Campsites in Spain for families
Spain gives families two things France cannot match: a season that runs from Easter to late October, and aqua parks built on a resort scale. The catch is heat and distance, and the fact that the right coast for a toddler is not the right coast for teenagers. This guide breaks the country down region by region.
Costa Brava — the family heartland
The stretch between Blanes and the Bay of Roses holds the highest concentration of large family campsites in Spain, several with aqua parks among Europe's biggest. Sant Pere Pescador and Roses offer long flat sandy beaches ideal for small children; Tossa and Begur trade sand for dramatic coves.
Costa Dorada — shallow water and Port Aventura
Around Tarragona, Cambrils and Salou the sea shelves very gently, which suits toddlers, and Port Aventura is within reach for a day out with older kids. Campsites here are large, well equipped and busy in August with Spanish and French families.
Valencia, Murcia and the south
Warmer for longer and cheaper outside summer, but genuinely hot inland in July and August — air conditioning is not optional. Good for late-season half-term trips when northern Spain has cooled down.
Northern Spain: Cantabria, Asturias and the Basque coast
Green, cooler and far less crowded, with surf beaches and mountains behind. Facilities are simpler and aqua parks rarer, but for families who want walking, surfing and space rather than slides, it is the best value camping in the country.
Prices and when to go
Expect €40-70 per night for a family pitch in high season and €700-1,600 per week for a mobile home depending on the park and dates. June and the second half of September are the sweet spot: sea at its warmest, aqua parks open, prices a third lower than August.