With 13 month-old-twins, Javi and I are looking for “easy” travel destinations these days; places that are a short drive away, feature flat landscape (i.e. stroller-friendly), and have outdoor attractions to see. Luckily we live in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, which means there are lots of great places nearby. We decided to book a few nights at a Barcélo resort in Huelva, Spain for a mini-getaway. Hotel rates drop significantly after July and August, so I was able to get us a superior room with half-board (breakfast + lunch or dinner) for just €150 a night.
👉 Click here for highlight video of our trip 👈
Enjoying the kiddie pool at the resort
Tips for staying at the Barceló beach resort
This was our first time staying at a resort with the babies and here’s what I learned, I hope you find these tips helpful!
- Book directly on the Barceló website and create an account to get additional discounts. Try to plan your visit in the low season. We booked our rooms September 19 – 22; there were no crowds, the weather was perfect, and the hotel rates were cheap.
- Ask for an accessible room; they put us on ground level and we could wheel the stroller straight out into the pool area. Plus, there was plenty of space for two cribs and our terrace was gated so the babies could run around and play.
- We didn’t book all-inclusive..the food is subpar, so I was glad we had the chance to try local restaurants and chiringuitos (beach bars) near the hotel.
- Hotel parking is €9 a day, but there is cheaper parking all over the place; orange parking spots are €2 a day. Just note in summer it’s difficult to find a cheap spot. Also, you can park in the hotel’s garage for 30 minutes for free to load/unload your luggage.
- The beach is not stroller-friendly as far as I could tell. There’s a wooden path directly behind the hotel that goes over the dunes and takes you down to the beach (10 minute walk, steep at times) but once you hit the sand that’s it. You’ll need to carry baby in your arms or just pick up the stroller and take it where you want to go.
- If you want to watch the sunset I’d recommend Mykonos Beach Club or Restaurante Chiringuito Camaron—both are a short walk from the hotel and stroller accessible.
- First line lounge chairs by the pools are limited; there are plenty of chairs, but some are farther back than others. People (annoyingly) leave towels on their chairs first thing in the morning to ‘claim’ theirs. Note, you have to pay a deposit per towel (€10) so you might want to bring your own towel from home.
- Piña coladas were €5 at the pool bar, and they didn’t charge extra if you ask for extra rum. Not sure if that’s normal policy or if I just got a nice bartender, it’s definitely worth a try. 😏
The ‘hike’ to the beach
The babies loved the splash zone
Destinations to see nearby
Because we didn’t book the all-inclusive option at the hotel we had the perfect excuse to try local restaurants and explore nearby places. Side note, there were plenty of chiringuitos within a 5 minutes drive from the hotel (I wish I’d had more time to try them all). Because we visited after high season some places were closed; this is the trade-off if you visit after the sumer crowds have gone. We had two full days at the resort and each day we ventured our for lunch or dinner, here’s where we went…
Punta Umbria
We parked near the Calle Ancha (main street) of the city and spent a few hours exploring and eating lunch in the center. I’m sure the city is very lively in the high season, but we went on a Monday in the low season—so the restaurants we wanted to try were closed. That being said, we had a lovely lunch, grabbed ice cream, and looked in a few shops. So if you go during the week, avoid Mondays if possible. 😂
Exploring Punta Umbria
A daiquiri with a view at Mykonos Beach Club
El Rompido
I was pleasantly surprised by the small fishing village of El Rompido. It was quaint, quiet, and had plenty of character. Again, I’m sure this place is overflowing in the high season, but in late September it was the perfect mix of tourists and locals. We parked down a little side street surrounded by shops and restaurants, next to the Plaza de las Sirenas (which also has beautiful crochet discs hanging above the plaza and is so worth a visit).
I wish we could have spent more time in El Rompido
Artichoke hearts with prawns—delicious!
We walked up to the Centro Comercial El Faro for a beer and the gorgeous view, then headed to Rincon de Pescadores for lunch. It was the perfect way to spend an afternoon, and I loved seeing the river and small fishing boats down every side street as we wandered around town…in all honesty I think I would have enjoyed staying in this pueblo more so than the resort. 👀
Low tide in El Rompido
Conclusion—would I stay at this Barceló hotel with babies?
Would I stay at this hotel again with babies? Probably not…but it is totally do-able. I think this Barceló resort is ideal for smaller children, not infants—once they’re out of the stroller they can take full advantage of the kids’ clubs, splash park and pools. The fact that the gorgeous beaches are not stroller accessible was a bit of a bummer too. The food and drink services are convenient, but I much prefer to save the additional cost and spend it eating at local restaurants and bars. On the plus side, our hotel room was very large and could easily fit two cribs as well as our double stroller. Also, having ground level access to the pool was ideal. If I visit this area again in the future I’d like to stay in El Rompido or a similar village in the area.
Click below image below video highlights from our trip👇
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