Campsites in Portugal & Gibraltar (1 Viewer)

[Voyager]

Campsite in Portugal

We are thinking of going to Portugal then down to Gibraltar this year can anybody recommend any sites.

Geoff

 

[keith]

Between Cadiz & Gib. Camping Roseleda, at Conile de la Fontera

Website

Does get busy though until March then plenty of room last year when we were there

 

[Don Madge]

Campsite in Portugal

We are thinking of going to Portugal then down to Gibraltar this year can anybody recommend any sites.

Geoff

Geoff,

I don't have a list of camp sites in Portugal but I do have a list of free camping spots if that would be of any use to you.

Don

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Voyager]

Hi Don thanks for the reply that would a great help.

Geoff

 

[olley]

hi Just got "Motorhome Trails Portugal" lists over seventy wildcamping sites, been having a look through it and very impressed, gives directions, GPS, info on toilets, shopping, etc. all for a fiver.

Olley

 

[Don Madge]

Free Parking Spots in Portugal

Some Free Parking Spots in Portugal

This list was compiled in September/October 2003 and February/March 2007.
We stayed at or visited all the places listed. Some places are rapidly developing into concentrated tourist areas and these parking places maybe swallowed up. The free parking places could be very busy in the winter period (Dec–March). I would suggest the best time to visit Portugal would be April/May and September/October.

Many of the water fountains were turned off a couple of years ago during the drought and have never been turned back on.

I’ve also included details of the English language radio station (Kiss FM 95.80 & 101.2) which broadcasts on the Algarve only.

In the last few years free camping on the Algarve has become a problem with so many campers wintering in Portugal. It is usually quieter on the western Algarve (west of Lagos) it’s even quieter on the west coast but can be very windy at times

Central and West Coast
BARRAGEM PEGO DE ALTER. (Commonly called Pego by the Brits) Signed off the N 253 Alcacer to Montemor road 6 miles from Alcacer. Excellent long stay place with plenty of parking. Very popular with the Brits on their way home after their winter tour. Spring water available half way up hill. Toilet and shower also available.

BARRAGEM DE MONTERGIL. Situated on the N2 between Abrantes and Montemor. Entrance to camping area along side Shell garage. Water available. Trees could cause problems on entering for large outfits.

PORTO COVO. Small village south of Sines on coast road. Plenty of parking on north side of village on cliffs. Toilets and spring water available, municipal market.
Many beachside parking places between Sines and Porto Covo. One of our favourite spots.

VILA NOVA DE MILFONTES. On N 390. Town on river estuary. Good parking spots at Praia de Furness other side of river from Milfontes. Go south from Milfontes on N 390 over bridge next road on the right signed Furness.

ALMOGRAVE. Signed off N 393. Small village on coast good parking on cliffs above beach. Spring water available and the cleanest toilets in Portugal (closed at night).

PRAIA DE ODECEIXE. Signed off N 120. Poor parking in village. Very good parking on other side of estuary from village. Take unmade road on north side of bridge on N 120. Spring water available.

ALJEZUR. Praia de Amoreiro signed from N 120 north of town. Monte Clerigo signed from N 120 south of town. Municipal market in town on riverside. Parking area behind market toilets and water available.

PRAIA DE AMADA.
Signed off N268 just before entering Carrapateira going north. Not usually marked on maps. Water & shops in Carrapateira village.


CARRAPATEIRA.
Signed of N268 north of Vila de Bispo. Municipal market and toilets/water in village. Very nice beach.

VILA DO BISPO. Don’t go into town centre as streets are very narrow. Take the main exit for the town from the N 125 and this will take you to the supermarket and water. In town follow the sings for Praia do Castelejo then Praia da Cordoama.
Cordoama is an isolated beach down an unmade road and is good for long stays. At Caselejo parking is very limited. During the surfing season both beaches are very crowded.

Algarve

Between Sagres and Cape St Vincent there is parking on the cliff tops. Usually very windy short term only.

SAGRES . Parking on the quayside for small outfits only. For the larger outfits there is parking in various places in the town and on the seafront. Water is available at the harbour. Toilets at the harbour restaurant. The fish auction takes place late afternoon at the fish dock complex. If you do attend sit very still or you could be the proud owner of a 100kg box of squid.

INGRINA. Signed off the N 125 at the traffic lights at Raposeira. Limited parking next to the beach.

BARRANCO. Not signed but take same turn off as Ingrina then fork right in 150 metres. Unmade road (bad in places) for 3.5 miles to very isolated beach. Mainly used by windsurfers.
Water is available on the right about 200-300 metres from the traffic lights on the Ingrina road.

SALEMA.
Parking available in village, on entering turn right at sea front and then turn right immediately after bridge, well signed. Toilets in village square.

BOCA DO RIO. Signed off the N 125 at the traffic lights at Budens (Ecomarche for cheap fuel at junction) then tarmac road to beach. Good for long term parking very popular spot in winter. Can get very windy at times. Toilets available next village (west) Selema a 15 minute bike ride. Bread is available from a caravan that is parked in Selema square opposite the toilets.

LAGOS. Parking behind the railway station in large car park in front of school. Toilets at the Marina. On the road from Lagos to Meia Praia garage on right, parking on urbanisation behind garage. Some parking on hard standings between seashore and road between Lagos and Meia Praia

MEIA PRAIA. Signed from Lagos parking beachside in sand dunes.

BARRAGEM DA BRAVURA. Signed off N 125 at Odiaxere. Water available at windmill on leaving Odiaxere.

ALVOR. Plenty of parking on seafront at eastern end of town near Ocandeerio Restaurant. For parking west of town follow signs for Zona Ribeirina park among palms and oleandas in car park. Could be a problem in the wet. Also parking behind swimming pool.

PRAIA DA ROCHA. Limited parking for vans at eastern end of promenade opposite Hotel Concorde also parking behind Hotel Concorde at lower level.
Praia da Rocha and Alvor more or less run into together along seashore with hotels and apartments.

ARMACAO DE PERA. Parking on car park at western end of town and at the eastern end parking behind football pitch.

QUARTEIRA. Parking at Praia Forte Novo at the eastern end of the town.
FUZETA. Go through village and parking on sea front car park next to camp site (camp site usually very crowded).

PEDRAS D’EL REI. Clearly signed off N 125 west of Tavira. Follow road to lagoon turn right and parking area ahead.

CABANAS. Enter village then turn left at seashore limited parking at far end of coast road. Water tap in municipal bin area on right.

PRAIA DA MANTA ROTA. Parking on large beach car park behind sand dunes. Water available.

GAS BOTTLE REFILLING STATIONS ON THE ALGARVE.

Boliquime. 50 metres off N125 sign clearly visible from main road.

Quelfes. Take the N 398 (East of Olhao) signed Moncaraphacho, Faro & Espahne leave at first exit. GPL station can be clearly seen on the left as you approach the exit.
From A22 leave at exit 15. Take Quelfes turn off from N398 signed on left.

KISS FM. 101.2 + 95.8 FM ENGLISH NEWS PROGRAMS ON THE ALGARVE

Monday – Friday News, Sport & Weather.
08.30, 09.30, 10.30, 14.00, 18.00, 19.00, 20.00.

Saturday News & Sport.
10.30, 14.00, 18.00, 19.00. 20.00

Sunday News & Sport
09.00, 10.30, 12.00, 19.00, 20.00.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Don Madge]

hi Just got "Motorhome Trails Portugal" lists over seventy wildcamping sites, been having a look through it and very impressed, gives directions, GPS, info on toilets, shopping, etc. all for a fiver.

Olley

Olley,

Is that the book by Gamagee where he states that it is your "right" to free camp in Portugal.

That statement did not go down very well with some people me included.

Putting statements like that in a guide does not help the situation.

Don

 

[olley]

Hi don thats the one, bit surprised with your less than enthusiastic comment?

(Putting statements like that in a guide does not help the situation) what situation?

Not read it all by a long way but he does point out that:

"it is not my intention to encourage people to use free campsites. There are certain risks involved and it would not be responsible for me to ignore these. I leave it up to the individual reader to decide if they want to free camp"

Seeing as how you are an avowed free camper, i can't see what your complaint is.

Olley

 

[Don Madge]

Hi don thats the one, bit surprised with your less than enthusiastic comment?

(Putting statements like that in a guide does not help the situation) what situation?

Not read it all by a long way but he does point out that:

"it is not my intention to encourage people to use free campsites. There are certain risks involved and it would not be responsible for me to ignore these. I leave it up to the individual reader to decide if they want to free camp"

Seeing as how you are an avowed free camper, i can't see what your complaint is.

Olley

Hi Olley,

I assume you have not wintered in Portugal lately.

The situation I was referring to was the popular beaches on the Algarve being overwhelmed by motorhomes. I took these pics in Feb this year. Most were Brits.:Blush:

There were over 40 motorhomes on this beach and some had not moved for weeks on end, I hate to think where they emptied their loos.

We are avowed free campers but unlike most these days we are responsible free campers and have been for the last 24 years.

This pic was taken on the same beach 15 years ago. We all knew one another in those days.

Olley it wasn't so much as a complaint but an observation. I still think it was irresponsible to write that it was "Your right" to free camp, as we look at it it's a privilege.

Regards

Don

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[olley]

Hi Don never wintered anywhere but the UK Understand what your saying but you where in a privileged position to be able to overwinter 15 years ago, and its through people like you firing the imagination of the masses that has caused the difference in the beach pictures.

People have read your stories and said "I want some of that" lets sell up and get out of the ratrace. I mean look at them, Febuary on the beach, makes me want to cry. Unfortunately not everybody is going to leave only footprints, and given time, the "few" will mess it up for the "many"

You should have told us it was c**p

Olley

 

[olley]

hi don have you read the book? as the closest I can find to "that it is your "right" to free camp in Portugal" is this quote below

"As long as I am not infringing the rights of others, or otherwise doing harm, then I feel I have the right to be anywhere"

Which on the face of it seems a reasonable comment, and one I would think applies to you. After all if you didn't think you had a "right" to park, then you wouldn't have parked for example on that beach, so anywhere you have parked you must have thought you had a "right" to be there. Alright.

Olley

 

[Don Madge]

hi don have you read the book? as the closest I can find to "that it is your "right" to free camp in Portugal" is this quote below

"As long as I am not infringing the rights of others, or otherwise doing harm, then I feel I have the right to be anywhere"

Which on the face of it seems a reasonable comment, and one I would think applies to you. After all if you didn't think you had a "right" to park, then you wouldn't have parked for example on that beach, so anywhere you have parked you must have thought you had a "right" to be there. Alright.

Olley

Morning Olley,

I could not remember the exact wording.:Blush: I still don't like his use of the word "Right", personally I think he could have chosen a better word.

The book has had some good reviews and contains a lot of useful info for the first timers in Portugal and is a good buy.

Maybe I'm getting sad in my old age.

Don

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[olley]

Morning Olley,

I could not remember the exact wording.:Blush: I still don't like his use of the word "Right", personally I think he could have chosen a better word.

The book has had some good reviews and contains a lot of useful info for the first timers in Portugal and is a good buy.

Maybe I'm getting sad in my old age.

Don

Hi Don I agree, perhaps he should have used "alright" to be anywhere, that's the the yardstick I use, if it feels "alright" we park, if not we drive on.

Olley

 

[Voyager]

Portugal & Gibraltar

Hi Don thanks for the list of free camping spots must have took you ages to write the list out, I am still felling my way round the site. Thanks again.

Geoff

 

[Don Madge]

Campsite Guide for Portugal

Geoff,

If you would like a campsite guide for Portugal see http://www.vicarious-shop.co.uk/view_product.php?c_id=2&sc_id=&p_id=29 it's an excellent guide,easy to read. It's the best site guide for Portugal.

Don

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Voyager]

Hi Don many thanks for the link to Vicarious books will be getting in touch with them, just been checking out the photos posted on Portugal looks fantastic for what I've seen.


Geoff

 

[scotjimland]

Hi Olley,

I assume you have not wintered in Portugal lately.

The situation I was referring to was the popular beaches on the Algarve being overwhelmed by motorhomes. I took these pics in Feb this year. Most were Brits.:Blush:

There were over 40 motorhomes on this beach and some had not moved for weeks on end, I hate to think where they emptied their loos.

We are avowed free campers but unlike most these days we are responsible free campers and have been for the last 24 years.

This pic was taken on the same beach 15 years ago. We all knew one another in those days.

Hi Don and others..

I'm not trying to be confrontational but why was it ok for a few "who know each other" to free camp at this beach but it's not ok when there are a lot more.. if it's so popular why don't the make it into an aire with water and dumping and limit the numbers..
Personally I see little wrong in the pictures.. were the vans blocking someone's view or causing other problems.. the beach looks deserted so it isn't fronting onto a town or hotel complex.. and it is the winter time, in practice, what is a 'responsible' free camper ?
I know where your coming from and understand your concerns, as you are aware, it's also becoming an issue along the coast of Morocco .. :Sad:
I can understand people being angry when hoards of vans are parked up along a town promenade such as happens in Torremolinos that is clearly wrong and gives motorhomes a bad name..

 

[Don Madge]

Hi Jim,

The "We all knew one another in those days" was my attempt at a funny, obviously it did not come off.

Unless you were there it's very difficult to comprehend the situation, the local fishermen had nowhere to park there cars near the beach. At the weekend local families had nowhere to park near the beach. Need I go on.

In my mind a "responsible free camper" empties his loo in a dump station or such like. There were a lot people with torches going to the back of the beach at night, I wonder why.

Jim, have you been to Portugal in the winter and seen the scale of the problem. We counted over 75 vans parked in a tarmac car park in Sagres

IMHO the problem will get worse and there will come a time when the free camping along the Algarve could go the same way as the west coast of Morocco if motorhomers don't become a bit more considerate..

Regards

Don

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[scotjimland]

Unless you were there it's very difficult to comprehend the situation, the local fishermen had nowhere to park there cars near the beach. At the weekend local families had nowhere to park near the beach. Need I go on.

Hi Don

No, I get the picture, if it was interfering with the locals etc .. yes, it's a problem.
I enjoy free camping also, one or two nights and moving on but not for weeks on end and without proper sanitation... that's not on..

 

[Funnymunny]

Portugal

The list Don Madge has posted for wildcamping is very good i have used most of those spots several times over the past 4 years but the only exceptions to it are

Salema,
a lovely place but has recently had a lot of work going on and is difficult to park in the usual spot.

Lagos,
forget it they seemed to have had a complete clean out and all the usual spots are now closed off or forbidden, we did have a night on the riverbank and some had several despite the signs banning motorhomes but the car park behind the station is now a no go area for motorhomes and also the couple of spots going down to the prais behind the staion are all closed off.

Ron D

 

[Beachbum]

Campsite in Portugal

We are thinking of going to Portugal then down to Gibraltar this year can anybody recommend any sites.

Geoff

Hi Geoff, Legally, forget Gibralter. No MH's allowed into certain parts of the town. Road signs show it up clearly. You can drive onto the rock. Go through the border checkout. Drive over the airstrip till you come to aroundabout. Turn left there and follow the road until you come short of the hotel (forgotten the name) To your left is a large piece of waste land where a lot of cars are parked, the beach is feet away. It is known as the East side. Known also as the Italian quarter. I have stopped there a few days and nights. Officially you are not allowed to park on the rock overnight. But the cops do turn a blind eye if there are only a couple of MH's there. You can get a bus into the middle of town. Do not feed the monkeys, the locals go crazy if you do. Very friendly folks. Don't mention any politics about the
Gib: The Spainards are very pro British. Gas was 57p a litre this year, tabacco and booze very cheap. Keep to your limit. Spainish border control are pretty tough. Hope it helps.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[AlanVal]

The same place Boca da rio very quiet and peacefull, lovely place we stayed 3 nights.Only a couple od other vans there.This was taken first week in May 2007.Hopefully in afew weeks time it will be just as good..


Val x

 

[Don Madge]

Val,

See my post of 21/11/07 that's what you can expect from now until early April.

There were about nine vans there over the Christmas period.


Enjoy your trip.

I'm still stuck at home when I should have been on my way to Turkey.

Don

 

[AlanVal]

Hi Don why you not away then.... We are glad all the festivities are over so now we can start getting organized..We loved it at Boco da rio mind it wasnt bad seeing so many had been there ....there were lots of empty plastic water bottles lying around so we tidied up ...as we do lol I hope it isnt to busy 3 days is the most we can stay as we need water and cassette seen to by then.Solar panel on this year so hopefully that should help.Van has to get service and mot this week then second gaslow put in.

Val

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Don Madge]

Val,

We have all been poorly over the Christmas period and my mother (97) has had a heart attack.

We are hoping to get sorted in the next two weeks.

Don

 

[AlanVal]

Oh poor you I do hope your mother is ok poor old dear.You will worry when you are away about her.

Val