot of money overhauling it and trying to fix itself of their reputation?

KirstyAllsoppsFatterTwin · 03/01/2019 19:24

We went once. Wouldn't go back. Portaventura was good for the kids and the campsite we were on was admittedly fantastic, but we didn't especially like the wider area/town and the people on the campsite were very different to the people we were used to rubbing shoulders with on French campsites. Spain just seems to attract a different demographic.

MrsJayy · 03/01/2019 19:24

We have been to La pineda which is round the resort a bit and it was lovely quiter we stayed at a Barcelo hotel we did go into salou a few times and liked it it really isn't that grim during the day it is a holiday resort. My parents go to cambrills they don't go into the main reaort and have never run into trouble.

MrsJayy · 03/01/2019 19:27

My mum was saying something about it being done up and cleared up but avoid cap Salou it is a bloody dump

Soberfutures · 03/01/2019 19:29

I have been and some parts are typical Blackpool with sun. But most good hotels are fun if that's all you want. I always look for foodie places and I never found salou to tick the boxes.
I think you will struggle if u are self catering to find nice food outside the hotel. But that's not hating the area. It does more appeal to brits abroad.
So it does depend if u want a good hotel for a small budget and take it from there.

Have u looked at benalmadena in Spain ? Or costa adeje in tenerife

GreenTulips · 03/01/2019 19:30

Have a look at Terra Natura in Benidorm - it’s not actually in the heart of Beniform more a centre parks abroad

Great holiday and lovely food

Santababyclaus · 03/01/2019 19:32

We stayed a couple of years ago when our dd was 1. It's a busy resort but we had a nice time and there was loads for dd to do. Lots of different beaches, lots playgrounds on the main beach and inland. Bars with slides/toys/evening entertainment aimed at kids. We didn't do portadventura or ferrari world or the waterpark as dd was so young but because of those we'll probably head back there in a few years.

We visited Cambrills, you can catch a bus or ferry (we preferred the ferry service). Cambrills is no doubt classier.

It's also easy to get to Barcelona and along the coast as there is a train service.

The fb group mentioned above was really useful.

I didn't see any loutish behaviour but then again we stayed in our hotel most evenings.

Soberfutures · 03/01/2019 19:36

Try and work out how much u would spend on food for a 2 week holiday. And look at other places for atleast half board. Looking at benalmadena from 19th July it would be 2.5k-3k but some of that is half board.

FreakForHummous · 03/01/2019 19:38

We've been all inclusive with DC aged 9 and 10.

Portaventura was an absolute highlight for us and we spent most of the holiday there. The beach in salou is lovely too and there are a number of other things to do (shows, boat rides) or it's easy to book a tour out.
We went with older relatives who enjoyed mooching around town, visiting the local markets and small bars.

It is a bit brits abroad - but that didn't bother us! If I went back I'd go self catering as it felt like a shame to be eating chips every day when there was plenty of good local produce available.

hoki · 03/01/2019 19:39

I highly recommend La Torre Del Sol just outside of Cambrils. But you'd need to rent a car. It's about 20 minutes (or maybe 20 kilometres) south of Salou

outnumbered77 · 03/01/2019 19:42

We stayed on the portaventura resort a few years back, all inclusive at the hotel El Paso. It was great and there's loads to do at the theme park, day and night. We didn't venture outside the resort though.

Ember12 · 03/01/2019 19:43

We went last year stayed at the 4r gran regina. My 7 and 6 year old loved it lots to do has 2 theme parks and 2 water parks. Was clean and pretty cheap thinking of going again this year

Nonibaloni · 03/01/2019 19:49

I am honestly the worst holiday snob and was dragged kicking and screaming to cap salou.
It’s not hard to tell where to avoid, anywhere offering 3 cocktails for €10 m. I am sure I wouldn’t like the main drag past 7 pm but when you’re self catering you don’t need too.
We went to portaventura too and again it was good fun.
Buses were amazing.
I like that the airport is minutes from Salou and transport is easy.
Beaches were nice and a nice joining coastal walk.
It’s not the riveria but I’d go back.

MrsJayy · 03/01/2019 19:49

The buses are brilliant you can buy a 10 journey ticket for€ 5/6goes from cambrills to terragonia which is the city and is lovely for a mooch around. We also went to Barcelona for the day.

showmethegin · 03/01/2019 19:49

If you want to go to Spain don't go to Salou.