In Pictures: Review of Family Camping Errota El Molino near Pamplona, España (Day 38)

After a restful camping in the south of France in the Pyrenees mountains and a sort-of rushed stopover to see where angry (some, castrated) bulls would run after brave men and women in white-colored shirts and red handkerchief in a festival called San Fermin, we had to land our gypsy caravan in the dry plains of Navarra, Spain. Here’s a quick review in pictures of Camping El Molino (Errota in Euskara/Basque) in the north of Spain, between Hemingway’s Pamplona and Cervantes’ Salamanca.

If you need more info, text follows at the end of the pictures below. Enjoy your trip!

An old windmill marks the entrance to ***Camping Errota El Molino***. Along with several flags to greet you as you approach the campground from the street, it is easy to find this camping site.

Plenty of pitches available at Camping Errota El Molino (in fact, there was hardly anyone else here) when we arrived in the first week of September. The campground also offers cabins and there is ample space for caravans too.

From the cold jacuzzi (or more appropriately, “cold-uzzi”!!) at a camping site in the Pyrenees mountains to this warm indoor swimming pool and jacuzzi in the plains of Navarre in northern Spain, the boys were always determined to jump right in! With the deeper swimming pool in the back, a splashpark further back, and a sauna (!!!), this was easily a half-day activity. In fact, we never made it out to see the town of Mendigorría. Oh well!

The town of Mendigorría (on the hill) was the site of a major battle in 1835 during the first Spanish civil war of succession and between absolute versus constitutional monarchy. The town is located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre in northern Spain.

Outdoor seating area of Camp El Molino’s restaurant, shaded by these fantastic trees. You might NOT like shade, but it could be a life-saver in the summer. There’s also plenty of indoor seating and a bar with a billiard table.

From waterplay on the Gave d’Aspe river in the Pyrenees mountains to this indoor splashpark at a camping site in the plains of Navarra, Spain, the kids could simply love water, even if its cold or windy out.

This is a novelty–a truly unique feature–at Camping El Molino: Children’s very own bathroom (for children up to 4 years old, that is, but hey there’s no one else here!) Unlike in mots other camping sites that we’ve been in, HERE the kids had no problem reaching the faucets.

No problem sitting down in comfort without your legs dangling. . . for the KIDS, that is!!! Ok, OK. . . And ME TOO 😊

Kids-size shower! This is one of the many things that make Camping El Molino a kid-friendly, parents-approved camping site! Children’s own bathroom is definitely NOT common in the camping sites that we’ve visited.

Playgrounds are always a nice family friendly addition that are much appreciated by our children. . . all children, that is! Unfortunately this one was quite wet when we arrived. We tried but it didn’t worked out. The wooden play structures would have been quite FUN otherwise.

As if indoor swimming pool with jacuzzi and sauna. . . and a splashpark was NOT enough, Camping El Molino amps the family FUN that you can have even more with this deeper and bigger swimming pool, with a slide! Ping-pong table on the foreground.

COSTS at Camping Errota El Molino? Above average price at €35.80 euros (including tax) for a family of 4 (2 kids–1 under 5), 3-person tent with electricity at the end of summer season (first week of September). BUT, and a BIG BUTt at that, think about the amenities: indoor and outdoor pools, jacuzzi, sauna, playground and other play things!. . .

Nice and clean dishwashing and clothes-washing area with plenty of light and hot water.

We debate about putting pictures of toilet and shower. But everyone’s gotta do it and pictures speak a thousand words, or so they say. So, here it is. Clean enough place to do your business and it comes with plenty and FREE toilet paper. Believe you me, there are plenty of camping sites out there that do NOT provide this, this most essential service!

A little old school, but it’s clean and it works. Plenty of hot showers and NO problem with water drainage.

Bathrooms were quite clean, spacious and numerous places. Shown on the picture is just one side

NOTE: In case you’re wondering. . . NO, we have not received any form of compensation or freebies or anything at all for reviewing or mentioning this or any others on our blog. We do it for the fun of it and it is helpful to you and others.

What we like about this campground?

KID-FRIENDLY, in a word that was what we liked about Camping Errota El Molino, near Pamplona. As if a big-enough playground, indoor swimming pool with jacuzzi and sauna. . . and a splashpark was NOT enough, this campground in Navarra, Spain amps up the family FUN that you can have even more with an outdoor (deeper and bigger) swimming pool, with a slide! There’s also plenty of space to run around and other activities, such as ping-pong tables.

What we don’t like about this camping site?

What about what we did not like about Camping Errota El Molino? It would be a much better camping site when the trees around the pitches will have grown to provide more shade, especially when camping in Spain in the summer. There may be other locations at the camping site with more shade but in the area where we were, the trees were too far apart to provide real shade.

PRICE

Above-average price at €35.80 euros (including tax) for a family of 4 (2 kids–1 under 5), 3-person tent with electricity at the end of summer season (first week of September). BUT, and a BIG BUTt at that, think about the amenities: indoor and outdoor pools, jacuzzi, sauna, playground and other play things!. . .

€ 4.90 per night for a pitch that is big enough for a 3-person tent, a car, a table and cooking ware, and then some more! €5.70 for an adult, €4.75 for children between 3 and 12 years old.

PLAY area

Playgrounds are always a nice family friendly addition that are much appreciated by our children. . . all children, that is! Unfortunately, the playground at Camping Errota El Molino was quite wet when we arrived. We tried but it didn’t worked out. The wooden play structures would have been quite FUN otherwise.

As previously mentioned, there’s also indoor swimming pool with jacuzzi, sauna and a splashpark, and outdoor swimming pool, with a slide.

There’s also plenty of space to run around and other activities, such as ping-pong tables.

ACCESSibility

No problem finding the entrance to the camping site. It was clearly marked from the outside with several flags in front of a three-storey white-and-green building and a refurbished traditional white windmill with dark blades.

You can see this from far away as there were nothing much that obstructs the line of sight.

Once you pull into the parking lot with plenty of spaces you’d see the reception on the left. No card was necessary to access the grounds.

SHADE

There may be other locations at the camping site with more shade but, for the most part and in the area where we were, the trees were too far apart to provide real shade. It will be a much better when the trees around the pitches will have grown to provide more shade which is especially helpful when camping in Spain in the summer.

PITCH

How’s the pitch? Normal pitch with no problem sinking tent pegs. Grassy pitch (which is not usual in Spain, especially the further south you are) and spacious with brown patches where campers would normally pitch their tents and parked their cars.

Privacy hedges

None, which was not an issue as there were no immediate neighbors.

SANITARY FACILITIES

Huge spaces with long halls, like a barn converted into a modern facility. Sufficiently basic features but clean and with toilet paper. No problem with hot water.

The pleasant surprise here was the KIDS BATHROOM/WC, for kids up to 4 years old, complete with 2 sets of showers where young children can sit down, 2 sets of toilets and 2 sinks–all with children-appropriate decorations like clowns and animals.

There’s even a wall-mounted table for changing diapers.

DINE or DRINKS

There’s a bar and a restaurant with indoor seating (and a billiard) and a huge outdoor area. Most of the dishes that we had were fried stuff and sandwiches. It seems that the restaurant specializes in sandwiches, toasts and scrambled egg. See menu below.

Outdoor seating area is shaded by some fantastic trees whose name I don’t know. You might NOT like shade, but it could be a life-saver in the summer.

Menu of mostly “Broken eggs” (scrambled), toasts and lomos (cured tenderloin) sandwiches at this camping site in northern Spain.

WI-FI

Yes, and it was FREE (or at least no additional costs). We needed to get an access code from the reception.

others

If you don’t feel like making your own coffee, you can order it at the reception desk. Bread, beer, water are also available. We did not see any fridge, freezer or microvave or a kitchen. Maybe we just missed it because the place was quite huge. If it did have it, it was NOT obvious. Laundry and dryer are some additional amenities. There’s also a freezer for ice packs and fridge for open use and a lending library and internet connection. . . all for FREE (or at least no additional costs). It is not all that usual for camping sites to have these extra benefits.

TIPs for Camping Errota El Molino

To enjoy the indoor and outdoor pools, jacuzzi and splashpark, make sure to bring swimming caps/headgear (you know, those little things you put over your head to make sure your hair does NOT get into the pool, and if you have it on too tight, your eyes start to squint like a drunken runaway monkey. . .) Yup, you need it here.

In fact, it would do you good if you just have them with you when camping in Spain (maybe even France) to save you money, just in case the camping site has a pool.

what to do near CAMPING LE Gave d’aspe

So, what to see or do nearby?

The town of Mendigorría (on the hill) was the site of a major battle in 1835 during the first Spanish civil war of succession. Apparently, it was during the First Carlist War between absolute versus constitutional monarchy, in addition to fighting for who or what faction would rule over Spain. The town is located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre in northern Spain.
Pamplona–the city that Hemingway loved so much, where angry (some, castrated) bulls run after men and women worshippers of San Fermin, is less than 30 kilometers or a half-hour drive away.

Next Stop

Onwards, southwards. . . to the land of sherry, flamenco and dancing horses–Jerez de la Frontera, but first Salamanca–the city of the Spanish Shakespeare and a road to the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.