Hi. Together with my annual "sunshine" holiday usually in May/June and only recently to CVO, I also travel extensively in The UK in my motorhome. We have recently gone mad and upgraded our motorhome and now have an all singing, all dancing super deluxe home on wheels. Having spent so much we are now considering forfeiting flying to our sunshine holiday and travelling in the motorhome to feel the sunshine on our back. Does anyone have any experience of caravanning in or around CVO? We noticed a public carpark had been taken over by motorhomers in Silves when we were there at Easter. Doing some research there doesn't appear the same standard of touring parks as in The UK. As I say, anyone with information, good or bad, please pass on. Thanks

You will find that there is a growing anti motorhome feeling in the Algarve.
Motorhomers as you say are takeing over carparks and coastal areas in contravention of local rules.
It is actually illegal to park in many areas.
There are certainly many fewer in Silves than last year when it got out of hand .
The problem can be best seen in ferragudo where there are some on the site of the proposed marina. There are no facilities so where do they literally dump their CRAP.
Tavira and Loule councils are opening official parks to take the pollution away from public areas.

You may be surprised how unwelcome you may find yourself if you park unofficially.
Fortunately there is nowhere in Carvoeiro for motorhomes.

sent you a pm Lamby

There are campsites a few miles to the east at Armacao de Pera.

There's another that looks ok in/near Albufeira & also west of Lagos, on the road to Praia de Luz.

The nearest campsite to Carvoeiro is at Ferragudo. If you take the back road from Carvoeiro to Ferragudo, it is on the right hand side just before the Piano Garden and the road on the left that goes to the Casabella Hotel.

You will need to be a C.C.L., C.C.N. or F.I.C.C. cardholder to be able to camp there - hopefully that makes some sense to you

The following link lists the campsites and contact details found in the Algarve:

http://www.algarve-beach-life.com/algarve-camping.html

Hope this is of some help

There's a popular little site amongst regular winter migrators on the road up to Monchique. If I remember correctly, it's on the right just past the old zoo. You go 1000m or so a long a track and the site has stunning views across the valley. It's owned by a very friendly Frenchman.

I've noticed that all of the squatter seem to have been chucked off the waste ground at Ferragudo.

EMM wrote:You will find that there is a growing anti motorhome feeling in the Algarve.
Motorhomers as you say are takeing over carparks and coastal areas in contravention of local rules.
It is actually illegal to park in many areas.
There are certainly many fewer in Silves than last year when it got out of hand .
The problem can be best seen in ferragudo where there are some on the site of the proposed marina. There are no facilities so where do they literally dump their CRAP.
Tavira and Loule councils are opening official parks to take the pollution away from public areas.

You may be surprised how unwelcome you may find yourself if you park unofficially.
Fortunately there is nowhere in Carvoeiro for motorhomes.

Agree with you EMM particularly in the winter. Most seem to carry French or Dutch plates and they congregate near beaches forming mini campsites. They spoil the natural beauty of the area with all their paraphernalia - bikes, tents, boats, wind breaks etc etc.
Have seen them at Ferragudo, Alvor, Guia

The one in Pera is (or was when I was there a few years ago) not the sort of place you would want to park your valuable motorhome.

Likewise the one at Ferragudo, the last time I looked at it it looked more like a prison camp than a holiday camp. Was a couple of years ago though so maybe it's been refurb'ed.

Last year's furore resulted in the Tavira Camara taking action against these people. Although they agreed to find a site to put them on - I suspect it will be the thin-end of the wedge and lead to fees to provide for the facilities.

Do the people embarking on such an 'adventure' not plan their route(s) in advance - marking out suitable facilities along the way or at their intended destinations? What is the appeal of pitching a Motorhome in a public car park in Silves town centre (or any other town centre) for 3-4 months? In Silves - the 'campers' were using the public swimming pool facilities for their washing and toilet needs - and that has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. The area around the baragem is also an area used by these people - making the place very untidy.

It's difficult to fault their intentions in terms of liking to roam around the warmer climes of Southern Europe during the cold winter months of Northern Europe - but unfortunately they don't 'roam' they appear to stay in one place - making it look like a gypsy encampment within a very short period of time. We all know the reaction these sites attract in the UK - why should Portugal be any different? I think it's a new 'problem' for the Camaras here in The Algarve and if there's money in it - stand by for action.

During last year's furore many justified their 'camping' by suggesting that the local shops benefitted from the additional trade. This was countered by a not insignificant backlash from law abiding tax/rates payers who made it very clear that these people were not paying for water, rent etc and their use of the local shops was practically non-existent as they made their way to Lidl or similar to stock up.This situation has the potential to get very 'ugly' and I for one would think long and hard about pitching in a non regulated place for fear of retribution from opponents.

I suspect that many of these people would prefer to 'pitch' on a controlled site - with full use of all the required amenities - and pay for the privilege - if they are available

We used to get motorhomes in the public car park behind our apartments using our swimming pool - which, to be honest, is frankly trespassing and extremely unwelcome!

There are a couple of caravan parks on the way down to Armacao De Pera...when my son went to the school in Silves there was a girl who lived in a caravan there with her mother.
Hope thats helpful Lamby

fmm wrote:is frankly trespassing and extremely unwelcome

Lamby - I don't imagine this is what you expected to hear - but unless you have a regulated site to aim for - anything else is likely to make you as popular as 'gypsies'

One of the reasons why this has become such an issue is the atitude of many of the " traveller " community.

Many ( the majority ) of these so called " free campers " will NOT pay even a few euros for a space in an official site with power , water and waste disposal facilities.

Lets hope that we have a better and warmer winter and that they do not migrate south into the Algarve.