Please review Benidorm / Salou for me

BoozyBabe

Hi all,
I've narrowed down this years holiday to Benidorm or Salou, but I can't make up my mind which one.
All the reviews / holiday info etc, doesn't put one above the other in my mind, so here's where I'm hoping you can help.

If you've been to either, could you honestly tell me what you thought of it & why.
(Please disregard others replies as to not bias your own opinion)

If you've been to both, can you tell me which you preferred & why?

I'm not concerned about the holtels you stayed in & their location, as I'm limited to a few hotels anyway, but what I'm hoping you can tell me is:

How pretty is the resort (look shabby etc)
How clean is the resort / beaches
How hot was it & when, humidity etc,
Mosquitos & bugs
Watersports available at the resorts.
How good were their theme parks / water parks
Anything else worthwhile doing while there etc
Night life / entertainment
Crime, safety
Swarming with ticket touts, etc, crowded with people

Basically it's my 1st hol with my bf & it'll be his b'day while we're away so I don't want it to be disappointing.
We're both mid 20's
Activities such as the parks, water sports, karting etc are important.
We like varied night time entertainment, & good lively drinking spots, but we're by no way ravers (as in Ibiza style) & can't imagine us partying to 6 or 7 in the morn (except maybe 1 or maybe 2 nights??)
& we'll be going at the beginning of August


I'm just hoping for as much information as you can give me, anything will help.

Thanks

Larianne

Hiya,

I went to Salou a few years ago on a family holiday. Don't ever go there. A horrible horrible place. There was just nothing nice about the place. There was the beach which was clean enough but we heard stories that people's belongings were stolen while out in the sea. There's nothing much to do there except lie on the beach. There's a promanade which at night time had stalls of crap being sold.

Was quite hot when we went which was in June. Not many or any bugs as far as I can remember.

There was a go-karting place we saw on the way into the town from the airport and there is a big Water Park nearby. Can't remember the name of it.

Its not a pretty place. Just loads of apartment blocks and tacky shops. Mainly Irish and English tourists and young spanish on their holidays. You can get a bus to some lovely towns nearby. And Barcelona is about an hour away by train.

There are a good few nightclubs and bars easy to walk to. Good few Irish bars if I remember correctly.

But I'd never go back and if I hear someone is going there I feel kinda bad for them. And anyone I have met who's gone there hasn't liked it. And that's from people who have brought kids and those who have gone there clubbing.

Haven't been to Benidorm so I can't compare.

BoozyBabe

Thanks so much Larianne.

Anyone else got anything to tell me?

Zaph

Stayed in Salou for a few days about 10 years ago when travelling around Catalunya as we needed somewhere cheap to balance the budget after overspending a bit. The only things it had going for it were that it was cheap and handy if you wanted to go to the Port Aventura theme park. Other than that I can honestly say it was the most wretched dump I've ever had the misfortune to set foot in. It was full of crappier than average English pubs and nothing really to do in the place other than lie on the beach or drink. It was also overrun by tattooed English blokes of all ages from 18-50. We were lucky we had a car and could get out of the place during the day and knew we were only staying 2 or 3 days max. Over the years I've always been interested to hear if it's got any better, but I've yet to hear anyone saying anything positive about it. I've never been to Benidorm, but my advice would be to avoid Salou at all costs.

joolsveer

I haven't been to Benidorm since the 1970s but it was then a great place to be young in.

More recently I was staying in a campsite between Tarragona and Barcelona and we drove down to Salou for the day. It was the nearest thing to a slum I saw in Catalunya. I wouldn't recommend it. It was worse than Santa Ponsa. I enjoyed Port Aventura though and you could also spend some time in Barcelona as the train service is excellent.

BoozyBabe

Thanks for that guys!!

I think that thoroughly rules Salou out.

Anyone been to Benidorm?
Cos I'd hate to go there if it got reviews like Salou has just received!!

Thanks again

Eoin

I very much doubt you'll need another opinion of Salou, but have also been there and the other posters are bang on the money. A complete dump, even compared to the likes of Magaluf. Lots of muggings by the locals when I was there. I can't think of anything good about the place, apart from the road out of there. I honestly don't even know how that could have made the short list if you are looking for a nice place to go with the fella.

I would recommend Ayia Napa in Cyprus - maybe a little pricey, but has a good mix of night life and nice restaurants. The beach there (Nissi beach) is one of the nicest I have ever been to. Failing that, Puerto del Carmen in Tenerife seems to get good reviews for a couples' holiday.

FunkyDa

Have not been to Benidorm, so can't comment. Have seen the brochure pics, though, and it seems to be full of high rises(tower blocks). Me'n'FunkyMa were in Cambrils/Salou, for two weeks, last September. Weather beautiful(not too hot), no nasties or bugs. Stayed in the Costa Verde apts.(apt. clean & spacious, swimming pool tiny).
Cambrils is nicer than Salou(prettier & quieter). Describing Salou as a slum is a bit strong IMO, but it can feel overcrowded. There is a big industrial zone, over the hill, heading towards Tarragona, which is a blot on the landscape. La Pineda backs on to it(would not stay there).
Reus is 10kms inland from Salou. It's a pleasant spot to visit for shopping(FunkyMa could shop for Ireland!), and sightseeing.
Get a car, and you can go further afield. Barcelona is a must(not for the faint-hearted, if driving!). We took a trip down to the Ebro delta, to see the rice paddies(ya don't HAVE to go Asia!).
Enjoy!

BC

I was in benidorm last year. It was okay for a winter week away but there is no way in hell i'd go during the summer. Its very built up - full of high rise buildings, very ugly place. The standard restaurants are awful, basically burgers and chips is the only option. However I knew someone over there who was able to recommend restaurants that the locals would go to and they were excellent. I went to the seaworld type park, can't remember what it was called, it was quite good. Didn't visit anywhere else so can't comment on that.

There are lots of pubs but it gets quite rowdy at night. I left just as the mid term break was starting and there was a lot of fights breaking out in the bars. I had my wallet stolen on the first night too so that didn't improve my impression of the place!!

I've been to lanzarote and can recommend that for a week away. I was puerto del carmen which has plenty of night life but better restaurants and its not nearly as rowdy.

patzer117

yeah benidorm it isn't the nicest resort i've ever been in. the beach is nice though and the theme park i was in, terra mitica was really great fun.

Right_Side

Salou is a kip. Complete dump.

smurfbaby

I stayed in a friends apartment last year just down the coast from benidorm. We went to benidorm several times during the holiday (both day and night time)
Its probably the ugliest town Ive ever seen-Ballymun in the sun does not even begin to describe it! Full of 70s style tower blocks and English pubs. The type of people we saw there were either in their 60s/70s and on long term holidays or heavily tattooed scary looking 20/30 year olds. Our car was broken into, our drinks were spiked on a night out, and a group of lads tried to start a fight with our boyfriends.
Basically I though it was a horrible place and would not go there if I won a holiday!
On the plus side though, weather was great, beach seemed nice, drinks were cheap, and the Terra Mittica theme park was a good place to spend a day. Also there are a lot of beautiful towns nearby-Altea, Calpe etc, and the drive along the coast there is breathtaking
So if you really want to go to the Costa Blanca, by all means go but avoid Benidorm like the plague!

BoozyBabe

Thanks all!!!

Back to the drawing board then so

fade2black

Haha, I lived in Salou for 8 months in 2003 and I had great fun. The promenade is beautiful with some great shops. A lot of the family bars are fine. And then there's Port Aventura, the place where you really need 3 days to explore it all. To be honest, I don't think it's as bad as the people here are making out. Definitely not in the same filth league as Santa Ponsa...

Tazz T

Pick up one of the new direct flights to Athens with Malev and go island hopping in the Cyclades. Cheap,, cheerful, beautiful, and a little bit of everything you want from a holiday.

smurfbaby

Boozy babe,

On a more constructive note, Puerto Del Carmen in Lanzarote is a great place for a couples holiday-nice beaches, ok shopping, lovely restaurants, and a good nitelife without being too in yer face
Piskopiano and Stalis in Crete are also nice resorts, with Hersonnisos nearby if you want something a bit more lively
Ive also heard that Puerto Rico in Gran Canaria is nice
Just some suggestions!

PauloMN

Jaysus.... why did I start reading this thread?

Guess where I'm going on my hols next month.....

BoozyBabe

Ah, sorry PauloMN.

You could be pleasantly surprised!!
Either way, let me know how you get on.

Best of luck, hope you have a fab time!!

PauloMN

Thanks! Hopefully I will, we're going to a place close to Salou called La Pineda, I think it's near enough to that Port Aventura place. I think my young fellow will enjoy the theme park stuff anyway, that's one of the reasons we picked it.

I'll post my "findings" on here when I'm back.

Enjoy wherever you head to anyway!

Right_Side

PauloMN wrote:

Thanks! Hopefully I will, we're going to a place close to Salou called La Pineda, I think it's near enough to that Port Aventura place. I think my young fellow will enjoy the theme park stuff anyway, that's one of the reasons we picked it.

I'll post my "findings" on here when I'm back.

Enjoy wherever you head to anyway!

Don't worry. La Pineda is much nicer than Salou.

Nightwish

I was in Cambrils just outside of Salou a few years ago. Its much quieter but still close enough so you can go out at night, or go shopping during the day. I really liked the area because it had everything but not the rowdy drunken idiots that plague the main areas of the resorts. The only thing that pissed me off was the train that went through the town 3 times every night. Other than that its nice, lovely beach, near Port Aventura and the Aquapark.

Dodge

I enjoyed Salou. Went there in september with my gf. No problems at all, spotless, enough bars and clubs. Loads and loads to do during the day. POrt Aventura is in the resort, Barcelona is an hour away....

Wouldn't recommend it for a total boozy trip but it worled for me.

tinkerbell

I was there about six years ago, and it was alright then. Port Aventura was great fun though, and so was the safari park that they have there as well, it's called Aqualeon Safari - it has a water park and the safari park.

Other than that though, I'd kinda advise NOT to go to places like the Costa del Dump or any places like that. You could always go to Villamoura in Portugal, it's not as built up as other places in the algarve, tiz nice there. Or go to Cyprus or something like that.

wideangle

Went to Salou with the brother last year in June.Was fairly warm and humid but there was some rain two days.It,s handy to visit Barcelona from.Found it quiet dodgy at night.Did'nt bother with the clubs,could'nt find any half deasent ones anyway.I really did'nt like it much at all,will never go there again.

Larianne

Have you thought about Ibiza?? I know most people will be like :eek: (I was like that when my mam told us where we were going!:D ) but I thought it was one of the nicest places I've been to and I've been to a good few places. Fair enough I was only 16 and with my family but we stayed on the east side of the island in a place called Figaretas (sp?). Was a quiet enough place and close to Ibiza town. Any further down you go up Playa de Bossa and that was more noisy, but has lots of bars and those bungess balls etc.

I absolutely loved the town called Evissa to the locals. It has loads of restaurants and shops and then there's the old part of the town and you can going walking up the small streets up to the top of the hill where there is a church. There's the marina down at the new part of the town where you can take boat trips around the island and have a look at the massive yachts docked there.

Then there's all the night clubs... didn't go to any myself but Ibiza is famous for them of course! As you go West you start coming across the clubs (although there's a big one in Ibiza town but can't remember the name) and then San Antonio is the place where it all happens. We just went to San Antonio for the day and didn't really like it. It's definately a place for 18-25 year olds and a real lively place. Lots of union jacks hanging out the windows. But if you're not into that much of a lively night, you would have a great night out in Ibiza town. The place only gets going at midnight. They have a gay parade with guys and girls dressed up in mad costumes. Never seen anything like it before!!

There's also great places to shop. Ibiza town has a lot of designer stores and lots of interesting clothes shops and shalls. There's a big market in a place called Es Cana. You can take a bus up there. Its a great hippy market selling loads of unusual stuff. Its just a great place to have a look at.

We went in July (I think) and the weather was lovely for the whole two weeks. No bugs or anything like that. I'd probably hire a car but be careful of the dodgy spanish drivers and seek out quiet beaches around the island.

I'd highly recommend it. If I could I would buy a house there.

BoozyBabe

Actually thinking of Rhodes now.
(Not to Faliraki, but to Rhodes town)

anyone been?

Sgt Slaughter

Salou is a dump ull be lucky to find any english speaking people there as in Brits or Irish, i know u might think that would be a good thing i used to think that, and when i arrived there i thought i would be imbersing myseld in spanish culture for a fortnight and trying it on with lovely senioritas but the fact is that no one likes the irish there, and a few of the locals were quite pissed to be honest with our presence. Lack of bars with any real atmosphere the only thing good about this holiday for me was port aventura and a lovely lass from donegal who i met. Wouldnt go back there if i was paid :mad:

FunkyDa

BoozyBabe wrote:

Actually thinking of Rhodes now.
(Not to Faliraki, but to Rhodes town)

anyone been?

Me'n'FunkyMa were in Kremasti, last May. It's out by the airport(pleasant enough spot). Went up to Rhodes town, several times. We liked what we saw. Rhodes old town(a heritage site) is totally surrounded by medieval walls. The new town is outside the walls. Rhodes is a regular stop for Mediterranean cruise ships, and the shops on the main street, in the old town, cater for well-heeled visitors.
Went over to Faliraki, to have a look around - would not stay in it. Went down to Lindos. It's a pretty spot( and I suspect it knows it!).
Would recommend Rhodes for a holiday.

sinead_t

Hey evryone, why oh why did i have to read this forum! Me and my friends are booked for salou this summer I'm really worried now, not just about the place apparently being a dump, but people are actually talking about frequent attacks being made on tourists??? I know that happens in all places but is it really much worse in salou? We've only put down a deposit so far, should we consider loosing our depoits (100 euro each ) and book somewhere else? I was so excited, now im all sad boohoo

P.S I was on a greek island, Santorini, last summer. Best holiday ever, so beautiful. People, food, nitelife fantastic. And not that tacky at all. I wish we were going there now!!

AdeleS

Was on Santorini years ago, beautiful island and oh boy, Salou will be such a let down for you after Santorini. I would throw the deposit and book somewhere else, was in Salou town recently, yuckkkkkk!

Right_Side

sinead_t wrote:

I'm really worried now, not just about the place apparently being a dump, but people are actually talking about frequent attacks being made on tourists??? I know that happens in all places but is it really much worse in salou? We've only put down a deposit so far, should we consider loosing our depoits (100 euro each ) and book somewhere else? I was so excited, now im all sad boohoo

The last few posts about not finding any Irish or English is incorrect. Theres more of these two nationalities than anyone. There is plenty of Dutch as well who are not really friendly.

I will say there is a Spanish invasion on the weekends. Saturday night in particular. There was a heavy police presence that night. I witnessed minimal trouble but there was tension in the air that night. Maybe avoid going out into Salou on the weekends. It's not a warzone by any means but it is still a dump to the eye.

sinead_t

I'm so annoyed now, i feel like we've made such a huge mistake!! Theres four of us going so I don't wanna make any of the other 3 annoyed telling them to lose their deposit and book somewhere else. I hate tacky holidays so much and it sounds like we're going to the Queen of tacky holidays!! Argh!! First we were gonna go to egypt, then we decided a greek island, so I don't know how we ended up with salou!!

Right_Side

sinead_t wrote:

I'm so annoyed now, i feel like we've made such a huge mistake!! Theres four of us going so I don't wanna make any of the other 3 annoyed telling them to lose their deposit and book somewhere else. I hate tacky holidays so much and it sounds like we're going to the Queen of tacky holidays!! Argh!! First we were gonna go to egypt, then we decided a greek island, so I don't know how we ended up with salou!!

If you don't like tacky, don't go to Salou. Lose the €100, you didn't work all year to go on a holiday you won't enjoy.

I go on holiday every year, Salou=worst by a long way.

Get your friends to read this thread.

Dodge

Don't forget that people have different tastes. Not all people here disliked it.

I enoyed it anyway...

looperman1000

What a twat, they dont like the irish. i take it u must be english or british or something. in most resorts its the english they complain about, never the irish. we can get pissed and have a good time. its you's who have to smash the place up and people too when you have a few lemonades. at least the irish can handle their drink. just look at ur soccer supporters. tut tut