Silves Portugal - free parking cleared of Motorhomes yesterday (1 Viewer)

Jul 4, 2010
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Here's an email received today (22 February 2014) from my cousin who lives near to Silves. Hope this allows others to plan their stay in the area without getting a nasty surprise.


"Well it seems the local council have finally had enough with the long
term parking of vans.

Up to Thursday there was approx 150 vans many had been there for going
on 2 months.( they even went to the trouble of stabilising their vans
with axle supports.)

The police were there yesterday clearing people off site.

It was quite amazing, as we went to Lidl, we drove by the car park and
it was full, half hour later we drove past and about 30 vans were left.

According to our neighbour, It also seems that some were using the car
park as a winter storage facility and the owners were else where.

It is a shame that some people spoil it for others, as for years, while
other councils allowed limited parking Silves didn't mind.

But then some of the other councils decided to either charge or banned
it. and they all moved to Silves."
 

JJ

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Well...

I understood that one half of the area (the Ranch Burger side) had been moved off leaving the vans on the other side for the time being.

The reported plan is to set up a charging system for that space.

Mind you, I haven't actually been there for a couple of days.

Nobody is spoiling anything for other people.

The last Mayor was very pro the motorhomers. After the tornado last year the motorhomers organised a whip round and gave the Camara €500 to help out.

Many bars, shops and restaurants will suffer badly if they are moved off permantly.

I have heard that the most anti motorhomers people are expat Brits in their bungalows. :ROFLMAO:

Selfishly, I am not worried myself as I prefer to park away from the masses (and I HATE those folk who put out washing lines tied to lamp posts) but I have friends who love parking up at Silves and are happy to pay a small fee like at Portimao (carpark owner must be collecting a couple of grand a week) but will never pay €8 - €10 a night long term.

There are many different styles of motorhoming...



JJ :Cool:






 
Last edited:
OP
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Jul 4, 2010
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My cousin doesn't have an axe to grind, the only purpose was to let us know that free parking is no more (maybe in the short term?) in Silves. As you know JJ we were hoping to visit next week but are called back to the UK for family so it was relevant to us.

They don't live in a bungalow and have lived in a rural hamlet near Silves for maybe 20+ years as they love Portugal, they are pretty laid back too in a similar way to yourself maybe?

I took it upon myself to publish part of his email just to allow others heading toward Silves to maybe make alternative plans if the intention was staying in this car park, only trying to help not make a political point. What is the power of a forum for if not to give info and help each other.

Update - I also posted the same message on MH Facts, where someone in Silves at the moment has been told all 3 MH free parking areas have been cleared.

On that site another commented on seeing someone cleaning a toilet cassette at a childrens drinking fountain. We've all seen similar things everywhere around Europe so yes it is possible for some to spoil it for others and in this case surely by long term residence in huge numbers in a free desirable location is abuse of local hospitality.

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JJ

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I understand that the ONE person using the water fountain water to clean his cassette some weeks ago was moved off by the GNR pretty sharpish...

I didn't see it with my own eyes and I am aware of the motorhome version of Chinese Whispers but I KNOW for a fact that the vast majority parked there would not do nor condone anything like that.

I have seen with my own eyes the motorhomers shouting at a man who had splashed a bit when emptying at the assigned manhole. He was sent back to clean up... :thumb:

We offsite vanners are used to not being able to use a space because it is full/closed etc and always have alternatives...

Portugal has hundreds and hundreds of places to offsite park especially if you move away from the touristy Algarve area...

Any problems though and we are lucky to have our very own Chicken Run and Quinta Pedro's... :thumb:


JJ :Cool:
 

Geejay

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I don't see the point of your responses. The OP was only trying to provide some information for those who might be heading that way. I don't think any reply was required, except to supply additional relevant information.

By the way, I wonder why it's necessary to post in such a large font
 

ukbill

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starting on saturday 10/3/2012
because he thinks like him everyone else is deaf as well
as for pedro's yes thats great but the chicken run omg best i dont even go there :ROFLMAO:

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Silves update

We are staying at the small commercial aire at Silves, arriving here yesterday. Today I had a brief conversation with one of the motorhomers who was ejected from the car park area behind the swimming pool but who has since returned to the same place.

Apparently, the GNR moved everybody on from all three areas in Silves because there was some sort of rally (Boy Scouts or Girl Guides) and they needed the space. My contact said that the mayor and people of the town were livid that the GNR had taken this action without their prior knowledge and they were keen to welcome motorhomers back to Silves.

I'm told the main car park next to Burger Ranch is still out of bounds but the areas behind the swimming pool are open to motorhomers.

I should emphasise that my information is based on a brief conversation so please, no indignant posts if I haven't got it 100% correct.
 
OP
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Was in Silver today, rough guess about 100 MH's near the swimming pool. Cars only by burger ranch plus one camper.
Market day today and saw plenty of non Portuguese buying there, so MH's good for local business. What I can,t understand is why Silves council don't take advantage of this large number of campers and make a nominal charge for parking and waste emptying, it's a ready made income for the town. Also have to write it's quite startling to see so many MH's so close to the town centre.

In last 2 days also visited friends at the Chicken Run and looked in on 2 other pay Aires in the central Algarve region, so many MH's here. Also found a couple very beautiful 'wild' spots where a few days free camping wouldn't affect anybody.

Our first time in the Algarve, lovely people and locations for all tastes.

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bobandjanie

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Was in Silver today, rough guess about 100 MH's near the swimming pool. Cars only by burger ranch plus one camper.
Market day today and saw plenty of non Portuguese buying there, so MH's good for local business. What I can,t understand is why Silves council don't take advantage of this large number of campers and make a nominal charge for parking and waste emptying, it's a ready made income for the town. Also have to write it's quite startling to see so many MH's so close to the town centre.

In last 2 days also visited friends at the Chicken Run and looked in on 2 other pay Aires in the central Algarve region, so many MH's here. Also found a couple very beautiful 'wild' spots where a few days free camping wouldn't affect anybody.

Our first time in the Algarve, lovely people and locations for all tastes.

Hi veevee....you would think they would....
That old 'nominal charge' bit. Yes, it would be sensible to put the infrastructure in (the cost at Sagres is set to be about €20,000) BUT the motorhomers will have to be 'encouraged' to use the services and pay for them. Portimao is an example. The users of Silves did /do, after all have access one way or another, to water and waste and wifi. For that, they donated the pricely sum of €1,300! Many, as pointed out on this forum before and witnessed by me, do not want to pay a cent. We used (as far as I remember) two small private aires, a municiple, a football club, a large private aire, a free village aire, one campsite (yuk) one quiet out of the way wilding spot for two nights (thanks JJ) and one pass through night on a car park. Not taking liberties, paying our way, though we owe JJ and Frankie for their hospitality! Jane :Smile:
 

Snail

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We are staying at the small commercial aire at Silves, arriving here yesterday. Today I had a brief conversation with one of the motorhomers who was ejected from the car park area behind the swimming pool but who has since returned to the same place.

Apparently, the GNR moved everybody on from all three areas in Silves because there was some sort of rally (Boy Scouts or Girl Guides) and they needed the space. My contact said that the mayor and people of the town were livid that the GNR had taken this action without their prior knowledge and they were keen to welcome motorhomers back to Silves.

I'm told the main car park next to Burger Ranch is still out of bounds but the areas behind the swimming pool are open to motorhomers.

I should emphasise that my information is based on a brief conversation so please, no indignant posts if I haven't got it 100% correct.

Its probaly Baden Powell day parade, held in a different place in Portugal each year, watched it in Lagos last year and it was huge! thousands of paraders and supporters, so you can see why they need the space

snail

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spitfire

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Hi veevee....you would think they would....
That old 'nominal charge' bit. Yes, it would be sensible to put the infrastructure in (the cost at Sagres is set to be about €20,000) BUT the motorhomers will have to be 'encouraged' to use the services and pay for them. Portimao is an example. The users of Silves did /do, after all have access one way or another, to water and waste and wifi. For that, they donated the pricely sum of €1,300! Many, as pointed out on this forum before and witnessed by me, do not want to pay a cent. We used (as far as I remember) two small private aires, a municiple, a football club, a large private aire, a free village aire, one campsite (yuk) one quiet out of the way wilding spot for two nights (thanks JJ) and one pass through night on a car park. Not taking liberties, paying our way, though we owe JJ and Frankie for their hospitality! Jane :Smile:

And they have proved they don't want to pay . There are spaces on the aire but still they park free in the car park. £1300 from all vans divided by number of weeks parked free. Pretty cheap camping.
 

tick59

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I don't see the point of your responses. The OP was only trying to provide some information for those who might be heading that way. I don't think any reply was required, except to supply additional relevant information.

By the way, I wonder why it's necessary to post in such a large font[/QUOTE]

:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
WHAT IS WRONG WITH A LARGE FONT LIKE IF HE WANT'S TO USE ONE IT IS UP TO HIM IF YOU ARE OFFENDED BY THIS DON'T READ THE POSTS IN BIG FONTS. LOOK AT MY SIGNATURE. FUN!!!FUN!!! FUN!!!!
 

Geejay

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Thanks for your thoughtful post. You've just convinced me that Fun isn't for me.

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andley

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because he thinks like him everyone else is deaf as well
as for pedro's yes thats great but the chicken run omg best i dont even go there :ROFLMAO:

If you haven't any thing nice to say, it's best you don't say any thing at all, especially when you have never stayed there :ROFLMAO:
 

SueBaz

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Chickenrun



..........Portugal has hundreds and hundreds of places to offsite park especially if you move away from the touristy Algarve area...

Any problems though and we are lucky to have our very own Chicken Run and Quinta Pedro's... :thumb:


JJ :Cool:

Only discovered the Algarve last spring, our first trip to Portugal. We spent 6weeks doing a lap of the country: stayed on wildcamps and 'proper' sites and all sorts in between. Interesting about Silves but whilst we've visited there we haven't stayed as, when we came this way we found Chickenrun, since then when we've returned we always found time for at least a week at Chickenrun.

Just back from Morocco, fun but tiring, we've been here for the last week on R&R before the dash home. I'm with JJ, thank goodness places like this exist.

Thank you Andrew, Lesley, Peter, Ann and everyone else we've had fun with for making our stays there so good.

Have Fun. :Smile:

Barry and Sue. :thumb:

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