[Seadart Bob]

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<font color='#000080'>Hi

Need some information on a trip we are hoping to make to the South of Spain. Poss Benidorm

Plan to go by car. Has anybody done this route before?

Need prices of ferry’s, road tolls, best routes etc etc.

Doing it on the cheap so need self-catering sites.

Any dive centres around the Benidorm area.

Thanks in advance for any info supplied.

Cheers
Bob

 

[Mark Chase]

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I drove to Barcelona a few weeks ago. We did it in three stages. England - Lyon, Lyon to Estertit, Estertit to Barcelona. Tolls cost about £140for the return trip. Roads are fantastic in France untill you hit the Rhone Alpes. Up till then I had the cruse control set at 90mph and just didnt slow down. Speed limit is 83mph in the dry. Bewair that not all the service stations do petrol and that petrol on the main roads is expensive 0.80E by French standards.

I dont think is would have cost more to fly to be honist we just wanted to see a few things along the way.  

We paid £135 for the Seacat out of dover.

Spanish roads were OK but the sign posts became a bit vague.

Estertit is suposed to have the best diving in the Med. The Medas Islands are surounded by grouper and Octopus and large shoals of small fish and make for some nice relaxed dives.
Well worth a stop over on the way through. We stayed at the Hotel Albion just out side Estertit which was FANTASTIC. I think it was 150 euros per night for a double room but the rooms were masive and the hotell and pool were great. Resturant was good but a little expensive.

We used a laptop computer and Autorout 2003 to get us there. It worked well and it showed hotells and other items of interest on the screen. We just clicked on the hotells near our destination and the Autorout gave us contact phone numbers and adress. Great stuff.

If you want more info let me know

ATB

Mark Chase

 

[Gimbo]

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<font color='#0000FF'>I wrote a trip report on YD about diving in two locations: Cabo de Palos (Nr Murcia) and Cabo de Gata (Nr Alicante). Generally the roads in Spain are very good but it does help to have a good sense of direction. As for hotels you can get the red michelin guide for hotel list or the REPSOL hotel guide (repsol is a Spanish petrol station). If doing it on the cheap it is best to avoid resorts unless pre-arranged from UK.
Jut becareful that Spanish hotel breakfast tend to be very simple -crackers and if lucky butter. For meals you are looking at around €20per person.

 

[tom]

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I was diving in Javea, which is just north of Benidorm, a few weeks ago - there's a description in the Reports section.

We actually drove from there to Barcelona, I think the tolls came to about 40 euros. Takes around three hours, so if you add that to what Mark said...

Tom

 

[Gimbo]

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<font color='#0000FF'>When driving the police tolerant of speeding on the highways but not in towns / populated areas, even so try not to do over 160km on the motorway.
The diving in that area is good but the waters are not all that warm - should around 18ºc.
Also for dive centers try looking at the PADI.com site for a listing.

 

[craigh]

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I dived around Moraria (bit north of Benidorm) with an outfit called ScubaMar.( english owners)

some intersting open seacave type stuff (no OHD) that was reported in Diver recently...
also near Murcia from Puerto de Marazon.. big wreck in 35m..
i have to admit i am not keen on teh big group following the divemaster type stuff, but good vis and warm water..

 

[Gimbo]

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Quote[/b] (craigh @ Sep. 17 2003,13:20)]i have to admit i am not keen on teh big group following the divemaster type stuff, but good vis and warm water..

<font color='#0000FF'>Interesting you say that as it can be a problem in some centers in Spain. I now ask the center specifically if the group follows the master as mother chicks to a hen. If they I ask if it is possile to dive independently (with buddy), sometimes you don't see the key sites but then to dive in a school of 8-10 divers is a joke. Most places want to see how you dive before letting you loose though.
At Cabo de Palos I dived a wreck at 35m that use to be a banana boat sitting upright. Well worth the dive, unfortunately I was quite narcotic but love to go there again.

 

[Seadart Bob]

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<font color='#000080'>Chris. Mark. Tom. Craigh.

All useful information thanks for that.
Got my copy of Autoroute coming later.
Take the lappy!! Great idea.
Hope to be going mid Oct.

Thanks again you guys
Cheers
Bob