In the Papers

Lloret, Estartit, Tossa.. Andrew Gardner gives them a miss for Costa camping and karaoke

Eurocamp should have a rule banning blokes of a certain age from singing karaoke. In mitigation I'd like to say the pink T-shirt seemed a bargain and the beer was wonderfully chilled.

I blame the waiters for serving me and the amateur sound system for what followed.. pure murder. For the record, I really did try and sing Take That's number one hit Back For good.

At the time it seemed a good way to finish another sun-soaked day on Spain's electric Costa Brava. In reality the 400-strong crowd at the Internacional de Calonge campsite had never heard anything like it – more Robbie Coltrane than Robbie Williams.

Days later fellow holidaymakers were still treating me like an English football lout and probably wondering why of Eurocamp's 164 parcs they chose this site.

Many of Costa Brava's resorts are well known to Brits: Estartit, Tossa de mar and Lloret de Mar.

You can still find The Prince of Wales pub if you want, but Spain – and Catalonia – is changing and pulling away from the 10 pints of lager brigade.

As a family we've certain criteria for a camping holiday: a good modern site with ample facilities, beaches nearby and local attractions, which is why I decided on Play d'Aro, 90 minutes north of Barcelona.

I opted to fly-drive as it saves time and using low-cost airlines keeps the price down – but there's a hitch. The Easyjet flight from Stanstead in Essex at 7.30am wasn't a good time for young children. 

Arriving in Barcelona after the three-hour flight; I picked up the Hertz hire car, a Renault Laguna which did the job even if it had the pulling power of Wayne Rooney.

Motoring north I took in the ever-changing landscape, which can be both beauty and beast.

We arrived at our site, which nestles under an impressive mountain. Our two-bedroom Verona mobile had a double bed and bunk beds for the children, a hot shower, cooker and massive fridge for the cheap Spanish plonk.

After settling in, my eight-year-old daughter Katie and her sister Beth, six dragged me down to the local beach.

A bridge links the parc to a beautiful sandy cover, which leads on to a series of exquisite bays with aqua blue water. The girls are water babes and the campsite's stunning main pools have lifeguards, while the smaller pool has views of the Mediterranean. Even in August there was enough room to swing Katie and Beth and find a sunbed.

After a couple of days of slowly roasting it was time to do a Michael Palin and go exploring. We set off to nearby Palamos, a modern resort with an ancient heart founded in 1277. It is the most important fishing port in the province of Girona with centuries of history.

After visiting the Museu de la Pesca on the harbour, a fantastic museum of fishing, we hit a dockside restaurant with a menu filled with fishy delights.

The calamari with lemon and mayonnaise was only £6, enjoyed with a local wine priced £7.50. Katie thought the calamari looked like “the monster from Alien” so she and her sister went for spaghetti bolognese and ice cream at £4.50 each.

Afterwards the kids found a fair which was an enchanting mix of traditional and modern rides. Beth insisted on three goes - at around 70p each – on the hook-a-duck stall to win some moth-eaten bears.

The highlight was a scary activity that involved the girls being tied between two pieces of giant elastic. The rubber bands gave them a feeling of weightlessness as they bounced high on trampolines.

As veteran Eurocampers, the girls had been looking forward to the site's Fun Station club, which offers everything from art to tennis and face painting for a few hours each morning and afternoon.

It proved so popular I had to cancel a boat trip to Illes Medes, a national reserve park which, friends who made the trip assured me, represents the best of rugged Catalan beauty. Near the French border, it is the gateway to the park's seven unspoilt islands and reefs.

Back at the camp the kids were making friends and sorting out my social life. We hitched up with Carolyn, Tim and their three children and had a ball. The days had a rhythm – beach or pool, lunch, trip and then a well-deserved beer.

The highlight was a trip to the remote resort of Cadaques on the French border. This bay is a knockout, with crystal blue water, fishing boats and a sandy beach.

There is a lively cafe scene and great restaurants in the town, which was made famous by Picasso. The kids loved the golden sand and we got to enjoy the white-washed houses and bars.

Back at the campsite we tried out the restaurant – what a disappointment. The location has everything going for it but the food didn't live up the rest of the five-star facilities. The omelette (£2.75) was dire and reheated and the calamari at £3.50 was dull. Skewers of pork and veggies were a little better at £4.50.

The rest of the campsite was top notch. It was clean and even had a cash machine.

However, despite having security staff, we returned from a trip to find a thief had stolen my wallet and half a dozen other people's.

Rather than let this get us down, we set off for Aquadiver Waterpark, two miles from the campsite. A day ticket for a family of four costs £39 and a burger about £4.

But be warned, some of the rides are super-scary and not for children. I tried the near-vertical Kamakazi slide – only once.

Later we strolled the mile or so into Playa d'Aro, a jumbled mix of the ancient and modern. We passed the ruins of a Roman villa, while at the far end of the beach is a kids' fun area, which was clean and new.

The seafront promenade is full of decent restaurants and a family meal was £40 with wine. As the sunset we strolled into the lively centre and found a British pub. After a few chilled lagers at £2.50 each we spent £4 on a taxi to the campsite.

Then it was on with the pink T-shirt and off to karaoke – and in case you're about to book your Eurocamp trip, we're going to Italy – so get your earmuffs now….