Police fine 96 people for wild camping

mikebeaches

mikebeaches

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Ouch! ''excessive and disorderly occupation of public spaces and coastal areas” with “negative consequences on landscapes, the environment and public health”.

Is this an actual offence ??? Doesn't matter really, if they want to nick you they will nick you. I wonder where they were all pitched up. Looking atb Google Maps there are a few parking places in this tiny place.
 
The problem is numbers!!!! When you get huge groups of vans staying in one place there will always be odd ones that empty cassettes in inappropriate places, also Portugal has a huge/expensive wild fire problem so during the summer the laws are extremely strict on fires, and anything that can cause a spark to start a wild fire is forbidden---- even the use of chainsaws, metal grass/brush cutters even the use of metal blades on strimmers is a serious offence.
We have wild camped all over the place but now will not do so in places in the Algarve, but we have not yet heard of anyone having an issue wild camping in areas well away from the coast------- Portugal is a big and very beautiful country----- we don't see the need to hang out with loads of other vans on the coast when there is soo much to see and although wild camping is now illegal here there are so many great places to stop---- apart from the excellent aire system that operates here!!!!
 
It's been happening for a few years:

driveeurope.co.uk

Monster Motorhome Fines In Portugal – Rally Moselle

Eye-watering fines handed out to illegally parked motorhomers in Portugal. Also, a quick look at the Moselle (Mosel) region of west Germany, scene of this weekend’s Rally Deutschland. More delays f…
driveeurope.co.uk driveeurope.co.uk

One of the issues is people staying in areas where you are not allowed to overnight (national park etc).
 
It's a tad old the text indicates 2015.

Best keep up to date. (y)

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Jimbohorlicks said:
It's a tad old the text indicates 2015.

Best keep up to date. (y)
Click to expand...
Sorry, am I missing something?

The article indicates it was published yesterday 05.11.20 and refers to fines issued on Tuesday ie 03.11.20.

Where is the reference in the text indicating 2015?
 
I’ve posted this numerous times on numerous threads, wild camping is prohibited by law ( COVID state of Calamity in Portugal) in any coastal areas And car parks, in fact anywhere other than official aires or campsites. It is enforced on the Algarve.

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Might be a bit more informative if which post referred to was included.....perhaps!
 
Hi.
When high summer is over,we have to now apply to the local council,to have a fire on our own land. We get a date and that is when we can have a burn. Can send pics of us leaving the property about 3 years ago as the fires approached and of us sat in cars and Mo/ho down opposite the Bombeiros/Fire station in Santa Comba Dao,with ash falling all around us... FIRE is a big hazard in Portugal
Re " Clamping down on Wild camping " Our favourite spot is Praia de Mira,about an hour away where we used to stay the odd night.Parked up just at the back of the beach about half a mile out. At night,last Walkies with Sass bag i had to avoid the bushes at the EDGE of the car park,because cassettes had been emptied all along,even coming a foot onto the car park. Signs up now.." NO mo/ho-C/vans " There are two sites there,a very nice private one and a very good Orbitur. So keep coming. Water,fuel,waste dump point round the back at Intermarche Mira town ,about half a mile inland.
Tea Bag
 
matamoros said:
Might be a bit more informative if which post referred to was included.....perhaps!
Click to expand...
As the OP, my post referred to 96 fines issued this week. (y)

I wasn't suggesting similar hasn't happened previously - over a number of years - simply highlighting the latest situation. :rollingeyes:

As Lenny has said, I think Mel was just illustrating evidence indicating it has been ongoing since at least 2015. :unsure:
 
"The RTA added that the official sites are equipped with all the necessary comfort and safety conditions, providing water, electricity, waste disposal, Wi-Fi and other services.”

Almost talked me out of F, Loading
 
mikebeaches said:
As the OP, my post referred to 96 fines issued this week. (y)

I wasn't suggesting similar hasn't happened previously - over a number of years - simply highlighting the latest situation. :rollingeyes:

As Lenny has said, I think Mel was just illustrating evidence indicating it has been ongoing since at least 2015. :unsure:
Click to expand...

I wasn't referring to or criticising your post but referring to the post by Jimbohorlicks mentioning 2015 without a reference.

It was clear to me what your post was referring to as i had already read it.

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Boringfrog said:
"The RTA added that the official sites are equipped with all the necessary comfort and safety conditions, providing water, electricity, waste disposal, Wi-Fi and other services.”

Almost talked me out of F, Loading
Click to expand...

Did it add 'If they are open' and dogs and children, or was it paid for by the campsites?
 
I've just had a look at the map provided by TourismAlgarve identifying the 35 Official Motorhome Camperstops.
I then looked up one of the sites where we have stayed in the past. I refer to
Parque da Galé - Camper area
R. do Barranco 2
8200-424 Albufeira
Portugal

It's not on the map but it looked official to me.
 
Is the law prohibiting free camping in Portugal a permanent one, or is it just temporary during the pandemic?
 
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Fined... but how many will actually end up paying?

A bit like here with the well publicised £10k fines - how many will actually be paid?
Not many I venture.
 
ManTheVan said:
Is the law prohibiting free camping in Portugal a permanent one, or is it just temporary during the pandemic?
Click to expand...
Hi.
All you need to remember is...... Its ..Portugal..Really magical...... As i mentioned in my post, the Praia " Night Stop ? " Has signs saying NO for C/vans and Mo/ho's... NOW... Just before these were put up,we pulled on there for a brew and decide were we coming home or staying...NO SIGNS. Then a GNR officer rode up on a bike,its about half a mile from the GNR station and said. " You cannot park here,but if you pull up to the end of the area you can stay there ". This area is a bit of the car park,about 50 yds long and 8 yds wide.super flat ( Park across ) I have a photo taken at the time,there were four of us on the HUGE area.
All this " Misinformation " about Site wardens in the UK,can be applied to "Certain " officers out here. I had been stopped at a road side check,all in order i thought..The officer looked troubled,fetched his mate over and pointed. It was my Licence....oooops. ?... He came over and said. " You had better get this renewed soon,it runs out in three months time."............................. PHEEEEW. And lots of GOOD GNR officers. (y) (y)(y)(y) Like these two mentioned.. ENJOY !!.
Tea Bag

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ManTheVan said:
Is the law prohibiting free camping in Portugal a permanent one, or is it just temporary during the pandemic?
Click to expand...
Currently temporary, it’s part of the state of calamity/emergency legislation. ( which incidentally is going up from ‘calamity’ to ‘emergency’ from next week, but not a lockdown as was in March. Full details still awaited. )

However, wouldn’t surprise me if the wild camping bit sticks😉
 
Jimbohorlicks said:
It's a tad old the text indicates 2015.

Best keep up to date. (y)
Click to expand...
As others have pointed out I did say it had been happening for a while thus the link to an article from 2015 ... perhaps a visit to Spec Savers for you should be on the cards after lockdown? :LOL:
 
Tea Bag said:
Hi.
When high summer is over,we have to now apply to the local council,to have a fire on our own land. We get a date and that is when we can have a burn. Can send pics of us leaving the property about 3 years ago as the fires approached and of us sat in cars and Mo/ho down opposite the Bombeiros/Fire station in Santa Comba Dao,with ash falling all around us... FIRE is a big hazard in Portugal
Re " Clamping down on Wild camping " Our favourite spot is Praia de Mira,about an hour away where we used to stay the odd night.Parked up just at the back of the beach about half a mile out. At night,last Walkies with Sass bag i had to avoid the bushes at the EDGE of the car park,because cassettes had been emptied all along,even coming a foot onto the car park. Signs up now.." NO mo/ho-C/vans " There are two sites there,a very nice private one and a very good Orbitur. So keep coming. Water,fuel,waste dump point round the back at Intermarche Mira town ,about half a mile inland.
Tea Bag
Click to expand...

yuk why do that? Not surprising wild camping is now illegal.
 
Surely people are aware by now that Portuguese authorities are stamping down on wild camping...especially in the coastal national parks....serves them right..

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Langtoftlad said:
Fined... but how many will actually end up paying?

A bit like here with the well publicised £10k fines - how many will actually be paid?
Not many I venture.
Click to expand...
But it might mean vehicle confiscation when next in the area or if not a National at the boarder where there could be an issue. Just like Jack Sparrow with his drug addiction!
 
Langtoftlad said:
Fined... but how many will actually end up paying?

A bit like here with the well publicised £10k fines - how many will actually be paid?
Not many I venture.
Click to expand...
Maybe if they don’t pay the fine,then perhaps don’t intend coming back to Portugal, but if they do, and get caught for the same infringement they may be flagged up as an unpaid fine and get arrested for the first infringement and end up paying a lot more for the second infringement before being released maybe. Wild camping is illegal in Portugal but saying that I do the Same there myself, but not in large groups for the whole winter and wouldn’t think of emptying my cassette on a beach or bushes however remote, there are now plenty of quite cheap Aires all around Portugal which could be used for the odd night or for paying a couple of euros to empty/fill, but some just want to live for free and pay nothing at all which is not on...Just saying.
 
We all like to go to these country’s in the winter so why do peaple moan about paying a few euros to stop here and there and help support the locals. Don’t get me wrong I like to free camp but use sites and aires also. You spend thousands on a motorhome then moan about a few euros to stay somewhere. :unsure:
 
Mikey RV said:
We all like to go to these country’s in the winter so why do peaple moan about paying a few euros to stop here and there and help support the locals. Don’t get me wrong I like to free camp but use sites and aires also. You spend thousands on a motorhome then moan about a few euros to stay somewhere. :unsure:
Click to expand...

:pop:
 
I have seen some of these vans lots of home made with no on board toilets .
I do lots of walking along the Algarve coast paths and they are littered with individual piles of s..t
With some toilet paper on top.
That is no responsible wild camping.

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