Motor homing booms in the Algarve
17/3/2012
Recent winters have seen a boom in the number of alternative tourists in the Algarve, with hundreds of foreigners preferring to spend their holidays or the entire winter living in a motorhome in a public car park than at a dedicated campsite or hotel.
One place that has seen a significant increase in this form of tourism in recent years is the historic town of Silves. The city’s relatively new car park near the waterfront during the winter months can host between 120 and 200 motor homes on any given day, which have travelled from the UK, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany, among other countries.
Motorhomers David and Anita Allen who travelled from Derbyshire in the UK told The Portugal News: “It’s the third time we have stayed in Silves. We normally stay for around three days then move on as we stop throughout Portugal, it’s a circuit many regular motor homers do and we feel very welcome here.”
“Silves is our number one spot. For us, the castle and cathedral are breathtaking, it can’t be beaten on beauty,” they added.
Hans Adeest, a Dutch tourist who bought his first motor home only six months ago said that many people who have motor homes network with others and learn of the best places to stay through websites and talking to one another.
“We bring money and spend our money here,” he added, defending that, although they do not pay to stay in hotels or at camp sites, everyone spends money on the local economy where they stay.
A Belgian couple said: “The people in Silves are very nice and we haven’t had any problems with the police or officials. We spend money at the local laundrette, we eat in local restaurants, buy fresh fruit from the market, we do contribute.”
Although no fee is charged to stay at the Silves municipal car park, all of the tourists who spoke to The Portugal News said they would be happy to pay a small daily fee for access to clean water and a chemical toilet disposal unit.
“It could be improved with the addition of European Services, which supplies motor homers with clean water and somewhere to empty the
toilet,” said Anita Allen, adding that in other parts of Portugal where they stop, there are such facilities.
Many of the motor homers who stay in Silves say they come prepared for a short stay; others buy water from local supermarkets or take it from a local petrol station where they buy fuel or from the fountain at the children’s park near the river front.
The rise in the number of tourists staying in Silves has also increased in part due to a crack down on people staying at beaches and coastal areas around the region.
“We enjoy staying on the west coast and were staying in Odiáxere prior to Silves, but now rangers from the national park move us on and inform us we can be fined around €250,” said one British motorhomer.
The gradual increase in the number of motorhomes in the city’s main free public car park has sparked a mixed reaction from local residents and
businesses.
Richard Coombe wrote to The Portugal News this month to say: “These people will not use a proper campsite and are really just freeloaders and they know it. Water for free, parking for free, no rates to pay. For some, even a beach view that no one else has. They are getting a free ride on the backs of residents who actually contribute towards their stay.” (Full letter see The Portugal News edition 1154, 3 March)
Another reader, Fred Limber wrote in January that he had witnessed motor homers “emptying their toilet into a little drainage channel that ran directly to the beach less than 50 yards away” as well as “water being stolen – yes stolen from a restaurant on the beach” where the owner had left the tap on over the winter. (Full letter see The Portugal News edition 1149, 28 January).
Despite letters of complaint to this newspaper, the mayor of Silves, Isabel Soares said the town hall has not received any complaints.
“The town hall has never received any complaints regarding this matter. On the contrary, we know that there are a group of business people who aim to carry out a petition for these people to be allowed to stay,” the mayor told The Portugal News.
According to the mayor, local business people have said that the motorhomers are “an asset to the local economy as by staying in the city they spend money, which bring some movement to commerce.”
The mayor also said that she sees no disadvantages in the tourists staying in the riverside car park, which has “during the lengthy stays of these motor homers led to less vandalism at the riverside park.”
Meanwhile, Lagos town hall has already adapted to this branch of tourism with a dedicated service area for motorhomes.
To encourage these winter tourists to stay, Silves Town Hall is “studying the installation of a fresh water distribution point and facilities for the collection of caravan waste at the riverside park,” said Mayor Soares, adding: “This service station will be paid for by all of the motorhomers who use it.”
Meanwhile, last October, in response to the needs of the thousands of national and foreign motorhomers who visit Lagos council each year, the town hall inaugurated a service area for motorhomers.
“Near the municipal stadium there is a service area that allows users access to clean water, to dispose of waste water and the use of public toilets,” said a town hall spokesman.
Motor homes are entitled to stay in the service area for up to three days, although they are not supposed to occupy any space around them with tents, tables, or chairs for example.
“Without aiming to substitute camp sites, Lagos town hall considers this investment to be important to bring more quality to Lagos as a tourist destination and provide motorhomers with conditions of hygiene and comfort that they need while visiting the council,” said a spokesman, adding that it is hoped the measure will dissuade the parking of motor homes in illegal locations such as beaches and cliffs.
“Although not all motor homers need water and so not all need to pay to have access to this facility, we have counted 264 registrations for water access between 8 October 2011 and 18 January 2012,” added the spokesman.
While Silves and Lagos town halls say they do not want these initiatives to affect business at licensed campsites, Fernando Inácio manager of the Armação de Pêra campsite disagrees.
“It is a disgrace. Nowhere else would you see this illegal camping going on. In Spain, if a motor homer decided to pitch up at the beach or a public car park, the authorities would move them on straight away,” he told The Portugal News.
“Along the riverside car park in Silves for example they have a piece of string on the drain lid so they can lift it up and dispose of the toilet waste and at night they just dump their waste into the river,” he said, adding that near the beach in Armação de Pêra motorhomers and the authorities ignore the sign that states it is illegal to stay there.
“They don’t stay at dedicated camping sites because they don’t want to. We have very cheap rates and huge discounts for those who stay three or more days, with access to clean water, proper toilet disposal facilities, electricity and more,” said Mr. Inácio, adding that at this time of year, a motor home can stay at his campsite for a fee of around two euros per night.
Eloise Walton
Edition: 1156
http://www.theportugalnews.com/
17/3/2012
Recent winters have seen a boom in the number of alternative tourists in the Algarve, with hundreds of foreigners preferring to spend their holidays or the entire winter living in a motorhome in a public car park than at a dedicated campsite or hotel.
One place that has seen a significant increase in this form of tourism in recent years is the historic town of Silves. The city’s relatively new car park near the waterfront during the winter months can host between 120 and 200 motor homes on any given day, which have travelled from the UK, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany, among other countries.
Motorhomers David and Anita Allen who travelled from Derbyshire in the UK told The Portugal News: “It’s the third time we have stayed in Silves. We normally stay for around three days then move on as we stop throughout Portugal, it’s a circuit many regular motor homers do and we feel very welcome here.”
“Silves is our number one spot. For us, the castle and cathedral are breathtaking, it can’t be beaten on beauty,” they added.
Hans Adeest, a Dutch tourist who bought his first motor home only six months ago said that many people who have motor homes network with others and learn of the best places to stay through websites and talking to one another.
“We bring money and spend our money here,” he added, defending that, although they do not pay to stay in hotels or at camp sites, everyone spends money on the local economy where they stay.
A Belgian couple said: “The people in Silves are very nice and we haven’t had any problems with the police or officials. We spend money at the local laundrette, we eat in local restaurants, buy fresh fruit from the market, we do contribute.”
Although no fee is charged to stay at the Silves municipal car park, all of the tourists who spoke to The Portugal News said they would be happy to pay a small daily fee for access to clean water and a chemical toilet disposal unit.
“It could be improved with the addition of European Services, which supplies motor homers with clean water and somewhere to empty the
toilet,” said Anita Allen, adding that in other parts of Portugal where they stop, there are such facilities.
Many of the motor homers who stay in Silves say they come prepared for a short stay; others buy water from local supermarkets or take it from a local petrol station where they buy fuel or from the fountain at the children’s park near the river front.
The rise in the number of tourists staying in Silves has also increased in part due to a crack down on people staying at beaches and coastal areas around the region.
“We enjoy staying on the west coast and were staying in Odiáxere prior to Silves, but now rangers from the national park move us on and inform us we can be fined around €250,” said one British motorhomer.
The gradual increase in the number of motorhomes in the city’s main free public car park has sparked a mixed reaction from local residents and
businesses.
Richard Coombe wrote to The Portugal News this month to say: “These people will not use a proper campsite and are really just freeloaders and they know it. Water for free, parking for free, no rates to pay. For some, even a beach view that no one else has. They are getting a free ride on the backs of residents who actually contribute towards their stay.” (Full letter see The Portugal News edition 1154, 3 March)
Another reader, Fred Limber wrote in January that he had witnessed motor homers “emptying their toilet into a little drainage channel that ran directly to the beach less than 50 yards away” as well as “water being stolen – yes stolen from a restaurant on the beach” where the owner had left the tap on over the winter. (Full letter see The Portugal News edition 1149, 28 January).
Despite letters of complaint to this newspaper, the mayor of Silves, Isabel Soares said the town hall has not received any complaints.
“The town hall has never received any complaints regarding this matter. On the contrary, we know that there are a group of business people who aim to carry out a petition for these people to be allowed to stay,” the mayor told The Portugal News.
According to the mayor, local business people have said that the motorhomers are “an asset to the local economy as by staying in the city they spend money, which bring some movement to commerce.”
The mayor also said that she sees no disadvantages in the tourists staying in the riverside car park, which has “during the lengthy stays of these motor homers led to less vandalism at the riverside park.”
Meanwhile, Lagos town hall has already adapted to this branch of tourism with a dedicated service area for motorhomes.
To encourage these winter tourists to stay, Silves Town Hall is “studying the installation of a fresh water distribution point and facilities for the collection of caravan waste at the riverside park,” said Mayor Soares, adding: “This service station will be paid for by all of the motorhomers who use it.”
Meanwhile, last October, in response to the needs of the thousands of national and foreign motorhomers who visit Lagos council each year, the town hall inaugurated a service area for motorhomers.
“Near the municipal stadium there is a service area that allows users access to clean water, to dispose of waste water and the use of public toilets,” said a town hall spokesman.
Motor homes are entitled to stay in the service area for up to three days, although they are not supposed to occupy any space around them with tents, tables, or chairs for example.
“Without aiming to substitute camp sites, Lagos town hall considers this investment to be important to bring more quality to Lagos as a tourist destination and provide motorhomers with conditions of hygiene and comfort that they need while visiting the council,” said a spokesman, adding that it is hoped the measure will dissuade the parking of motor homes in illegal locations such as beaches and cliffs.
“Although not all motor homers need water and so not all need to pay to have access to this facility, we have counted 264 registrations for water access between 8 October 2011 and 18 January 2012,” added the spokesman.
While Silves and Lagos town halls say they do not want these initiatives to affect business at licensed campsites, Fernando Inácio manager of the Armação de Pêra campsite disagrees.
“It is a disgrace. Nowhere else would you see this illegal camping going on. In Spain, if a motor homer decided to pitch up at the beach or a public car park, the authorities would move them on straight away,” he told The Portugal News.
“Along the riverside car park in Silves for example they have a piece of string on the drain lid so they can lift it up and dispose of the toilet waste and at night they just dump their waste into the river,” he said, adding that near the beach in Armação de Pêra motorhomers and the authorities ignore the sign that states it is illegal to stay there.
“They don’t stay at dedicated camping sites because they don’t want to. We have very cheap rates and huge discounts for those who stay three or more days, with access to clean water, proper toilet disposal facilities, electricity and more,” said Mr. Inácio, adding that at this time of year, a motor home can stay at his campsite for a fee of around two euros per night.
Eloise Walton
Edition: 1156
http://www.theportugalnews.com/