Are Spanish Police getting tough on Wildcamping

Just do a brief calculation on the total discharges from those vans alone. They all say I use proper facilities for disposal of my waste and dont leave any mess.
Yeah right........do you believe that.
Someone has to pay, little wonder the residents get a bit upset about free loaders. Why burden the Spanish with your poverty. If you cant afford proper facilities then why not stay at home. (y)
 
The Tavernes video is what some folk describe as wild camping. We drove through the place last year in the truck to have a look, and it was just like driving through a motorhome scrapyard/Itinerant village. How anyone could stay at, or enjoy being in that place is beyond me!

Craig
 
simsy56 said:
it was just like driving through a motorhome scrapyard/Itinerant village. How anyone could stay at, or enjoy being in that place is beyond me!
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defies logic.. you spend 10s of £thousands on a lovely van and park up in a Itinerant camp.. :rolleyes:

I think a lot of newbies to the hobby forget to factor in the site fees, or skin themselves buying their pride and joy and end up spending their holiday on some back street of Spain.
 
I agree, we spent a week at the marina in Portimao, at 2.5 euro per day, it's hardly going to break the bank. Although little more than a large car park, it is spacious, and has waste dump and fresh water facilities. It is handy for strolls along the prom/beach, and a good base for roaming around Portimao and the local area. Yet still, a couple of hundred yards away, motorhomes were camped in car parks, beneath tower blocks because they didn't want to pay the minuscule fee at the marina. It baffles me!

Craig
 
Feel sorry for the locals, can understand the local police trying to stop it.

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Borderland said:
Feel sorry for the locals, can understand the local police trying to stop it.
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I feel sorry for the local Police, it's them that are then made to appear the baddies ( in certain circles) for trying to clean up their area.
 
The Tavernes video was a shock to me as never seen so many MH parked up like that here in Spain, however if each MH spends 1 euro a day in Tavernes shops etc thats say 2000 euros a day in that town alone......... I bet the local shops, bars and eaterys are happy.
 
Don Quixote said:
The Tavernes video was a shock to me as never seen so many MH parked up like that here in Spain, however if each MH spends 1 euro a day in Tavernes shops etc thats say 2000 euros a day in that town alone......... I bet the local shops, bars and eaterys are happy.
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One euro a day sounds a bit extravagant to me for a free loader and eating out.....that sounds like a fantasy. How would you feel, what would your reaction be if you lived adjacent to this mess.

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buttons said:
One euro a day sounds a bit extravagant to me for a free loader and eating out.....that sounds like a fantasy. How would you feel, what would your reaction be if you lived adjacent to this mess.
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As I SAID I was shocked........... I park like many others here for free, but would never consider that sort of parking. As for living there - no thanks - if the local community wanted something done about it they would have by now. It would not happen in my village as local police would be there in seconds ( we do have the odd MH parking in the side streets and in the orange groves some times for days ) and the police are ok with that. As you/me/we are only seeing one side of the story who knows how they feel.
 
Merc0385 said:
Sadly on social media I read of a high percentage of newbies who's first question is about where to park free.
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In the last 12 months there has been an explosion of new owners all wanting to know of places to go for free and asking on social media. Look on Facebook and there are lots of new groups forming with the members having no idea how to MH sensibly, even any idea how to behave, or how to use the MH's facilities.

We are going to see more & more of the type of thing the video portrays because the newbies see it and think it is normal to do it. They also here about the free aires in France and other countries and once more think FREE is the magic word.

We are on one of the new Camper Stops that Portugal now has and it's more like wild camping than parking in a town on a car park. We are out in the countryside with views over the surrounding area, vary quiet and rural.

These new MH's need to be guided in the right direction but because of the free culture of the internet they don't want to pay anything to get information, so won't for instance join a forum and pay a subscription.
 
keith said:
Look on Facebook
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No need to stoop that low, just look on FUN.

Not many days before someone asks for free parking en route. Not many weeks when someone is not asking where to steal software/entertainment.

Because "it's just there" people do not see what is on the internet as items just the same as on Tesco's shelves.
 
Problem is that there are thousands of motorhomes wintering in Spain and Portugal and I do not think there is enough capacity at this time of year on sites or the camperstops that have opened in the last few years.

I think the authorities are missing out badly on a good source of revenue and employment for locals by not providing cheap aires with basic facilities and then enforcing properly no camping rules.

It is interesting to note some of the comments on this thread about irresponsible camping in Spain compared to the angry posts on another thread about banning overnight street camping in North Yorkshire.
 
matamoros said:
It is interesting to note some of the comments on this thread about irresponsible camping in Spain compared to the angry posts on another thread about banning overnight street camping in North Yorkshire.
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yes.. was noticed.. double standards ?

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matamoros said:
by not providing cheap aires with basic facilities.
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The one thing we notice in Spain is "unfinished". Buildings, roads, ind estates, railways. All signs of no cash.

And not short term when you see a side road with full armco across it, this says shut down for a good while to me.
 
After reading through this thread it has become more apparent to me that there is a vast difference between true wild camping, out where it offends no one and where you leave no sign that you were there, and freeloading. How anyone could want to stay like that is beyond me.
 
I've never tried overwintering in Spain as swmbo won't hear of it. I know the sites are packed on the coast, but what about inland. We're not bothered about being by the sea, as we live pretty close anyway. We don't like crowds either. I fancy somewhere like Pedros or the chicken run (I know they're not in Spain)
 
Reallyretired said:
I've never tried overwintering in Spain as swmbo won't hear of it. I know the sites are packed on the coast, but what about inland. We're not bothered about being by the sea, as we live pretty close anyway. We don't like crowds either. I fancy somewhere like Pedros or the chicken run (I know they're not in Spain)
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There are some nice sites away from the more popular coastal sites as well as many new Camper stops in Portugal which are the same as sites but at a more reasonable cost. We are on one now that is not in a touristy area amid the Orange & Lemon groves but near to the N125, the main road along the Algarve.

There are similar ones in Spain, Totana Camper stop is one we have visited that was very good with fantastic views over the national park.

The main problem in winter is the further you go North away from the coast the colder the weather might be, that's why we stay South until the weather warms up

If you don't like crowds stay away from Pedro's he is packing them in and you don't get a lot of space. His Bar-B-Q is good but not much room for all the people he gets in. Still the best welcome on the Algarve but we feel too many people are being squeezed into the room for comfort on Bar-B-Q days.

The chicken run is quiet but very rural and if it rains it can be difficult getting off, and a bit remote but you may like that.

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Parking on the side of the street IS NOT wild camping! Unless of course the terminology came about as a result of making the locals wild!!!!
Grey water making the streets smell. Clear these people from the streets! Tow them away and fine them!
 
As far back as 2000, when I went first off. The "local Policia" would periodically come and move people on, to be fair I think I can count on one hand the number of times we Boon-docked, usually "in Transit". But saw Lots doing it, many with 100grand rigs too!, slide-outs out, Sat dishes up, awnings out. been there for months we suspected in some cases? ALL started to get messy around 2008, along with the Guardia clamping down on "A" framing at that time too. The issue is as stated elsewhere, too many in one place and leaving more grott behind than Itinerants in the UK!!. Haven't been since, (2008) because it became cheaper for me to winter in the southern USA!!. Sadly that too is coming to a close too, due to the cost of long term travel insurance over 71. (That`s a REAL MOAN for another thread!!!!).

Might go back one winter, if I can get insured, and another M-H. Europe aught to be cheaper?.
As for Portugal, you could stay on the Harbour at Lisbon at one time?. BTW, am I right that Pre Sailing overnighting (Esplanade?) has been stopped at Dover
Pete
 
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The Council here in Cornwall are cracking down on M'H s overnight parking, the NT at Kynance Cove are also getting a bit uptight, they bugger off at 1800hrs, the freeloaders move in at 1805hrs. The next morning it takes a while to clear up the rubbish left behind. Same with the toilets at the Lizard, swamped in Blueo, where cassettes have been emptied untidily. At Marazion the Council have widened the pavements to stop people overnighting in what was the layby. the carpark however you can overnight for a fee (pay and display)
It's the few, that spoils it for the more responsible M/H 'er
 
I read a lot of posts on here referring to Itinerants or travellers etc in very negative terms,usually about how they will use and leave a site.........................how would we feel if in future Spanish people just referred to Motorhomers in such a negative way.

And these are people with expensive rigs,probably not paying taxes and with plenty of spare cash (motorhomers or Itinerants ??)

What we are talking about is people with a sh*t attitude to others whatever their background.
 
The local Spanish police watched me park here in Javea.

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Two of the three nights I was on my own.

The camp site 2 minutes walk away was full up...

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Being a Rufty Tufty Freeloading Off-Site Motorhomer I preferred my spot...

The police didn't bat an eyelid...

(I spent over €300 in those four days.)

JJ :cool:
 
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Why don't Funsters just get on with living their lives according to their requirements and choices and let others do the same?

Just because I don't want to park up squashed next to loads of other vans doesn't mean that those who do are doing anything wrong.

I also suspect that some of the negative "comments" with reference to grey and black water disposal are based on simple ignorance.

JJ :cool:
 
Some of us on sites also put money into the local economy.

So far this week:

Months site fee....€424

2 new Portuguese manufactured bicycles.....€540

1 new battery for pickup.........€131.60 (must be battery week...pickup wouldn't start this morning)

Shopping at Pingo Doce..... €13

Meal..... €25

Portuguese gas bottle......€23.50

Grand total.....€1157

So there :rofl:
Hope I don't have too many weeks like that:)
 
JJ said:
Why don't Funsters just get on with living their lives according to their requirements and choices and let others do the same?

Just because I don't want to park up squashed next to loads of other vans doesn't mean that those who do are doing anything wrong.

I also suspect that some of the negative "comments" with reference to grey and black water disposal are based on simple ignorance.

JJ :cool:
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This funster is just getting on with his life in Prison camp Ria Formosa (your description in the past I think!) and don't really have a problem with anyone that wants to park up away from others.

What I and I suspect others find puzzling is that lots of the space and freedom loving free campers object to being in close proximity to others on sites(cost money) and then huddle together on car parks or waste ground(free).
 

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