Are the Germans destroying wild camping in Spain?

[Lenny HB]

Thats good to know. After reading about the crowding on the costas, we are on the ferry 24 march for a month and looking to go inland.

Still cold in the evening inland until May, nice during the day.

 

[Soycd]

Had this on our last trip at a Stellplatz in German, 5 spaces facing the lake and 3 German vans with awnings and other shite taking up all 5 spots

If it's a genuine stelplatz and not just a bit of wasteland then you'd be perfectly within your rights to tell them you want to park there and could they please move their stuff. Certainly if it's a paying stelplatz there would be a list of 'rules' displayed. For future reference the final thing you could say to them if they don't want to move is "Dann müssen wir mit der Polizei sprechen" Then drive away, then come back 10 minutes later. You'd probably find that a space will have magically appeared! Unlike UK there seems to be millions of police in Germany.

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

If it's a genuine stelplatz and not just a bit of wasteland then you'd be perfectly within your rights to tell them you want to park there and could they please move their stuff. Certainly if it's a paying stelplatz there would be a list of 'rules' displayed. For future reference the final thing you could say to them if they don't want to move is "Dann müssen wir mit der Polizei sprechen" Then drive away, then come back 10 minutes later. You'd probably find that a space will have magically appeared! Unlike UK there seems to be millions of police in Germany.

I wasn’t to worried as we had a good spot up the other end it just annoys me when people are so inconsiderate we arrived mid morning but vans arrived in the afternoon and could not get a spot.
Have had this on a lot of Stelplatz and aires and unfortunately it seems to be German vans are the wurst

 

[grasscutter]

It's reported that he'll have to pay €17,000 to have the bay put back to how it was.

(Only reported, though)!

I don't know about any Ley de Costa infraction fines

How I first saw the bay (2019)

View attachment 846832

And a few weeks ago.
View attachment 846833

How we remember Percheles a few years ago .

 

[gus-lopez]

Up the road In Puerto Lumbreras the tourist office has motorhome parking outside with water & dump.I passed it earlier & not only is it full but they are scat about on some wasteland next to the entrance as well.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[TheTwoOfUs]

Being somewhere like that would be one of my worst nightmares.

 

[Lenny HB]

View attachment 846903

Being somewhere like that would be one of my worst nightmares.

Why?
Not a problem if there are only a few van it's when the Germans descend on mass it becomes a problem.

I would rather that than being on a campsite.

 

[jumartoo]

Up the road In Puerto Lumbreras the tourist office has motorhome parking outside with water & dump.I passed it earlier & not only is it full but they are scat about on some wasteland next to the entrance as well.

We called in at Mercadona on our way back this morning. We were surprised at how many were there.

According to P4N reviews the free leccy is encouraging long staying by some people.

I can't think of anywhere worse to spend the winter.

Hmmm, maybe IKEA

 

[Lenny HB]

I can't think of anywhere worse to spend the winter.

Hmmm, maybe IKEA

IKEA Aire is great for a couple of nights to go into the town providing you don't get dragged into IKEA.

 

[jumartoo]

IKEA Aire is great for a couple of nights to go into the town providing you don't get dragged into IKEA.

We've only spent one night there and that was the night that I'd broken my wrist and I was booked in for an operation the next day. So my memories of the place aren't too good.

We did think about going there with the motorhome and taking the tram into Murcia to see the Christmas lights, but apparently it's already full to overflowing into the car parks.

We'll give it a miss

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[kurvengeisst]

...

 

[kurvengeisst]

Scheisse. There was me thinking I’ll retire in the summer and never have to deal with humans again. Already I’m thinking .. an army of vigilante motorhome marshals…

 

[The Old Man]

Late to this. I'm a Freedom Camper but now only in the UK.

I feel that any 'known' good 'wild camping' location will get spoilt simply because of the numbers.

For that reason I am unashamedly selfish and keep places to myself.

 

[TheTwoOfUs]

Why?
Not a problem if there are only a few van it's when the Germans descend on mass it becomes a problem.

I would rather that than being on a campsite.

Why? Because on a campsite, especially in the UK, you only have to park between the white pegs and then you have a minimum of 6 metres between you and your neighbour. There you have to squeeze in between 2 vans and then you are within touching distance.

 

[LesW]

Late to this. I'm a Freedom Camper but now only in the UK.

I feel that any 'known' good 'wild camping' location will get spoilt simply because of the numbers.

For that reason I am unashamedly selfish and keep places to myself.

One of the reasons good wild spots get ruined is the numbskulls splashing them all over the internet P4N springs to mind.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[EuroTrotters]

It's reported that he'll have to pay €17,000 to have the bay put back to how it was.

(Only reported, though)!

I don't know about any Ley de Costa infraction fines

How I first saw the bay (2019)

View attachment 846832

And a few weeks ago.
View attachment 846833

thats bad, very bad.

 

[Littlewheels]

For that reason I am unashamedly selfish and keep places to myself

Way to go In the day no SatNav,no Internet,no problem.
Without all the help guidance S4S etc 90% wouldn’t even consider leaving the U.K.
A Map no motorways and the rest and off we went finding our own way.

 

[Paulypaul]

View attachment 846903

Being somewhere like that would be one of my worst nightmares.

This is what the parking area should look like

 

[Lenny HB]

Why? Because on a campsite, especially in the UK, you only have to park between the white pegs and then you have a minimum of 6 metres between you and your neighbour. There you have to squeeze in between 2 vans and then you are within touching distance.

Don't do much in the UK and when do we don't use sites, certainly wouldn't use ones where they expect you to park between pegs, sounds like hell.

 

[zac]

We drove the car to murcia ikea yesterday as needed some bits and the car park across the road was full of motorhomes. Over a 100 easy and most were set up long term. Can't think of a worse place to be honest. Today we went to mazarron again in the car and I can only echo what has been said previously in this thread. So many motorhomes wild camping in just about every area that they can. Personally I don't mind wild camping for a couple days but these are long term and There are no waste emptying points from what I can see so what are they all doing with theirs? A Dutch couple on the site where we are were speaking with some Germans who have just come from there and they said they used to empty in lidl
In mazarron now it's mostly as mentioned German and Dutch with the odd Spanish and French dotted here and there.
A large part of the seafront is under construction and closed off as is part of the road along side it.
Each to their own but it's not for us, I don't like being crammed in and would never choose a site on the coast as they are just too popular so busy. We have a car so usually look for the sites in the middle of no where that way less busy and loads of space

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lenny HB]

We drove the car to murcia ikea yesterday as needed some bits and the car park across the road was full of motorhomes. Over a 100 easy and most were set up long term.

The Garda cleared them all off last winter.

 

[bobnick]

I'm all right Jack. Don't bother me as we don't wildcamp (unless an overnight at Gravelines or the like is classed as wilding)

 

[Barchetta47]

Maybe the high number of German motorhomes about shouldn’t be a surprise as they buy 10 times as many as us pa, 70k versus 7k!

 

[Paulypaul]

All I want to do is to wildcamp one or two nights in different places, to see the country we're in, but I fear that is something that the long staying foreign communities are slowly eroding by destroying the areas and pissing off the authorities.

If I wanted to stay on sites I'd buy a caravan so I really couldn't come all the way to Spain in a motorhome to stay on a site and just see the town you're in or it's locality, and drive home?

I could jump in a plane and do that and not have to worry where my toilet waste is going or fresh water is coming from.

I reckon Spain might go the same way as Portugal and outlaw wild camping then what would the D & NL's do?

At least the Spanish can't blame the British for setting up long term camps etc, because of brexit? Well I could cause I've got an irish passport but I can't think of anything worse than camping on a road side or waste ground for months on end?

 

[funflair]

Don't do much in the UK and when do we don't use sites, certainly wouldn't use ones where they expect you to park between pegs, sounds like hell.

It's not that difficult if you use your mirrors Lenny

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Pausim]

Don't do much in the UK and when do we don't use sites, certainly wouldn't use ones where they expect you to park between pegs, sounds like hell.

I am not a great lover of formal sites but laying out where people pitch does stop them from cramming in and crowding each other. Without a doubt there are people who would happily grab half the site and push others into little corners if there were no rules, a bit like towels on sun loungers. I don’t mind pitching up car park style for the odd night en route but generally I like some space around me. My preference is CLs and CSs which vary a great deal in layout and positioning but very rarely feel crowded. When I wild camp I don’t want any neighbours, I want to be alone in the wild.

No recent continental experience because family commitments have kept us this side of the channel.

 

[cyberyacht]

Late to this. I'm a Freedom Camper but now only in the UK.

I feel that any 'known' good 'wild camping' location will get spoilt simply because of the numbers.

For that reason I am unashamedly selfish and keep places to myself.

It could be argued that the more locations that get shared, the less crowded they would be.

 

[Northernraider]

Not a German in sight ....bliss

Alles gut

 

[The Old Man]

It could be argued that the more locations that get shared, the less crowded they would be.

It could be argued, or even discussed but I'm happy to be completely alone in a remote location.

Two tales;

1. Alone in a pretty obvious and very exposed to view and weather. I've Freedom Camped there for 40+ years without incident.

On this particular night there is a knock on the Hab door. Having checked through the window it looks safe so I open the door and find a guy standing there.

He asks me if it's alright to camp here? He's German and has a van waiting across the way. I explain that overnighting is not allowed but I've never been asked to move on but I can't guarantee that tonight might be the first time and no I couldn't give him permission he did it at his own risk.

He labours the point and I confirm that it is my intention to sleep there but I'll not be drinking as the Police might arrive and ask/tell me to move on!

He then asks if I mind if he stays? I repeat that it is none of my business if he chooses to! Then I move to close the door and turn in.

I hear nothing during the night. Waking at dawn, I breakfast, clear away and get out to First Parade the van prior to moving off.

I step out to be greeted by the sight of seven motorhomes, all identical makes and models, all parked in a precision aligned row and all German!

I felt he must have phoned all his mates after our chat and called them in!

No sign of life from any of the vans so I fired up and left.

I returned after lunch, they were all gone, not a single piece of litter, not a single wet spot on the tarmac.

I still wonderwhat that was all about?

2. At different remote spot, again 40+ years of use. all parked up and the knock on the Hab Door. the guy outside is huge and intimidating so I'm nervous as I open the door after retracting the electric steps. A farmer type with a 4WD Pickup.

No preamble, "Are you planning to stay overnight?"

"Yes, is that a problem? I've been camping here for 40+ years, on and off, the van is self contained I have my own toilet and do not leave litter!"

"Do you have permission to camp?"

"No, I believe that the land belongs to the Duke of Beaufort and is an absentee landlord who has little interest she for shooting rights and I do nothing to disturb the birds. May I ask who your are please?"

"I own the farm over there and I'm head of the local Farmwatch group. We've noticed that you come here from time to time, so I've been asked to check you out."

"Yes, I do come here six or seven times a year, my van is self contained with my own toilet, I do not litter and always tidy up before I go."

"Yes, all of that has been noted and you've been observed using a litter picker to clean up the area, why do you do that?"

"Simple really, when I leave if there is any litter, it's too easy to say that the motorhome dumped it, so I make sure that can't happen."

"OK, thank you, as I sId it has been noticed. How long do you intend to stay?"

"Well itay have also been noticed that I never stay a long time, in fact I set a three night limit as I feel any longer looks like I'm moving in and that causes upset."

"Oh so you're leaving tomorrow"

Indicating that I've been logged in LOL.

We then exchanged phone numbers so that we can alert each other if required!

Now I'm no goody, goody, I even dump my grey water if conditions are suitable.

But I care about the places I stay and it's more fun all round if you are welcome.

 

[jumartoo]

In a similar situation to The Old Man we stayed on a lovely spot somewhere in northern Spain. It was a grassy area next to a stream and we were there all alone. We found it on P4N.

An old guy, a local passed, regularly, and glared at us. We felt uncomfortable but stayed put, but we'd decided we'd leave first thing. There was a bit of litter that had escaped from a bin. I got out my litter picker and the old guy walked past as I was putting stuff in the bin. His attitude changed immediately and he stopped for a chat and told us we were welcome to stay as long as we wanted. We stayed a second night then moved to an official area further down the valley.

We went on a bike ride from there that brought us back through the other parking and, 100 metres or so from where we'd parked, all along the track, was toilet paper. We'd not been that way previously. I MIGHT have picked it up, I have done so before!

It's no wonder he had the attitude he had and one day we may find no motorhome signs there.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}