Camping Playa Brava

Camping Playa Brava beach swimming pool

Camping Playa Brava has been one of the favorite campsites on the Costa Brava for years. This is not surprising, because this attractive and not too large campground is located directly on the beach and is nice and clear. The campsite is located in the Montgri-Baix Ter and Illes Medes nature reserve.

What is quite unique in this region is the direct access to the beautiful beach of Platja de Pals. With pitches right on the beach and a maximum distance of 600 meters from all other accommodations, it’s never a far walk until you’re standing with your toes in the sand. But the pool with a large sunbathing area is also wonderfully relaxing. There is also plenty to do in the surrounding area. You won’t get bored here, enjoy it all the more!

About Camping Playa Brava

Eurocamp.co.uk
Vacanceselect.com
Homair.com
Booking.com

Location and environment

The location of Camping Playa Brava is perfect for anyone who loves the beach, a beautiful pool and natural surroundings. The Spanish sun completes the picture. Next to the campsite is Basses D’en Coll; this is a system of two ponds that form the mouth of the Molí irrigation canal. The water of the rice fields of Pals comes from here. It is part of the Baix Ter wetlands nature reserve, within the Montgrí National Park, the Medes Islands and the Baix Ter. There was fishing here when we were at the campground.

In the area you will find many small characteristic villages. Of course Pals itself (5km away). This village is built on top of a hill around a fort. The medieval center is very well preserved. In Pals, you will also find golf course Golf de Pals.

A visit to Peratallada is also worthwhile. This picturesque village is built on a rock and you can enjoy strolling through the ancient village here. After the hike, enjoy a delicious lunch, dinner or scoop ice cream. But also Cadaqués, Empuries and the coastal town of Begur with beautiful seawater are beautiful villages to visit. This is also true, by the way, of the beautiful Botanical Gardens for which this area is so famous. Located less than 10 kilometers from Camping Playa Brava, this popular attraction reflects the beautiful nature of this Mediterranean area.

If you want to visit a bigger city, Gerona (Girona) is also worthwhile, it is just under an hour’s drive from the campsite. This city is surrounded by medieval walls, which you can walk over and get a great view of the city. There is also a beautiful cathedral and the Eiffel Bridge, built by Gustav Eiffel.

Or visit the beautiful metropolis of Barcelona. This is a good 1.5-hour drive from the campground (ask at the front desk for parking discounts). Regular excursions to Barcelona are also offered from the campground. If you go by car yourself, don’t forget to apply for a special environmental sticker before leaving for Spain. Find more information on the ANWB website.

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Pitches

Camping Playa Brava has different types of pitches. Despite what the Map suggests, the campground is very playfully laid out. The streets are clearly marked, but this does not apply to all camping spots. Because depending on the spot you choose (Confort, Confort Plus, Master or Master XL) you will end up in a straight street to alleys with all kinds of different spots in terms of size and right next to each other. The sites right next to the beach (Confort Plus) are clearly separated by hedges and are neatly side by side. Here, however, you do have very little shade, as there are hardly any trees. You do have the big plus here of a bigger place and you’re almost on the beach. The Confort sites are in a wooded area with many conifers and are definitely not straightforward. Here, every spot has something of natural shade. However, the trees can also take up a chunk of your camping spot!

Upon arrival, you can choose your own spot in the type of pitch you reserved; you will be shown around by a staff member who will show you the free spots. You can then choose which one you want. You must park your car at your camping spot. We did find that unfortunate, because it does block the view.

All pitches can accommodate up to 6 people, 10A of electricity, 1 camping unit (tent, caravan or camper), 1 car and WiFi for one device. The specifications per camping spot are as follows:
Confort: the confort camping pitch is located in the pine forest, is about 70-75m2 and offers plenty of shade. The spots are very playful and so not straightforward. Therefore, not all sites are equally suitable for a large caravan or motorhome! You book this camping spot through Allcamps, ANWB and Suncamp.
Confort Plus: If you want to be close to the beach, this is the place to choose. Just a few meters away you are on the beach. The sites are 90m2 and are located in straight streets. Note that these spots are in a sunny area and have virtually no shade! You book this camping spot through Allcamps, ANWB and Suncamp.
Master: at 85m2, these are spacious sites with their own water point. These straight streets are close to the beach and pool. The sites have reasonable to a lot of shade. You book this camping spot through ANWB.
Master XL: at 120 m2, these pitches are the largest pitches in the campground and have their own water point. They are located in a straight street, at the edge of the campground, and have reasonable to a lot of shade. You book this camping spot through ANWB.

There are a total of 5 toilet blocks at Camping Playa Brava. These are all very spacious and have plenty of showers and toilets. There are also many sinks and lockable areas with a sink. There is cleaning throughout the day and it all looks very clean. There are two buildings where there are also separate facilities for people with reduced mobility; this is near the sanitary blocks in the Confort camping area and near the rental accommodations. At four of the buildings you will also find special children’s washrooms, with small bathtubs and a changing area. At all blocks you will find a chemical toilet.

Of course, there are also plenty of dishwashing areas. You’ll find these in and around the washrooms. You will also find washing machines and dryers in two areas of the campground. You need a chit for this, which you can buy at the reception desk. If you prefer to do your own hand washing, you have more than enough separate sinks for this.

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Accommodations

Prefer more luxurious camping with a bungalow tent or mobile home? That, too, is possible at Playa Brava. The bungalow tents are located between or right next to the free camping pitches. This is fun because you are thus camping among different types of campers, such as caravans, tents or campers. The mobile homes are grouped together at the south end of the campground (the beige sites on the map).

Eurocamp / Homair

Eurocamp / Homair mobile homes are located in Garbí, Xaloc and Ponent streets, in the area between the reception and the central playground. There are three types of Homair mobile homes: ‘Classic’, ‘Comfort’ and ‘Premium’. The difference is mainly in the age of the mobile homes and the finish/furnishings. These three types are available in versions with 2 or 3 bedrooms.

The Classic mobile homes are more than 10 years old
Comfort between the ages of 5 and 10.
Premium mobile homes are less than 5 years old.

The Premium mobile homes are also available as “Premium Exclusive,” which includes wifi, sheets, towels and a dishwasher as standard. If these are things that you normally add on anyway, this more expensive variant may still be interesting price-wise.

You can book Homair’s accommodations at: Eurocamp / AllCamps / Lux-Camp / Homair

Vacanceselect

Vacanceselect mobile homes are grouped together and are located to the south of Garbí street, between the toilet block (WC1) and the public road that runs alongside the campsite (Avinguda del Grau). Vacanceselect’s location is the furthest from the pool/beach/reception etc. compared to the other providers. Through Vacanceselect you can book 2 types of mobile homes at Playa Brava:

Mobile home‘Cosy‘ is a mid-range mobile home from Vacanceselect and comes in different variants. All have 1 bathroom, but are available with 2 or 3 bedrooms. The 2-bedroom variant is also available with a variant with additional folding bed for a child from 6 years old.
Mobile home“Moda” is a slightly modern mobile home and has an area of 30 – 35m² and can accommodate 6 people with 3 bedrooms (1x double bed, 4x single bed). There is 1 bathroom available.

VacanceSelect accommodations can be booked at: Vacanceselect

Playa Brava

Camping Playa Brava also has its own mobile homes. These mobile homes have a central location and are grouped south of toilet block 3 (WC3). This field is beautifully landscaped with lots of greenery. It has a very nice and modern look. Because the mobile homes are positioned slightly at an angle, it gives a playful effect and a little more privacy. This field is car-free, so perfect for small children. Park your car in a reserved parking space at the edge of the field. Playa Brava mobile homes are available in two types:

Mobile home Playa Brava 2 – A 31m2 mobile home (+15m2 terrace) with 2 bedrooms, for a maximum of 5 people (including 1 person on the sofa bed in the living room)
Mobile home Playa Brava 3 – A 32m2 mobile home (+15m2 terrace) with 3 bedrooms, for a maximum of 7 people (including 1 person on the sofa bed in the living room)

So both types are about the same size in terms of area. This means that the living area in the Playa Brava 3 is a lot smaller to make room for the extra bedroom.

Book the accommodations of Playa Brava at: AllCamps / Lux-Camp / ANWB

Albatross Reisen

Albatross Reisen’s mobile homes are located around toilet block 1 (WC1) in the West of the campsite, in Garbí, Xaloc and Ponent streets. Albatross Reisen has 4 types of mobile homes at Camping Playa Brava:

Venus” mobile home is a 24-m2, 2-bedroom mobile home for 4 people plus one child under 6 years old who sleeps in a bunk bed in one of the two bedrooms.
Mars” mobile home is a 24m2 2-bedroomed mobile home for 4 people plus one child under 6 years old who sleeps on the sofa bed in the living room.
Venus Pro” mobile home is a 24 m2, 2 bedroom mobile home for 4 people plus one child under 6 years old who sleeps on the sofa bed in the living room.
Mobile home“Jupiter” is a mobile home of 32m2 with 3 bedrooms, for 6 people and has 1 bathroom.

Albatross Reisen’s accommodations can be booked at: AllCamps / Lux-Camp

Roan

Roan is also present at Playa Brava with mobile homes in Xaloc and Garbí streets, to the right of toilet block 1 (WC1). At Playa Brava, Roan has two types of mobile homes from their luxury segment: the “Premium Plus Lounge” and the “Supreme Lounge. Both types have 3 bedrooms, can accommodate 6 people and have a nice wooden terrace with a lounge sofa. Final cleaning is included in the cost for both types, ideal!

The more expensive “Supreme Lounge” has a number of advantages over the “Premium Plus Lounge” such as:

  • A slightly larger area of 37m2 (at Premium Plus Lounge 35m2)
  • An extra large veranda of 24m2 (with Premium Plus Lounge 19m2)
  • A hanging chair on the patio
  • An extra-large double bed with Auping mattress
  • A Nesspresso or Dolce Gusto machine (filter coffee maker at the Premium Plus Lounge)
  • Shower towels are included (extra to rent at the Premium Plus Lounge)

Roan accommodations can be booked at: Roan / AllCamps / Lux-Camp

Venue Holidays

Venue Holidays has both bungalow tents and mobile homes at Playa Brava. The mobile homes are priced favorably compared to others, but you will have to do the final cleaning yourself.

The bungalow tents are of the “Espace” type have an excellent location in the area of the “Confort” pitches, east of toilet block 2 (WC2). Because you are here among the caravans, tents and campers you have more of a camping experience than at the fields with mobile homes. They can accommodate up to 6 people. The bungalow tents have 3 bedrooms, including 1 large bedroom that can be divided into separate bedrooms, giving you a total of 4 bedrooms. For 4 people there are fixed beds, additional people sleep on folding beds.

Venue Holidays mobile homes are perfectly located in the area between the entrance/reception and the central field near toilet block 2 (WC2). There are 4 types of mobile homes available which have somewhat cryptic names, but are still logically structured. 750/800/860 represents the length of the mobile home. A/C means they are air-conditioned. D/CD means Decking or Covered Decking. With Covered Decking (CD), all or part of the patio is covered. At Decking (D) you only have a parasol.

The Riviera 750-2 A/C CD – A mobile home with 2 bedrooms (30m2) and suitable for 6 people (2 people on sofa bed in the living room), with terrace cover
The Grand 750-2 A/C D – A mobile home with 2 bedrooms (30m2) and suitable for 6 people (2 people on sofa bed in living room), without terrace cover
The Grand 800-3 A/C D – A mobile home with 3 bedrooms (32m2) and suitable for 6 people, without terrace cover
The Grand 860-3 A/C CD – A mobile home with 3 bedrooms (34m2) and suitable for 6 people, with terrace cover

Venue Holidays accommodations can be booked at: AllCamps / Lux-Camp / Vacanceselect

Kampaoh

In addition to all mobile homes, Camping Playa Brava also offers Glamping. They do this on a separate field in the center of the campground where the Kampaoh tents are located. The tents look super, but keep in mind that you are camping in these tents fairly basic. All tents have a cooler (as a refrigerator), electricity, towels, cutlery and a table & chair inside. Outside you have a long table with two benches at your disposal.
There are six different tents to choose from:

The Bell tent: this is the simplest tent and is suitable for 2 people. The tent is 12m2 in size, has a double mattress and a clothes rack. The height is 2.5 meters and it has a round model.
The Tent Bell XL: this tent is one size larger than the Bell tent (20m2), can accommodate 4 people and has two double beds. The height is 3 meters and it has a round model.
The Emperador Tent: this tent holds three double mattresses and can accommodate up to 6 people. The size is 24m2, the height is 3 meters and it has a round model.
The Emperador Tent: this tent holds three double mattresses and can accommodate up to 6 people. The size is 24m2, the height is 3 meters and it has a round model.
The Tent Emperador Junior: this is the younger brother of the Tent Emperador and is slightly smaller at 15m2. This tent can accommodate up to 4 people and has two double beds.
The Tent Anza: this is a more luxurious tent of 15m2 and 5 meters high and is suitable for 2-4 people. There are two double beds and it has an integrated bathroom with shower, sink and toilet at the back of the tent. There is also a hammock outside.
The Tent Buka XL: this tent can accommodate up to 4 people and has two double beds. The tent has an area of 11m2.

You book the Kampaoh tents at Vacanceselect / AllCamps / Lux-Camp / Booking.

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Swimming

Will you go for the pool or the beach? At Camping Playa Brava you have this choice!

Near the entrance to campground is the swimming pool. A large swimming pool and separate children’s pool are available. The pool slopes from very shallow to deep (from 85cm to 190cm). About half of the large pool is shallow which is nice: you can play here with the children and they can easily stand there. There are no slides or other playground equipment at the pool. Fortunately, you can do lots of bombing or a handstand underwater. A play morning is organized by the animation team once a week with (large) inflatable equipment. You can participate in water basketball and water volleyball with inflatable nets. This is in the shallow end of the pool, so children can participate in this as well. For older children/adults, they organize a separate competition.

The separate children’s pool is also quite simple, but no less fun because of that. The shallow water ensures that the smallest children can have fun here with buckets, balls and more. Despite there being no slides or other playground equipment, our kids had a super good time. Their own creativity was put to good use and they loved the pool.

There is a large sunbathing area around the pool, but only a limited number of sunbeds are available. This is something you should consider. You can, of course, bring your own chair. The sunbathing area is lower than the pool; therefore, from your towel you cannot (properly) keep an eye on your children while swimming. The pool is accessible through two entrances: one entrance is by the restaurant and the other entrance is on the beach side. The gates are open during opening hours (10 a.m. to 8 p.m.), keep this in mind with small children.

The lifeguards at the pool take their job very seriously and are clearly present. For example, throwing a ball over in the large pool is not allowed.

What is a very big plus of this campground is that it is right by the sea. From the campground you have a private entrance to the beach, which is a maximum 600-meter walk (depending on where your accommodation is located). That is really super and a great luxury though. It is not a super wide beach and it can be quite crowded. There’s a nice beach bar there and you can also take surfing lessons. The Mediterranean is certainly not cold; it refreshes you nicely. Keep in mind that the water does get deep pretty quickly; after about 1.5 meters, smaller children can no longer stand there. Bring your bodyboard or an air mattress to play with the waves.

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Restaurants

The campground has a large restaurant with a wide range of dishes. You can order the typical Dutch croquette, as well as a Spanish paella or tapas and, of course, pizzas. There really is something for everyone. We did find the decor of the restaurant a bit sparse, especially if you want to eat inside. The large outdoor terrace does have a cozy seat. This is also where the mini-disco takes place 3x a week. If you eat a little later, the kids can let loose at the mini disco while you sit and enjoy a delicious meal.

The dishes can also be ordered as take-away. In addition, you can have a nice cocktail or cold beer at the bar. And, of course, you can buy ice cream there. Important sports games are shown on the TV screen.

The restaurant is located right next to the pool.

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Animation

During the months of July and August, a super enthusiastic animation team is present at Camping Playa Brava. All the children were fans of the fun team, they make all the activities a party. When we were there, there was also a Dutch girl. Our children really liked that.

The animation team organizes a variety of activities during the week. So there is plenty to do; on the board near the pool you will find the entire weekly program. Your child can go to crafts a few times a week, there is also a soccer tournament, a ceramics workshop, water games in the pool, etc.

Once a week, the field in the middle of the campground is transformed into a playground of just inflatable castles and games. You can show off your skills on the rodeo bull, your soccer skills with ball kicking but also just jumping around. There is even a small climbing course set up where, secured, you can climb/run a lap at altitude. For our kids, this was one of the highlights of this campground!

A mini-disco is organized about three times a week. This starts at 9 p.m. and includes the standard children’s songs and, of course, dances are not to be missed. The entire animation team participates in this super enthusiastically. Also stopping by is Regina, the campground mascot. She also dances along nicely.

The evening program includes an adult mini disco, karaoke night, live music and a circus.

During the day there are regular water games and various sports tournaments. Adults can take a spinning class twice a week, and there are yoga, aerobic and zumba classes.

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Sports & Recreation

There is a very nice playground in the middle of the campground, with a slide, swings, seesaws and a cable car. The favorite, however, is the large air trampoline/jumping cushion; it is inflated at set times and this is where your child will expend their energy.

The playground sits nice and central to the mini-club in the middle of the campground. When you go to do the dishes, your child can play for a while. From the Confort pitches and rental accommodations, this playground is very easy to reach. Because of the compactness of the campground, your child at this campground will be able to walk to the playground by himself pretty soon. We found this to be a big plus.

As described earlier, the animation team also provides regular sports lessons and sports tournaments. There are two tennis courts, a soccer, volleyball and basketball court, as well as several table tennis tables at the campground.

Several hiking and biking trails have been established from the campground. From beautiful bays to medieval villages, it’s all here. If you didn’t bring your own bikes, you can also rent them at the campground.

If you are more into water sports, that is also possible here. You can surf, sail and kayak here. In addition, in Pals you will find a golf course; through the campsite you can get a discount.

In the village you will find golf course Golf de Pals. In addition to the 18-hole golf course, you can also learn about the sport of golf here. There are also padel courts. Through the campground you get discounts on various activities.

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Stores

Right next to the campground is a full-sized supermarket with a separate bakery. So you officially have to go off the camping grounds, but it’s right next to the reception. You can go here for all your shopping needs, including a large selection of Dutch products. You can also find camping gear, (water) toys and newspapers & magazines.

At the bakery you will find many sweet breads and different types of bread. It can get crowded in the morning, so plan your visit smartly. Or enjoy doing nothing for a while while waiting in line.

If you love local markets, then Camping Playa Brava is also the place to be. Because there is a market in the immediate area every day of the week.

If you want a bigger supermarket with more choice, just take the car to Pals (5 minutes), here you will find some larger supermarkets such as the Spar and Jodifi.

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Details and tips

Good to know is that at Playa Brava, pets are not allowed. Thus, both dogs and cats are not allowed on the camping grounds.

At this campground, wearing a wristband is mandatory.

There are places to wash your car.

From Monday to Saturday, a doctor is available at 9 a.m. for a consultation.

Every Tuesday there is in Palamós and nice market (from 09:00 – 14:00)

2km from the campsite is Pals Adventure Park, a climbing park with rope bridges, climbing walls, tree climbing, abseiling, etc. It is suitable for children ages 3 and up. You can create your own itinerary of activities depending on your age, length and desired level of difficulty.

The “Camino de Ronda” is a walk along old smugglers’ paths (GR92). Although the full route is about 583km, it is great to do a piece of this hike. After all, you have beautiful views. The route passes the directly by campground.

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Map Camping Playa Brava

Download the map of Camping Playa Brava here to get a better idea of the layout and size of the campsite.

Operators


Looking for accommodation at this campsite? There can be big differences in accommodation offered, prices and availability with operators. So compare operators carefully!