Villa-with-pool on the Med in May half term: is the pool a waste of money?

[Tansie]

By 'the Med' I mean from Costa del Sol to Turkey including islands!! We're looking at getting a villa with pool (Thomson) but are wondering whether to go in the May half term rather than August. We'd 'only' save £150-200 per person (2 adults, 2 teenage DSs) but I am wondering whether, with daytime temps getting to 23-24 degrees C, you'd actually use a pool at all? So why pay for it?

Any experiences?

Anyone?

We used to go to Mallorca in May when the kids were pre school age and we could use the pool but it was pretty cold and we didn't use it much. Too chilly for the little ones.
You would be just as well with a town house or nice apartment with a shared pool to save some money?

We went to Majorca last May (end may/1st week June) and the pool was too cold for me ( the children went in a bit but not all day). A different May (2008 maybe?) we had a villa in Portugal with a pool and that was too cold for all of us to go in.

My parents live on the Costa Blanca (south of Alicante) and their unheated pool is fucking freezing pretty much all year. it gets to 21°C in the height of summer which isn't v warm if the air temperature is 30+
Too cold for our 5 yo without a shortie wetsuit for more than a few minutes

No, from bitter experience last Whit in menorca. The pool was unheated and therefore bloody freezing. My DH went in daily for 2 mins, the children went in once in 2 weeks.
I would be put off going again at that time of year after last years experience, (which the locals did say was an unseasonably cold spring).
If the pool was heated I may reconsider.

Oops obviously I meant yes, the pool is a waste unless heated.

I have been in many pools in Turkey at the end of May and they have always been warm enough to swim in. Daytime temperatures are higher than 23-24 and nights are warm by then so the pools aren't cold.

Rhodes is nice and warm the last week in May, pools and sea. You can still sit outside to eat in the evening but might need a jacket or sweatshirt . We don't miss a pool if there is sea to cool off in during the day.

Morocco (Marrakesh) is a good destination in May.

If you book a villa direct with the owner then many will heat the pool for you (sometimes with an extra fee) - this may end up better value than booking via Thompson as well. James Villas will book flights as well as a package but if you book flights separately look at sights such as Homeaway and OwnersDirect

'Solved' the problem by booking August on the Costa del Sol in Competa (half an hour inland behind Nerja).

I am now being ridiculous and wondering whether we should get that pool heated for £80 for 10 days. I know our pool in southern coastal Queensland was too cold to go in for 4 or 5 months a year, and that at Easter (autumn) almost 4 years ago, it was only our DSs and Victorian DC who were in the hotel pools in Cairns!

However... I also recall days in mid summer in southern Qld when the unheated pool was too warm to be refreshing!

Tansie just posted on the other thread-glad you are sorted!
We went to South of Spain -Murcia area 2 years ago in July and we didn't need heating for the pool. It was still a little intake of breath for a second as you got in but it wasn't cold and it was pleasant to stay and swim. Much more pleasant than a pool in May!