
Posts Tagged ‘Spain accommodation’
October half term offers with Pierre & Vacances
This October we’re making family half term affordable for those after some last minute rays, with up to 20 per cent off self catering Pierre & Vacances accommodation in the south of France and Spain. Our family friendly accommodation along the Mediterranean coastline all have access to swimming pools and a range of activities, with prices starting from just £7 per person per night!
This half term families can take advantage of the free kids clubs offered at Pierre & Vacances’ Resorts, the clubs are available for three to 18 year olds and provide a range of activities for all ages, such as sports tournaments and handicrafts. Our resorts also organise day excursions to local towns and markets, plus activities such as whale and dolphin watching boat trips in Spain.
Below are a number of discounted Pierre & Vacances family accommodation. All the examples are for week long stays from 22- 29 October. Enquiries and bookings can be made here or by ringing 0870 0267 145.
Pierre & Vacances Village Cap Esterel, South of France
A two bedroom sea view apartment sleeping up to seven people for a week’s holiday is reduced by 20 per cent to £695- that’s £14 per person per night.
The 210-hectare resort overlooks the Mediterranean and is perched on a red rock hillside. The resort is surrounded by a golf course and gardens and is just 30 minutes away from the white sandy beaches of Cannes. Facilities include three large swimming pools with wave machines, two children’s pools, a small farm, tennis courts and bicycle hire. Kid’s clubs are available.
And for a taste of what Cap Esterel has to offer, see a real family’s holiday diary here.
Pierre & Vacances’ Residence Bonavista de Bonmont, Catalonia
A two bedroom apartment sleeping up to seven people for a week’s holiday is reduced by 20 per cent to £346- that’s £7 per person per night.
Bonmont lies on Catalonia’s coastline and backs onto the prestigious Bonmont golf course and the famous vineyards of Priorat. Guests can enjoy the aquatic centre which has a heated swimming pool, relaxing jets, a hydro-massage mattress and Jacuzzi. There are special rates for all guests at the nearby golf course and those with adventure in mind can go quad biking or go carting. And for a cultural day drip, Barcelona is an hour and a half away.
Or for a holiday in the countryside …
Pierre & Vacances Village Le Rouret, Ardèche
A one bedroom apartment sleeping up to four people for a week’s holiday is reduced by 20 per cent to £364- that’s £13 per person per night.
Village Le Rouret is a 100-acre multi-activity resort, ideal for family holidays. Set in the Ardèche region with views over the valleys, the village has an aqua area with fountains, water rapids, a rubber ring river and a swimming pool, tennis courts, multi-sports courts, a mountain bike path, sauna and Jacuzzi. Offered nearby is canoeing, canyonning, paragliding, quad biking and go karting. Kid’s clubs are available.
Find out more about family activities to try in the Ardèche region here.
P&V: Insider guide to family holidays on the Costa Del Sol!
This week, our blog comes from Nick Vowles who has recently returned from the Costa Del Sol
“I’m the web marketing manager for www.pv-holidays.com in the UK and Ireland. We’ve just opened some brand new P&V holiday apartment residences on the Costa Del Sol, Spain. So I thought it was time to roadtest them with the family.
New holiday accommodation on the Costa del Sol
P&V has 2 new holiday residences on the Costa del Sol; Pierre & Vacances Terrazas Costa del Sol Holiday Village in Manilva and the Pierre & Vacances Caledonia Golf Resort Estepona. As we are now a family of 4 with a 2 year old and a 6 month year old we plumped for the Holiday Village in Manilva.
Location
The Pierre & Vacances Terrazas Costa del Sol Holida Village is located on the Gibraltar side of Manilva. Its well sign-posted off the A7. If you are travelling on the motorway don’t get off at the Manilva exit like we did, but go onto the next exit and then get onto the A7 headed back to Malaga. The site itself is located on a hill with fantastic views of the sea and the Rock of Gibraltar.
Accommodation
We booked a 2 bedroom apartment which was perfect for our needs. The apartments are nicely designed and spacious with massive terraces to enjoy the views and the weather. Most terraces are well shaded. Ours had great views of the pool, sea, and surrounding countryside. Plus it gave our toddlers lots to look at during dinner times and its easier to clean up the subsequent mess outside. Given we had one who was just starting solids and another who was potty training this was great news for Mum and Dad!
The 2 bedroom apartment had 2 bathrooms and all the necessary cooking equipment including dishwasher, microwave and hob. It also had aircon which was great to cool down the apartments before bedtime. The two sofas were comfy and had nice big cushions – perfect for building sofa tunnels for Fred, our 2 year old. There was a TV in the apartment but only with Spanish channels – not that it bothered Fred. Mum and Dad were happy with the views, music and a chance to read a few pages of our books.
Residence
The Terrazas Costa del Sol Holiday village is brand new. As a result all the staff were incredibly friendly, enthusiastic and helpful. The pool and surrounding garden are beautiful and there’s both a kiddie pool and play area in the grounds. There’s a lovely air-conditioned restaurant which does a buffet breakfast between 8 and 10 in the morning and evenings. And there is also a poolside snack bar which is open between 10 and 10. We used this quite a lot, it does a nice selection of well priced meals which can be adapted for the little ones. Fred loved the Spag Bol. At 5 Euros so did Mum and Dad, especially as Dad got to finish off the huge portion.
Though there are supermarkets quite closeby they are opening up a mini-market on site. It should be open by July. In terms of supermarkets head either way from the residence on the A7 and you will soon come across a number of supermarkets which are well sign-posted. The closest is called Eroski. The best is the Carrefour which is the Marbella side of Estepona. Though most are closed on Sundays the reception team helpfully advised us that there is a supermarket open 24-7 at Estepona port.
Children’s activities
There are separate children’s clubs for age ranges from 3 – 18 which operate from 10 to 12 in the morning and 4 till 6 in the afternoon. Though Fred is only 2 they were happy for us to accompany him to the club, and he loved it, particularly the play house and the trampoline. The organisers are really friendly, enthusiastic and speak excellent English.
One of the big events each night is the mini-disco at 9.30pm. We would have loved to get our little ones involved but they are just a little too young – maybe next year! This year we let the kids sleep while we watched from the balcony over a bottle of Rioja!
There are also lots of activities for the adults, one of the most popular being aqua aerobics which we all joined in!
In terms of informal activities both Fred and Mum and Dad met lots of other parents and their toddlers around the kiddie pool. Because there are people from lots of different countries it has quite a cosmopolitan feel – Fred made great friends with a little French girl called Matilde!
Beach
One of the real plus points is the beach closeby. There is a regular shuttle in the morning and afternoon but we chose to take the car to give us a bit more flexibility. I cannot rave about this beach enough – it was amazing. Locally its known as ‘rock beach’ so its not a sandy beach, but because the pebbles are quite small (we come from Brighton) Fred didn’t mind it at all.
And of course, no sand anywhere means no sand everywhere! It was really easy to keep Fred entertained on the beach. There are lots of rocks alongside the coast so lots of rock pools to explore plus little mini sea pools to play in. P&V provide free parasols and deckchairs plus a great drink and snack bar with table service.
It can get a bit windy on the hill, so on these days we headed for the beach which wasn’t so bad.
Pierre & Vacances Caledonia Golf
While in the area we dropped by the Pierre & Vacances Caledonia Golf. It’s a great residence for those wanting to be a bit closer to Estepona and Marbella. Being an aparthotel it’s a bit more like a 4* hotel, with spa, indoor pool, gym and a huge restaurant. The rooms are really stylish and the pool area is just as good as the Costa del Sol Holiday Village. There is also a children’s club on site and Fred loved the cute little play area and pool.
Surrounding Area
There’s a huge amount to do in the area but you definitely need a car to explore. We had numerous outings to Estepona which has a lovely sandy beach and lots of restaurants plus an amazing outdoor play area for children on the front. Fred loved this and the toy bus opposite which must have been his highlight of th
e holiday. Closer by is Sabinillas, which also has a lovely sandy beach and a selection of restaurants on the front. Marbella and Porte Banus aren’t far away either.
More information
All the information on both residences can be found on www.pv-holidays.com. We are running an amazing deal for UK and Irish residents at the moment where you can get at least 22% off all dates and residences and up to 45% off selected properties and dates.
At Pierre & Vacances Terrazes Costa del Sol prices start from 315 Euros a week for a 1 bedroom apartment and from 370 Euros a week for 2 bedroom apartments.
At Pierre & Vacances Caledonia Golf residence prices start from 372 Euros a week for a 1 bedroom apartment and 435 Euros a week for 2 bedroom apartments.
Costa less: family fun in the Costa del Sol!
Spain’s Costa del Sol’s got the lot – Sun, Sea, Surf and Sangria. And if there’s one more Big S that should be added, it’s got to be Savings.
Recently, across Europe the Euro exchange rate hasn’t been doing us Brits many favours, but the good news is that it’s still possible to enjoy an affordable Spanish holiday without it breaking the bank.
The trick is to swap a resort hotel for a self-catering apartment. Good restaurants and cafes are plentiful in this part of Spain and there are many cheap but charming no-frills options too. So if you don’t want to cook, you don’t have to. And if you do, there are lots of good supermarkets around. Either way, self-catering in Spain will make your holiday Euro go a lot further.
Where to go
Head for Manilva or Estepona or even Marbella, and you can’t go wrong.
In addition to great self-catering apartments by the sea, they offer all that’s best about a fun-filled, sun soaked Spanish holiday for the whole family.
Make the most of Manilva
The charming village of Manilva combines a backdrop of mountains and vineyards. Within half-an-hour you can be shopping in Marbella or Puerto Banus, walking in beautiful mountain scenery in the Sierra Bermeja or visiting the wildlife park at Selwo.
But with nearly five miles of golden sands, most people come for the beach.
Beach activities include swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, kite surfing and fishing, and it’s a super playground where young children can paddle and build those all-important castles of sand.
Away from the beach, there are picturesque fishing harbours, including the exceptionally beautiful one at Castilo. Here, you can eat the day’s catch fresh from the nets and get a real taste of Spanish cuisine.
And further inland you can play golf on some spectacular courses, or explore the wild natural beauty of the Andalusian landscape, either on foot or horseback.
Estepona – where life’s a beach
With more than 20 kilometres of beaches, the area around Estepona is another hit with families and couples alike.
The most popular is La Rada, which sprawls to the east of the marina. You’ll also find tiny, tucked-away coves and – if you dare to bare – a nudist beach. And when you need a little refreshment, there are plenty of lively watering holes and restaurants right on the sand.
Marbella, a millionaire’s playground
You don’t have to be a millionaire to enjoy Spain’s answer to Monte Carlo. It costs nothing to walk the Paseo Maritimo, a spectacular 6km- long boardwalk that hugs the coast.
Or explore the quiet streets of the old town. They’re far too narrow for the Ferraris and Porsches. Stop at a pavement café and, for the price of an iced coffee, watch the world go by. You may even spot a celeb or two.
And if you fancy a little flamenco – at Flamenco Ana Maria in the Old Town the price of a ticket includes a free drink.
Costa del Golf
The Costa del Sol has more golf clubs than you can swing a seven iron at. So you’re sure to find something that fits your standard and your pocket. Many have special offers like free golf buggies included in the green fees.
At the other end of the scale is Los Flamingos’ golf course near Marbella, which offers top notch facilities for serious ball players.
Back in time
Round and about you’ll see many a sign of the region’s old and rich history. In its time, it has been invaded by the Phoenicians, the Romans and the Moors who have all left their marks on the landscape with interesting buildings and monuments.
Where to eat
In Manilva, The Parapiros is an Italian family-run restaurant in the plaza de La Fuente. It serves Italian cuisine and pizzas with great service and even greater prices.
For something special in Estepona, there’s La Menorah restaurant, situated in Ctra. de Cádiz, where Chef Paco specializes in Basque and Spanish dishes. And the lively town centre is packed with pubs and bars.
For dinner with a free show, head to El Tintero restaurant In Cartama, near Marbella, Here, waiters don’t take your o
rder; they shout out asking if there are any takers for the dishes they have on offer instead.
A feast of festivals
The Spanish love to party and with over 3,000 festivals happening every year throughout the Costa del Sol you’re sure not to miss out.
Women wear mantillas and high combs, while the men sport cropped jackets and ride strutting horses, and music plays and the wine flows. Visitors are welcome to join in and best of all – festivals are free.
Getting there
Many low-cost airlines fly from the UK to Malaga throughout the summer. Prices depend on when you book, the earlier the cheaper. Ryanair fares can start from as little as £50 return.
Where to stay
Self-catering holiday specialist, PV-Holidays.com, has two hot offers for Spain. The Pierre & Vacances Terrazas Costa del Sol Holiday Village in Manilva features fully equipped self-catering apartments with panoramic views of the Costa del Sol and the rock of Gibraltar.
Developed around a main square with patios, fountains and palm trees, the village offers many leisure activities including a swimming pool and kids clubs for 3-18 year olds.
Located less than an hour’s drive from Malaga airport, the property features a large infinity pool, private beach area with tapas bar, fitness clubs, kids playground and bike rental. Prices start from £375 for seven nights in a one-bedroom apartment sleeping four people.
The Pierre & Vacances Caledonia Golf Resort residence in Estepona is a new holiday destination for summer 2009, located just 25km from Marbella on the Costa del Sol. All 301 apartments are spacious, comfortable and equipped with air-conditioning, a balcony and a fully fitted kitchen area.
The property is set around a large swimming pool and is close to ‘Los Flamingos’ golf course, as well as the luxurious marinas of Puerto Banus, just 12km away. Free recreational activities are provided for adults and children throughout the day and the beach is only 1.5km away. Prices start from 420 Euros for seven nights in a studio apartment sleeping two people.
PV-Holidays: Big fun in Port Aventura on a budget
It’s hardly surprising that Port Aventura, Spain’s all-singing all dancing theme park on the Costa Dorada has proven such an enduring hit with British families.
In addition to first-class rides and attractions, this Spanish land of fun guarantees far better weather than Disneyland Paris and comes in far cheaper than a long haul pilgrimage to meet Mickey Mouse and his pals in Florida or Orlando.
Yet, as every parent knows, a day out, let alone a week’s holiday in a theme park resort can, when you tot up all the meals and treats, add up to a hefty sum, and the current Euro exchange rate will put an extra squeeze on your budget this summer.
But the good news is that but there’s no need to forego your family holiday in Spain if you follow our handy hints for a fabulous trip to Port Aventura on a budget…
Stay off-site
While, there are now three full-service hotels in the theme park, it’s far cheaper to swap a package deal for a self-catering apartment and book your own cheap flights to Spain. Book a self-catering apartment close to the park and you’ll enjoy all the resort’s attractions while keeping costs down by preparing your own meals. Do a big supermarket shop as soon as you arrive so you can enjoy breakfast and dinner in the privacy of your apartment and prepare yummy packed lunches to take with you to the park.
Cheap tickets
Even better, for customers who stay off-site, Port Aventura offers exclusive ticket deals to visitors from the UK and Ireland which are cheaper than buying at the gate. These tickets are available through all major tour-operators or bookable direct through the Port Aventura website
The star attractions
Located in the heart of Costa Dorada between the coastal towns of Salou and Vila-seca, just 100 kilometers from Barcelona.
Port Aventura is the most complete vacation destination on the Mediterranean. It has two parks: the Port Aventura theme park and the Caribe Aquatic Park water park.
The Port Aventura theme park covers 117 hectares laid out in five themed areas: Mediterranea, Polynesia, China, Mexico and the Far West. The park offers more than 30 attractions, 100 daily live shows, 75 snackbars and restaurants, 28 stores with exclusive products and 10 game areas for the whole family.
White knuckle rides
Adrenalin junkies should make a beeline for the biggest and scariest ride in the park – Furius Baco. This rollercoaster ride is all about speed and takes off at135kph in 3.5 seconds. That’s faster acceleration than a Formula 1 car.
Test your courage on Dragon Khan, which takes you on a stomach-churning whirl with eight inverted loops before braving Hurakan Condor – a ride that lifts you to twice the height of Nelson’s Column, and then drops you to the ground catching you at the bottom with magnetic brakes.
Thrills for little ones
For young children, there’s a wide choice of charming children’s rides, including a baby rollercoaster and log flume, as well as plenty of play areas around the park with ball ponds, slides and swings.
And for older children and nervous adults who prefer gentler alternatives to the big ‘coasters, there’s Tutuki Splash – a giant log flume -, the swings, the teacups, the runaway train, and the Grand Canyon.
Showtime hits
Port Aventura Park also puts on more than 100 performances per day of incredible shows – all included within your Park ticket. The must-see entertainments include the hula girls and Polynesian hunks in the Polynesian show.
Also see the French Can Can show, the acrobatics in the China Town show and the award-winning firework spectacular on the lake.
Waterbabies
The Caribe Aquatic Park, a Caribbean-themed water park comprises 34,262 square meters of fun laid out in two zones: one indoors and other open-air. It includes indoor and outdoor attractions, game areas, restaurants and spectacular swimming pools.
Beach fun
The Beach Club is a new area within a superb setting, right on Salou’s Playa Larga beach. Its location brings visitors closer to the sea and nature.
The Beach Club is divided into seven different aquatic areas where the entire family can relax and enjoy sports activities. Its location also offers direct access to the beach and wide variety of delicious restaurants when you want to eat out for a treat.
Where to stay
P&V has a special offer for its Pierre & Vacanaces Residence Cala Cristal, Miami Platja, Costa Dorada this summer. Seven nights start from £427 (previously £535) for a one-bedroom apartment sleeping up to four people.
Pierre & Vacanaces Residence Cala Cristal, Miami Platja strong> is located 130km south of Barcelona and just 25km from the Port Aventura theme park, making this residence a perfect location for a fun-filled family break.
The property benefits from direct access to the long sandy beach of Platja Cristal, a snack bar with a terrace and a swimming pool overlooking the sea. For more information, please visit www.pv-holidays.com.
Getting there
By plane: Port Aventura is just an hour from Barcelona airport and 15 minutes from Reus airport.
By car: From Barcelona, one hour by the AP7 Freeway (La Jonquera-Valencia). Take the direct exit to the park (exit 35). Alternatively, you can take highway N-340 (Barcelona-Valencia), N-420 (Tarragona-Teruel) and N-240 (Tarragona-Lleida).
By train: Port Aventura has its own station.
Have you stayed in a P&V property recently? Tell us about it!
Contact us by leaving a comment or getting in touch via the side of the page.
Thanks for reading,
P&V



























































