Aguilas wild camping cleared by police

[Snowbird]

Having travelled up and down the coast years ago and stayed on just about every beach in Spain at some point, I gave up beaching it after they put the height barrier on Playa Percheles. The winter community there used to be second to non and was served by the bread, fish and vegetable man daily. There was some stunning beaches south of Port de Mazaron and Bolnuevo, but am afraid we motorhomers have become a victim of our own success. When there were maybe half a dozen vans on a deserted beach in winter no one bothered, but there are just too many of us now. Below are a few photos of my favourite beach wilding. The famous Playa percheles, Canada Gallegro.

 

[Chris]

If anyone wants a beachside plot in the main season, Playa Montroig is hard to beat. Closed in winter.

It costs an arm and a leg though doesn't it?

Especially for the pitches right on the beach.

I am probably going to drop in there over Easter but not on a beach pitch

 

[EuroTrotters]

Depends on what you deem as arm and a leg?.

We paid £35 a night May Bank Holiday for a tiny plot on a Yorkshire campsite with just a loo and showers (very nice shower block in fairness). But the 5amp EHU was always tripping.

Playa Montroig at the time worked out at £45 a night in June. But with 16a EHU, Dedicated Water and drainage on a huge pitch.

1 row back is less than £29
Cheapest is around £22

Depends what you want. Plenty of ACSI campsites around. There are few places in the UK we are allowed to stay front line for free. I don't feel it fair we should expect to be able to do the same anywhere else.

Plenty of aires around Normandy that are coastal and free. But even the Aires on the French med are £15 a night, easily.

 

[bellabee]

Lovely photos @Snowbird . I'm afraid you're right.

 

[busby]

Depends on what you deem as arm and a leg?.

We paid £35 a night May Bank Holiday for a tiny plot on a Yorkshire campsite with just a loo and showers (very nice shower block in fairness). But the 5amp EHU was always tripping.

Playa Montroig at the time worked out at £45 a night in June. But with 16a EHU, Dedicated Water and drainage on a huge pitch.

1 row back is less than £29
Cheapest is around £22

Depends what you want. Plenty of ACSI campsites around. There are few places in the UK we are allowed to stay front line for free. I don't feel it fair we should expect to be able to do the same anywhere else.

Plenty of aires around Normandy that are coastal and free. But even the Aires on the French med are £15 a night, easily.

Thought Montroig was a 19 euro ACSI,,BUSBY..

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[Chris]

Depends on what you deem as arm and a leg?.

We paid £35 a night May Bank Holiday for a tiny plot on a Yorkshire campsite with just a loo and showers (very nice shower block in fairness). But the 5amp EHU was always tripping.

Playa Montroig at the time worked out at £45 a night in June. But with 16a EHU, Dedicated Water and drainage on a huge pitch.

1 row back is less than £29
Cheapest is around £22

Depends what you want. Plenty of ACSI campsites around. There are few places in the UK we are allowed to stay front line for free. I don't feel it fair we should expect to be able to do the same anywhere else.

Plenty of aires around Normandy that are coastal and free. But even the Aires on the French med are £15 a night, easily.

I ain't knocking it - I love the site and have been every year over the last 3/4 years.

I am usually in school holidays too so the beach side pitches get a bit pricey ( €104 I think over 4 days at Easter) and much more in July and August

 

[Snowbird]

A few photos from the heyday of beach wilding when it used to be great fun.

 

[busby]

A few photos from the heyday of beach wilding when it used to be great fun.
View attachment 142042 View attachment 142043 View attachment 142044 View attachment 142045 View attachment 142046 View attachment 142047

Love your trousers SNOWBIRD,,BUSBY

 

[Snowbird]

Love your trousers SNOWBIRD,,BUSBY

Oh I used to be well known for snappy strides. Thankfully Pat has calmed me down a bit now.

 

[keith]

But aren't these photos the very reason so many MH are attracted to come to Spain in the winter?
Maybe we should have lots of pictures of the now crowded wild camps to show how it has changed.

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[Boringfrog]

Having travelled up and down the coast years ago and stayed on just about every beach in Spain at some point, I gave up beaching it after they put the height barrier on Playa Percheles. The winter community there used to be second to non and was served by the bread, fish and vegetable man daily. There was some stunning beaches south of Port de Mazaron and Bolnuevo, but am afraid we motorhomers have become a victim of our own success. When there were maybe half a dozen vans on a deserted beach in winter no one bothered, but there are just too many of us now. Below are a few photos of my favourite beach wilding. The famous Playa percheles, Canada Gallegro.
View attachment 142031 View attachment 142032 View attachment 142034

Percheles beech 2014.

 

[Boringfrog]

I think part of the problem too is they're moving people on and so more vans are parking up where you don't get moved, then that spot become too popular....repeat until no beaches left. Also some places are deserted from October until Easter so what harm is a few motorhomes parking up and bringing in €€€€. Rant over.

 

[Snowbird]

Percheles beech 2014.

I remember Playa Percheles when there were at least 100 vans on there and the dirt road along the beach back to Bolnuevo had another 100 dotted along it. Sadly those days are long gone and will never return. That was true wild camping, as there were no houses in view but I believe it was stopped because the locals could not get to the beach during fiestas. There was no issues with cassette dumping as there was an abandoned villa at the top of the hill with a septic tank. There used to be water on the beach and big wheely bins for rubbish. The place was spotless as it was self policed by the campers that used it. Great times were had down there years ago and sometimes I feel sorry for motorhomers just starting out in the hobby, that they cannot enjoy many of the places that we did in the heyday of motorhoming. As I said earlier, we have become victims of our own success. There are a few out of the way beaches left, but people keep them more to themselves now. Many of us carried dirt bikes and would ride along the dirt roads looking for deserted beaches before moving on in those days so it was much easier than now. The other thing that helped was that there was little or no internet then, so everything was word of mouth. Nowadays once someone posts something on a forum, the world and his dog knows about it in 5 minutes.

 

[Madcaravanner]

I think part of the problem too is they're moving people on and so more vans are parking up where you don't get moved, then that spot become too popular....repeat until no beaches left. Also some places are deserted from October until Easter so what harm is a few motorhomes parking up and bringing in €€€€. Rant over.

As an observer until we get our van around 90 days left of the search
I know from Caravanning for over 20 years not everyone camping anywhere brings in the Euros
We have watched Dutch campers set up their caravans and M/H on sites in Spain where they bring out their freezers full of food and I'm talking tall ones specially designed to get through caravan doorways - he boasted to me that he could last three months without shopping
So there's a reason why some places don't like those that camp up without paying for anything

I know it's not always the case and there are those of us who spend money willingly to experience the locale but why do places in France and Spain close for the winter there are those of us who would like to visit and spend money aren't there?

 

[Lot lover]

but why do places in France and Spain close for the winter

Possibly because

1. the owners want a break
2. money seems to matter less to business owners in France particularly
3. maybe there is just not enough business to bother staying open

Remember that here in SW France shops etc close for holidays even in high season

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[Madcaravanner]

Possibly because

3. maybe there is just not enough business to bother staying open

Remember that here in SW France shops etc close for holidays even in high season

Don't know why I forgot about the holidays as can remember almost running out of diesel on one trip
But re #3
with the numbers of m/h being moved on there is obviously demand but I have yet to find a small site that didn't need the money ( I'm friends with a couple and they never turn anyone away if they can help it)

 

[Snowbird]

But aren't these photos the very reason so many MH are attracted to come to Spain in the winter?
Maybe we should have lots of pictures of the now crowded wild camps to show how it has changed.

As I said earlier. The heyday of beach wilding in Spain was before everyone had internet access and good spots were passed on by word of mouth. Its not wild campers that have killed the beach camping, its the internet. Once someone posts coordination's on the internet within a few days the place is swamped with motorhomes. Thats when the Spanish plod gets annoyed. Those that still beach camp keep there finds to themselves nowadays. Its a pity, but a fact of life, there are now just to many motorhomes. Fifteen years ago you would be hard pressed to see a Spanish registered motorhome as they couldn't afford one. Now there are almost as many as there are Dutch.

 

[busby]

Don't know why I forgot about the holidays as can remember almost running out of diesel on one trip
But re #3
with the numbers of m/h being moved on there is obviously demand but I have yet to find a small site that didn't need the money ( I'm friends with a couple and they never turn anyone away if they can help it)

Weather not good enough in France to provide the demand for sites to be open in winter and the demand for sites in Spain in the winter exceeds the number of pitches,,,Most sites on Costa Blanca are pretty full over the winter thus the amount of wild camping,,BUSBY,,