Early Arrival at Ribamar

The day didn't start well! We set off from Torre del Sol to our next stop, which was an estimated hour and a half long drive - it took slightly longer due the sat nav not recognising the new roads that had been built in the area and getting very confused. We arrived mid afternoon to find that the campsite was shut. They had been closed since the start of the week due to licensing issues. We then had to decide what to do - whether to camp up somewhere nearby, find a local campsite or move on to the next booked one and hope that they'd let us in earlier than planned. They weren't answering the phone but we risked driving there anyway. We had only planned to stay at this site for one night so an extra couple would mean we couple explore the area for longer.

 

We drove for a further 45 minutes towards the Ribamar campsite. As we left the nearby town of Alcossebre, we bumped our way along a dusty, gravely track for about 2km before arriving at Ribamar, a much smaller site that accommodates 70 pitches. It was only half full and they were able to put us up earlier than planned. The site feels very remote. It is located in the middle of the national park, a short walk from the sea. In the background are mountains and a forest surrounds the site for miles in almost every direction. It was a contrast to the larger, centrally located sites that we'd been staying and felt like a refreshing change.

 

I think it can be quite difficult when you've got a family of four different people to please, each with their own likes and dislikes. The girls definitely enjoy the facilities and activities on offer at the larger sites whereas we, the adults, enjoy the smaller sites, away from the hustle and bustle of towns and cities. Ribamar therefore suited us to the ground. But the girls also loved the facilities on offer, which included a football pitch, playground and games room. There was also an outdoor swimming pool which no-one dared enter at this time of year. The site had its own restaurant / bar which served bread (that needed to be ordered the previous day) in the morning. It was all on a much smaller scale and with fewer people on site it felt much left crowded.

 

Soon after arriving we wandered off the site, down a gravel path through the woods to emerge out beside the sea. There were no sandy beaches here to admire but instead dramatic rocky seafronts. We clambered over the rocks and returned to the path that led towards a nearby lighthouse. The path continues on towards Alcossebre and, we were told, is about a 45 minute walk.

 

We looking forward to exploring the area and are very glad to be able to spend longer here than planned.