Exploring the wild side of the Costa Blanca
Exploring the wild side of the Costa Blanca
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There are 17 free camping sites across Alicante, Valencia and Castellón (owned by the Generalitat Valenciana).
They have basic facilities, they are open all year round (in principle), there are no staff, and it does not cost you anything to stay at them.
The camping sites are perfectly situated in beautiful natural environments, such as forest areas and national parks.
On the booking website, there is some basic information and a few photos, but the information can sometimes be very limited without a description.
For example, the Rincon Bello camping and picnic area webpage says under construction, but you can read all about here.
If you stay at this free camping site, you could visit:
I have stayed at this campsite, and you can read the full details here.
If you stay at this free camping site, you could visit:
I have stayed at this campsite. Full details coming soon! Follow me on Facebook, or subscribe to the newsletter to stay informed.
If you stay at this free camping site, you could visit:
I have stayed at this campsite. Full details coming soon! Follow me on Facebook, or subscribe to the newsletter to stay informed.
If you stay at this free camping site, you could visit:
I have stayed at this camping site. Full details coming soon! Follow me on Facebook, or subscribe to the newsletter to stay informed.
If you stay at this free camping site, you could visit:
Consequently, the Ceja del Río Grande camping site is extremely popular during the summer!
Every weekend will become fully booked for the three months between mid-June until mid-September when children are off school.
There is no cost to stay there, but you do have to book in advance, in order to not exceed the capacity, and to inform the Generalitat Valenciana that you are staying there.
Interested in discovering what camping and hiking gear is hot right now?
Take a look here.
Initial booking page
When completing the booking form
If you don’t have an NIE/DNI number, you could take a risk and go anyway.
However…
E.g. The free camping site in Biar is going to close soon due to the renovation of an underground water tank, situated just uphill from the camping site, which will block access.
E.g. All of the free camping sites were closed, and the booking system was inaccessible due to a risk of flooding
E.g. If there is a forest fire and the camping site appears to be unoccupied, then the emergency authorities may be less likely to check!
What happened when I stayed without a booking (Zamorano)
I went to stay at a the free Zamorano campsite in August, even though it appeared to be fully booked online.
When I arrived, I was surprised to find only two other people there, despite having a capacity of 30 people.
The next morning, some Forest Wardens came and told us all to leave due to an extreme risk of forest fire – meaning that we couldn´t be in the national park at all.
It is possible that the camping site was intentionally closed online to prevent/deter people from going there.
However, I had decided to go anyway, and I suspect that the other people might have done the same, or perhaps been unaware of the booking process altogether.
What happened when I stayed without a booking (Ceja del Río Grande)
I went to stay at the free Ceja del Río Grande camping site, even though it was fully booked online.
It was on a weekend in July, so it was peak time.
We arrived late afternoon, while there was still daylight.
It was quite busy, but there was enough space for three of us in the carpark and camping site.
Nobody came to check to see whether we had booked.
Why not treat me to a coffee, and keep the adventures coming your way!
During the booking procedure, you need to tick a box agreeing to these rules (called a Responsible Declaration).
However, the rules are not on the website in English (they are only in Castellano and Valencian).
You can read them all below…
Booking
Fire risk
Noise
Flora and fauna
Parking
Campervans/Caravans/vans/etc
If you are looking for a unique way to explore Alicante´s hidden corners, then I recommend trying an outdoor adventure challenge: “Adventure Hunt”.
Or you browse the hidden gems of the Costa Blanca on an interactive map.
Click on the top-left button to open up the list of outdoor activities you can so there.
Wild Child Costa Blanca
