Marjal resort is on our list of possible places to spend some extended time next winter in Spain so we dropped in this month to check it out. Our timing wasn’t the best because it was undergoing a major renovation so some of the facilities were temporarily closed, but here’s our review of the Guardamar Marjal Resort.

Campsite details

Campsite name: Marjal Guardamar Resort
Location: Close to Guardamar town and beach, next to the river. Ctra. N-332, km. 73,403140 – Guardamar del Segura
GPS: 38° 06′ 36” N – 0° 39′ 18” W
Price: €20 a night with the ACSI card in low season, incl 4kwh EHU daily and wifi. Drops below that for stays longer than 60 days. EHU is included for their regular rates.
Facilities: Large outdoor pool and slides, heated indoor pool, gym, spa, sauna, beauty center and hairdresser, onsite Dr visits, full activities program for adults and kids, bar and restaurant, outdoor sports such as tennis etc, laundry, car wash, kids play ground, ATM, supermarket
Website

We should mention that there are TWO Marjal resorts in the group. The other one is further inland, Marjal Costa Blanca, and that’s also a possibility for next winter for us. The two appear to be quite similar, but the one we visited in Guardamar is on the coast.

The pitches

Pitches at the site are a generous size and come complete with your own water supply and drain so there is no need to move the van during your stay, or bring water to the van with a bucket. On our pitch the drain was a bit awkwardly placed and ended up underneath the van because of the way we had to park to use the moped ramp, but usually you could hook up to it with a hose.

On the ACSI card, electricity is limited to 4kwh per day and that’s not very much. We took the opportunity to try out various things on the van and see what used the most electricity. The heating and hot water heater really made the meter spin, but the fridge used a surprising amount too. We ran on EHU the first day and then switched the fridge to gas for the next two days. We used 11kwh over the 4 days. If staying on the sites regular rates, EHU is included without restriction.

Pitches are gravel and it was quite dusty so most long-term campers used a ground sheet. There are short hedges separating the pitches and quite a lot of trees. It was quite a shady site in the winter and you would want to pick a pitch carefully to get the most sunshine. Pitches are shaded with overhead netting in summer.

Access roads are wide and maneuvering around the site was very easy.

Marjal Campsite facilities

Wifi – good wifi was included although when checking in I was warned that it can be liable to go up and down sometimes. It worked just fine while we were there.

Laundry – each block has a laundry with washers and dryers, sinks for washing clothes with hot water in case you want to wash by hand, and an ironing board. The washers were €3.50 each including detergent. The dishwashing area also has hot water.

Swimming pools – there is a HUGE tropical outdoor swimming pool with various slides, waterfalls and fun for the kids. At the time of our visit in the winter, the pool was closed and was being cleaned. The gardens around the pool looked lovely and there are loungers available.

The heated indoor pool is nice and deep and a generous size. The water temperature was just right, and I do like it warm! At the time of visiting, the facilities were being upgraded so there should be new showers and changing rooms for the indoor pool very soon.

As well as the swimming pool, there is a large spa with different sections of jets and bubbles which was very relaxing. At the time of our visit, the site wasn’t completely full and much of the time we had the pool to ourselves.

Gym – sadly closed for refurbishment while we were visiting, but this could be a big draw for us in the winter, to help us keep fit and keep our old joints moving. I’m told they do regular classes in the gym such as spinning etc.


The wellness centre has a range of rooms, including our fitness and weights room, equipped with the latest machines, an up-to-date cardiovascular training room, directed activity room, and circuit training room. Furthermore, we offer group classes in aerobics, fitness, and much more, as well as water aerobics and water fitness in our pools.
As a complement to physical training, we offer our guests a wide range of services aimed at relaxation and wellness, including a heated pool, a hydrotherapy and spa pool, saunas, a relaxation zone, and a physiotherapy service. 

Beauty center – again, closed for refurb but we understand there is a hairdresser, beauty and massage service.

Bar and restaurant – we were drawn in by the smell of the coffee! They do great coffees here, as well as all the usual drinks, snacks and meals at the bar. In the high season there is also a larger restaurant open with a self serve buffet. But socializing on the sunny patio is good any time of year!

Supermarket – closed as part of the refurb while we were there.

Washrooms – there are plenty of washrooms and showers on the site. It was nice to find they are heated in winter so you can get out of the hot shower into a warm dressing room. Showers are a good size with plenty of hot water, and they have a tap rather than a push button so you can keep the water running instead of having to hold in the button – a pet peeve of mine.

The washrooms also have a hairdryer which makes me very happy – I hate having wet hair in the winter.

The activities

Activities are the big draw here on this site. As well as all the facilites to keep you busy there is a full schedule of organised activities. In the winter, these are geared up towards the long-stay, more mature guest.

For the few days we were there, we enjoyed aqua gym, stretch class, a get fit step class, quiz night, dance lessons and crib night. The longer-term residents told me that we would never be bored here in the winter, as there is something always being organised to get you out of the van. That’s really what we are looking for, and if there are lots of fitness-related activities, we’ll be happy.

There is also a very active kids club and a large playground for the young ones too.

Kids play park

The availability!

While we were there, we spoke to several of the long-term residents about coming back for the winter this coming year. They warned us that getting onto the site is difficult. The site has been converting quite a few of the camping pitches over to posh chalets because these rent at a much higher price, so there aren’t as many motorhome places available each year.

Many of the camping pitches have been replaced by chalets and bungalows

The same people do tend to come back here year after year and most of the spots are pre-booked a year in advance. Reception told us we would ideally need to book by the end of the Summer to get a longer term spot for winter! Yikes! Not yet sure of our plans, but we would love to get back on this site sometime for Winter in early 2020 – fingers crossed we can get a spot.

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