There’s no pain in Spain
Fiona Whitty manages to keep the whole family happy with an action-packed trip to Playa Bara
Ispent years trying to avoid holidaying alongside legions of kids, scouring guide books for the least child-pleasing places to stay. Water slides? No chance. Lively resorts? Not on your nelly.
How 17 years – and four children of my own – have changed me. Now I root out holiday villages with wall-to-wall activities designed to thrill and engage.
So when our 15-year-old son Max cornered me with a heavily thumbed brochure and begged to go to ‘‘the best place ever’’ it was an easy choice.
For him, Playa Bara – one of European camping specialist Eurocamp’s holiday parks on Spain’s Costa Dorada – had everything. Fun swimming pool. Check. Beach access. Check. Nearby theme park. Check. Action on tap. Check.
Playa Bara, near Roda de Bera village an hour south of Barcelona, was busy but had a lovely laidback feel. Pool slides satisfied the kids while sipping slush puppies (or something stronger for husband Tim and me) at the water-side bar was a cool twist.
Max and brother Harvey, 17, spent evenings playing football and basketball with new friends while Tim and I converged on the park’s amphitheatre for live shows with Rosie, 12, and Freddie, nine.
We’d chosen an Aspect mobile home, the jewel in Eurocamp’s crown. Its spacious master bedroom and wellequipped kitchen with – bliss! – a dishwasher ticked my boxes, while two further bedrooms meant a little escape from the kids. The aircon, ready-made beds, vast decking and gas barbecue were added luxuries.
Just a few minutes’ walk away was a wide sandy beach, its gently shelving warm waters and light waves making it a family hit. So far, so good.
We’d already had the perfect start to our holiday with an airport hotel stay before our early flight to Barcelona from Heathrow. Checking in on time is a worry, especially with kids, and the Park, Stay and Go package at the nearby Crowne Plaza London-heathrow offered the added perk of on-site parking for the whole holiday.
After a dip in the pool the evening
Red Force in Ferrari Land hits 112mph in 5 secs
before, we’d emerged fresh-faced and stress-free for the Heathrow Hoppa, a frequent bus service connecting to the airport.
Once in Spain, first up was pointing the hire car to Portaventura World, its most popular theme park (portaventuraworld.com, three-day tickets for all three parks for €85 adult/€70 child).
Adrenalin junkies Max and Harvey headed straight to Red Force, Europe’s highest and fastest rollercoaster. It’s in their new Ferrari Land and thrusts you near vertically up a 370ft high loop, reaching 112mph in just five seconds.
Over in the main park, the buzz continued on Shambhala – famed for its five humps – and Dragon Khan with its eight loop-theloops. For Mad Max, everything was going to plan.
The rest of us didn’t miss out as there were heaps of rides for youngsters (and the less insane). We all loved being flung up and down Ferrari Land’s Thrill Towers, designed like Formula One car pistons, and sitting in real racing cars.
Later, the whole family had a giggle on Angkor, a raft ride which turns into all-out war thanks to on-board water cannon.
We chose lunch at the American Wild West-themed Iron Horse. The chicken tacos and signature burgers were tasty and good value at less than €15 each.
Next day we returned to visit the Caribe Aquatic Park. Max and Harvey braved King Khajuna – Europe’s highest water slide at 102ft. The rest of us had plenty to do too – the four-lane water slide is fun for all ages while the El Torrente raft chute is another jaw-clencher.
Costa Dorada means Golden Coast and it’s certainly beautiful. To enjoy it in a unique way we tried a Tuna Tour run by the famous Balfego fishing family (tuna-tour.com, two-hour tours from €35 adult/€15 child).
It starts off gently enough with a catamaran ride from L’ametlla de Mar, south of Tarragona. The real fun starts out at sea, when you jump into a roped-off area to snorkel with 400 giant top-end red tuna, each around 8ft long and weighing about 40 stone.
Ultimately they’ll end up in fine restaurants worldwide but for one crazy hour you’re watching them surging up around you to snatch mackerel thrown in by the crew, the fish swimming close enough to swipe their lunch but without ever touching you.
It was both daunting and exhilarating, a fantastic experience. Back on board we enjoyed slivers of tuna sashimi with a glass of something to calm our nerves. We were lucky enough to head back to Balfego’s HQ for a fantastic gourmet lunch of tuna served raw, seared and roasted. It was quite probably the best meal I have ever had (POA).
For a break from the heat we tried Jungle Trek, a woodland labyrinth of aerial challenges and zip lines in Tamarit near Tarragona (jungle-trek.com, €23 adult/ from €18 child). There are 11 courses of rope bridges and other obstacles and it easily takes up a good half-day. All in all it was the perfect active family holiday. My advice? Give the kids some extra homework and let them choose the next one.
Sandy beach with warm water was a real hit