Silves Travellers camp.

[EMM]

We always make apoint of going to Silves at least once when in the Algarve to visit the markets, have lunch and generally enjoy this very attractive part of our area.

However the scene that greeted us today was alarming, dozens of camper vans of all nationalities types and designs from huge vans costing tens of thousands to crusty wagons have taken up residence in the car park by the river.

It only needed a few asphalt lories and scrap cars to look like some trveller sites in the UK.
As there are no facilities in the area it does not take much imagination to realise where they dump their waste ( in the river ).
Apparently the local mayor has said that it is not up to the council to enforce the law so Silves has become a popular port of call as other councils move them on.
Silves council plans to open official sites ( where they will have to pay to park ) but in the meantime these " free campers " have decided to spoil one of the jewels of the algarve.

[Ellie]

That sounds a bit sad EMM
I love Silves & surrounding area..and when we lived there, on a hot day, we used to love sitting on a bench by the side of the Arade 'neath the shade of the trees..
particularly like the castle with its giant statue of king Dom Sancho and the thought of the underground wells...
one of these 'The cistern of the Moor girl' is supposedly haunted..apparently she rows her boat on it and cries out for her lover prince to rescue her...this happens on St John's Eve, June 24th..local people say they hear her!
love medieval history....
I hope they don't go and spoil it all?

[laserblazer]

The Marina site at Ferragudo has its fair share.

[martin]

yes I went to Silves today, I was also flabbergasted at how many motorhomes were parked there, normally alot but today car park seemed full

[TomUK]

Hope they don't wreck the place.

Until a couple of years ago this parking area was just a large patch of rough ground. Then the council block paved it with substantial heavy blocks (what my generation used to call 'cobbles'), laid footpaths and planted trees, shrubs and lawns, as well as building a smart tiled low wall to sit on along the riverside. They also installed an open air 'fitness area' with various machines which people could use to do various exercises on. The equipment had instructions on how to use each item and how long to exercise on it for (in Portuguese, but easy enough to follow for non-Portuguese users with diagrams).

Hope these 'invaders' don't take a fancy to them - they may not be there soon!

We have only ever visited the Algarve in the summer months and we have never come across these travellers' congregations. Is it a winter time phenomenon?

[blue]

They're not travellers in the sense of Gypsy travellers, they're motor-homers from what I can see, the invasion happens every year & seems to be getting worse every year. I have never seen so many in Silves, the carpark looks like some sort of wheeled council estate. In the Resident newspaper last week there was an article & photo about the motor-home problem in Tavira, they don't want to pay what they call exorbitant site fees but they do want safety in numbers. The councils need to do something about the problem, if they were Gypsy travellers camped on these sites they would move them on soon enough.

[EMM]

AS they do not pay, create their own community , are a blot on the landscape and clearly dispose of their waste and rubbish in the most convenient ( form them ) place there is not too much difference between them and travellers.
They will not use the official sites as this involves costs and management.

My suggestion to Silves council is to move them to the carpark area by the cemetery and charge them for parking.

They would soon move on to ruin another area.

[shanagarry]

There is another 'settlement' on the high ground at the baragem between Silves and Messines - mostly Scandinavians. These are serious travellers - the majority have enormous satellite dishes attached to their vans/buses. I suspect they will disperse around Easter - once it starts to get hot.

We have had the questions asked on here about receiving Sky TV in a villa - how do they receive it in a caravan thing? I saw a British Winnebago there (baragem) last week (the size of a bungalow) with a 1.6m dish - with a motorised base - these are not holiday makers. I suspect they had the 'kitchen sink' in there as well!

Given that they infest areas where there isn't a charge and clearly there won't be any facilities - surely there must be a public health issue - where do they dump their 'doings' etc. I am surprised the Portuguese authorities (GB would have) haven't seen the opportunity to impose a levy of some sort to generate some income. Why don't these travellers go to Spain - where it's usually warmer at this time of year or do the Spanish charge them

[td]

This entire situation is something that will intensify as the European population gets older and their disposable income reduces due to the devastation caused to pension funds. While I can only address the UK pension deficits - some of these people (young and old) would not be able to afford the UK energy bills arising as a result of the very cold winter we have just had to endure and if we are to believe the 'green' lobby this will continue into the foreseeable future.

I know the travellers are not all older people - I saw a German registered 'bus' with 3 young children running in and out of in Silves last week - something that may also proliferate as unemployment spreads its reach in the years ahead. I guess there will come a time when these people run out of money and options and resort to crime.

It's a vicious circle

[EMM]

Its not just Silves where these " visitors " infest and ruin the views, it is apparently just as bad if not worse in Tavira. ( www.algarveresident.com )
Lets hope that the councils start to take action soon.
No doubt we will here from the culprits going on about their freedom to travel and camp where they will !!

[laserblazer]

The carpark ant Monta Rota, just the other side of Tavira, was jam packed this time last year. All nationalities and when I suggested to the restaurant owner that it brought in extra revenue, he was most dismissive.

[martin]

I was told by someone that why silves city centre camp site is so popular is that they use the camara indoor pool next door, with its hot showers, sauna, jazuzzi and upstairs coffee bar with internet

I wonder how what those who own camp sites in A de Pera and pay taxes to silves camara have to say about it all

Lot of letters this week in "the news" about the subject

[completecarvoeiro]

What a happy bunch of philistines you are,live and let live thats my motto,i live here most of the time and am in the process of buying a brand new motor home to saunter off at my leisure,i hope i dont get such a miserable bunch of non nationals on my travels.

Keep smiling and lets not forget,this is not your country it belongs to the very gracious Portugese............

[EMM]

Let us know your address CVO1 and we will let the travellers network know that you are happy for them to arrive in large numbers in their monster vans and use your property to park.

You obviously have no problems with this and would welcome them with open arms.

[EMM]

Picked up the PORTUGAL News at the airport this morning, this is obviously a problem that causing great concern to visitors and residents alike.