Camping Cala Llevadó

We were very shocked by the heaving mass of people we encountered on arrival, a little bit like a swarming ant heap in 30 degrees! However, we had a very comfortable pitch without electricity away from the bulk of the campsite and quite close to the toilet block (time to wake up when the toilets begin flushing). Once established in this "no electricity" area you can make forays into the masses and just focus on the beaches which were lovely and miraculously not too crowded with 4 different coves to choose from. Some of the no electricity pitches had wonderful views too, but make sure you check how big the pitch is before booking as most were too small to fit our 4.5m bell tent and allow space for your guy ropes as the spaces are terraced. We went for bigger, shaded and secluded with just sea glimpses and were very happy, just depends on your priority. Avoid pitches close to the swimming pool and bar area, you are packed in and the evening entertainment is loud, but we did not hear it where we were. Be aware the booking office is in France and the operators have no idea what the campsite is like so cannot advise and it is difficult to get through to the campsite directly- do pay to reserve because you could end up on a truly terrible pitch! Early and late swims in the clear, calm waters were quite magical and made it all worth while. Life was all about going up and down the hills which was fine for our kids aged 7 and 10 (maybe a bit arduous with younger kids?), although we did need to forward plan our day to minimise the vertical trips. Somewhere along the line we didn't get to grips with the kids club, which after reading the other review I regret, so make sure you ask on arrival as it is not obvious once you are in and just casually looking for it as you walk around. Overall, perhaps our kids were a bit young to fully enjoy what the campsite could offer. The teenagers seemed to be having a wonderful time and there was a lot of hair straighteners and gossip in the toilet blocks before evening entertainments began. There was less scope for independence for our kids because the campsite was so big and lacked communal play areas where you could play football or hang out beyond the pool where we had to be anyway. There were two heavily used ping pong tables where our kids patiently queued for their turn only to be turfed off quite quickly by bigger kids who wanted it more! They loved it though so make sure you bring balls and bats. For us the best thing about camping is allowing the kids some independence and space to explore without you having to organise their fun. So we found this to be a different sort of holiday which was very enjoyable but a bit restricted and less relaxing than anticipated. Maybe it would be best if you could go with a group of friends and colonise an outcrop with a super view!

Disappointing. From the description you'd think this was a real natural environment - yes, when you wade through the built up restaurant area, chalets, built up blocks of accommodation, past the open gravel caravan and tent terraces on top of each other - THEN there are some beautiful tent pitches on the edge of the cliffs leading to an amazing beach BUT these are the exception and very few and you may not get these unless you drive through the whole site to find, not an easy task - it is so big and there is a one way system to drive round. Most of the terraces in the main area are cramped and on top of each other and overlooked by blocks of accommodation. Avoid !

This is a large site but keep to the sites recommended by CC. The beach below is beautiful and walks around worth doing. Cook on site or go out as campsite restaurant wasn’t great

The last leg of our journey from England went a bit wrong - with the result that we arrived frazzled, hot, with 2 hungry children. The first 3 hours of our visit were awful. The place was heaving - people everywhere, and it felt very far from a rural idyll. We were allocated a pitch which was far too small for our bell tent, and on a teeny ledge below the swimming pool. We considered leaving straight away! Because our tent was too big for the pitch we had to make a fuss. So we asked what they had - and as it turned out there were some more remote pitches available - without electricity. As electricity isn't something we needed, we went to look - and ended up on one of those lovely places in the photos - surrounded by pine forest, perched above a teeny beach, and conveniently close to the toilet block! It felt like wild camping - except with the benefit of a supermarket, swimming pool and kids clubs within a ten minute walk. We had a wonderful, relaxing time, and I would come back in a shot. Although I'd make sure to book my pitch ahead! FYI the pitch was in section A. There were some other lovely ones in that direction. Although we met some people who were in the middle bit and they were very happy. A word of warning though - you might get burgled by small wild pigs in the night, so lock up your food. And bring super-pegs. Ours weren't a match for the hard ground, and the ones in the supermarket were very overpriced. And also - it's not the sort of place that a small child can be independent - too big, too many cars, and very steep slopes. The good points: A stunning pitch, wild pigs, 2 minutes from three gorgeous beaches, a great pool and kids club. The bad points: Big site, hard ground, some crowded pitches.

We were really surprised that this campsite had been recommended by Cool Camping. We went there only because of the write up here, and have had great experiences at many other Cool Camping sites, but this was a huge disappointment and we cut our visit from a week to 4 days. The location is fantastic - beautiful beaches and cliffs - but the site is not what you expect from a Cool Camping site. In August it is hugely crowded, tents are packed in one on top of the other, the pool is packed, and the campsite is noisy in the evenings with music from the bar. People tend to stay up late so it can be hard to sleep and the huge lights all over the site make it impossibly bright in the tents at night. Our tent was near the bathroom block and people were shortcutting through our pitch and clambering around the edge of our tent to the loos all night. To top it all off our tent was deliberately set on fire by another mystery camper, and to date the campsite has not forwarded insurance money. We enjoyed the beaches and a trip to Barcelona, but this site was not what we were expecting and not what we use Cool Camping to find!

We have just returned from 2 week wonderful weeks at Cala Llevadó. We were lucky enough to have a fantastic pitch overlooking Platges de Llorell and the sea. Would definitely recommend to families - swimming in the crystal clear sea every day, a good pool, table tennis, fab pizzas, well-stocked supermarket. But all without feeling too busy. Having said that, many of the caravan pitches seemed quite crowded together.

One thing not mentioned, is due to the situation of the campsite on the cliffs, you can end up with a pitch some way from where you can park your car - which can mean carrying heavy equipment up and down some very steep steps. Worth it when you get everything set up and admire the view with a glass of wine, but hard work after a long journey!