Valamar Camping Lanterna

Glamping tents are pretty cool if you get a good spot.
Everything is way too spread out—it stops being fun after a while: too many people, pools that are too small, food that’s mediocre to bad, and it’s too expensive. The sandy beach is dirty.
The dog beach was okay but too small.
Restroom hygiene was a major issue; although the women in … charge tried very hard to keep everything clean, it was nonetheless always somehow disgusting and dirty. Some showers had only cold water.
People were throwing up everywhere, kids were running around in the street, there were no proper sidewalks, and the sewage system stank in some places. Actually, it really stank of urine everywhere.
We did our best to make the most of it during our stay so the kids could have a “nice” vacation, but we’d never visit the camp again. Lots of potential, good location. It wasn’t all negative, though.
Could be better. Read more Show less

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The campground is very large and spacious...it has plenty to offer for children of all ages. A positive feature is the long stretch of beach.
What stands out negatively is the pool area, which is far too small for the size of the campground...it’s totally overcrowded...as is the saltwater pool on the beach. The price for using the washing … machines—€9—is also really high. The electric scooter riders, some of whom are very inconsiderate, have also caused a lot of frustration. Read more Show less

Nice campground, but significantly overpriced

We stayed at the Lanterna campground for ten days as a couple with three children aged 7 to 13 and rented a Comfort Safari tent.

Check-in was easy and well-organized. Various travel agencies are represented right on site, and we felt that they provided quick assistance whenever we had … questions or problems.

The resort is huge and beautifully situated in a bay. There are several sandy and pebble beaches, numerous pools, a water park, entertainment, a kids’ disco, restaurants, bars, and various water sports activities. The sandy beaches were very crowded, however, while the pebble beaches were much more pleasant to use.

As is the case everywhere, water sports and recreational activities come with additional costs. In our opinion, however, the prices were still very high: 15 euros for ten minutes on a standard trampoline, about 60 euros for 15 minutes on a jet ski, and 200 euros for parasailing for two people.

Some of the other prices at the camp are also hard to fathom: 9 euros for three plain frozen schnitzels from the camp store, 9 euros for a load of laundry, and another 6 euros for the dryer. Small cocktails in plastic cups cost between 9 and 15 euros at the beach stands.

The restaurants at the camp are also significantly more expensive than those outside, while the quality of the food is well below average. Outside the camp, on the other hand, there are some very nice restaurants with much better food. We don’t want to cook for ourselves every day on vacation and live exactly the same way as we do in everyday life.

The small train that takes guests through the huge campground is a great idea, but it also costs extra. We hadn’t seen that at other campgrounds in Croatia before.

A major point of criticism was the restroom facilities. Although cleaning staff were on site, we didn’t get the impression that they were cleaning thoroughly. Often, the floors were just hosed down with water and wiped. Toilets, sinks, and faucets weren’t cleaned adequately either. We didn’t see any disinfectant being used during our stay.

Other guests told us that an area with particularly expensive campsites is supposed to be much cleaner. However, at a campground of this size, hygiene standards should be consistent throughout.

Between about 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., long lines formed in front of the women’s showers. In some cases, staff directed women to the men’s showers, or women used them on their own. This caused chaos on both sides. We’d be curious to see what the reaction would be if men simply used the women’s showers when there were long wait times.

Some beach stands were also completely understaffed, so that despite long lines, only one person was working, resulting in very long wait times.

It’s also important to note: Between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., you cannot drive your vehicle onto or off the campground. Anyone who wants to start their return trip at night must plan for this in advance.

Lanterna is, in principle, a great campground with a lot of potential. From our perspective, however, it is overpriced, heavily profit-driven, and not particularly well-managed. It is with a heavy heart that we therefore award it only three stars. Read more Show less

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