# Silves Portugal - free parking cleared of Motorhomes



## veevee (Nov 6, 2011)

Here's an email received today (22 February 2014) from my cousin who lives near to Silves. Hope this allows others to plan their stay in the area without getting a nasty surprise.

"Well it seems the local council have finally had enough with the long term parking of vans.

Up to Thursday there was approx 150 vans many had been there for going on 2 months.( they even went to the trouble of stabilising their vans with axle supports.)

The police were there yesterday clearing people off site.

It was quite amazing, as we went to Lidl, we drove by the car park and it was full, half hour later we drove past and about 30 vans were left.

According to our neighbour, It also seems that some were using the car park as a winter storage facility and the owners were else where.

It is a shame that some people spoil it for others, as for years, while other councils allowed limited parking Silves didn't mind.

But then some of the other councils decided to either charge or banned it and they all moved to Silves."


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## JackieP (Oct 15, 2006)

We overnighted there about 5 years ago and there were about 50 van there then. We were told by a local that only a month before they had all been shifted but the local shopkeepers made such a fuss due to loss of takings that they were all allowed back again. 

Even then we saw that some folks had made proper camps with chairs, tables and even some awnings. We thought then that some we're taking the Michael.


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

We stayed for 2 days last year. There were 3 different areas of free parking. One next to the swimming pool and TIC that had a strictly enforced (by the police ban on vans in the 3 aisles used by patrons of the pool.

Another large one about half a mile to the south west, and another to the north east I think of the castle.

Do I take it all 3 have been cleared? 

Dick


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## alphadee (May 10, 2009)

IMHO no surprise.
There were too many vans there. The drinking fountain in the children's playground was being used for washing toilet cassettes, not just for "stealing" water.
Some vans had a significant set up, with tables, chairs, trailers, cars, scooters, kitchen sink etc.
Maybe a stay of 2 or 3 nights would have been acceptable but some vans and a caravan or 2 were there for months.
The swimming pool has reopened after having the roof replaced and presumably requires parking for it's users.
We have spent time at the new aire in Silves and have seen very little evidence of the town benefitting from the MH's. Shopping at Continente may benefit the Company and provide some employment, but when you see trailers stacked with tins and packets of food, it would suggest that some people will buy very little locally.
Having seen some pretty appalling behaviour in lots of places along the Algarve, it must be highly likely that MH parking will be tolerated less and less.
Another example of some spoiling it for all ?


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## Zepp (May 14, 2009)

We have also been told today by the owner of algarve motorhome park that the police have moved everyone off all 3 parking areas 


Paul


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## alphadee (May 10, 2009)

Where on earth have they all gone?


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## taz (Sep 28, 2005)

Also not surprised. We spent sept to October touring through France, Northern Spain and into Portugal. We couldn't believe how many people abuse the free aires, some proudly telling us from their sun loungers etc that they stay for months at a time without paying a penny. A couple of people took time to instruct us on which man holes to lift and where to discreetly get free water.
Tbh there are much nicer places to stay than a car park in Silves, and they are worth the euros they charge. We stayed one night at Silves, which I think is what these spots are intended for. We shopped at the supermarket and ate a good meal at a local restaurant. The aire at Sagres is another that was full of long timers.
As others have said, it's a great area that is being spoilt by those expecting and taking something for nothing.


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## tramontane (Jan 28, 2014)

We are currently in the pay aire just past the swimming pool.
Walking back from a very nice and reasonably priced dinner in one of the many small restaurants about 10 minutes ago there were 18 vans in the swimming pool car park, when we arrived here on Thursday it was absolutely jam packed with them.
Whether they will be moved on or not I do not know but that is the situation at this moment in time.


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## Tavira (Mar 18, 2011)

*Algarve parking*

There must be 60 to 70 vans parked in Olhao, they are cheek by jowl, some have been there for weeks, mainly French, I cant understand what they see in it, but everyone to there own I suppose.


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

*Re: Algarve parking*



> There must be 60 to 70 vans parked in Olhao, they are cheek by jowl, some have been there for weeks, mainly French, I cant understand what they see in it, but everyone to there own I suppose.


Isn't that what's called a "rally"?


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## Wizzo (Dec 3, 2007)

*Re: Algarve parking*



Stanner said:


> Isn't that what's called a "rally"?


No you get more space on a rally.

:lol:

JohnW


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

I am in no way supporting the behaviour of some of the abusers of Aires in Spain or Portugal but at a time when literally thousands of people have no longer got a job and may also have lost their homes, where are they supposed to go?
I have encountered several times, vans that were totally unfit to drive on roads or even keep out the rain. When we first came across them parked in Aires, we were amazed that any motorhomer could let their vehicle get into that state. We then realised that these people were in the last throes of a desperate situation. They were not itinerant travellers or Gypsies, they were destitute with nowhere else to go.

Alan


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## Remus (Feb 10, 2011)

Sounds like the people in motorhomes at Silves were behaving like travellers. I bet that's how many locals viewed them anyway. Can't blame the council for saying enough is enough. The simple answer is to put a maximum stay time limit on any free aire, say three days, then you move and don't come back for at least a week. It's always baffled me why people will spend a five figure sum buying a motorhome then eke out each day as though they don't have two pennies to rub together.


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## wug (May 19, 2011)

Remus said:


> The simple answer is to put a maximum stay time limit on any free aire, say three days, then you move and don't come back for at least a week.


That's right. Aires and "wild camping" places are for short stays of a day or two. I wonder how these "campers" would react if similar numbers turned up on their doorstep?



Remus said:


> It's always baffled me why people will spend a five figure sum buying a motorhome then eke out each day as though they don't have two pennies to rub together.


I agree.


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

Having seen hourdes of dirty buggers abusing the facilities at Sagres I am not at all surprised they keep getting moved on. Folk were crapping in the undergrowth and hanging the soiled paper on trees just up from the beach despite there being a public toilet must four minute walk away. I was ashamed to be associated with them. Summer 2012.


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## Mike0753 (Apr 29, 2010)

I am currently in Portugal (not too far from Silves) on the 3rd month of a winter stopover on the Iberian peninsula. On our travels around Spain and the Algarve I have seen numerous large, apparently illegal encampments of motorhomes in Portugal but much fewer in Spain. I have yet to go to Silves but Olhao, Messines and to a lesser extent Altura near Tavira seem to have huge numbers of vehicles which appear to have settled in for the Winter. The majority of vehicles are French, Dutch or German registered and many of them appear to be relatively new but does anybody have any info as to whether there are similar encampments in Spain? I am not a regular wild camper but the only time I ever wild camped in Spain I was moved on after one night by the local police! (Agua Amarga near Almeria). Are they any tougher on these encampments than Portugal?
I am not against wild camping but parking cheek by jowel alongside hundreds of other vans for months on end is not wild camping in my opinion.
I agree with all on here so far. If I lived in Portugal I would be playing hell with local authorities, members of Parliament or equivalent.


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## TheNomad (Aug 12, 2013)

We're back from our Algarve/Costa del Sol jaunt now; but I've just had an email from some friends from Slovenia who are still currently over on the Algarve (at Alvor at the moment) in their motorhome.

According to people they've met, there's been a reversal of the Silves motorhome clearance action.
Here's what he wrote to us on the subject:-


"..........in Silves (small town with 3 large parking areas, 2 of them free): state police (GNR) tried to clear one of the free a fortnight ago for reasons unknown, but within an hour or so the mayor (she!) of the town appeared at the place declaring that GNR has no jurisdiction within town boundaries and going from camper to camper to convince people to stay, welcoming them personally and telling everybody they are the only tourists at the time and Silves tourist industry could perish without them! In fact most of the people we met there were eating in restaurants with good food offering full meals with drink included for 6 – 8€!"


(For those who don't know, the GNR are the Portuguese national Police; they are an entirely separate body from the local Police that each town has and controls themselves from their town hall).


I have no idea whether this "heard it from other people" latest twist on the story is accurate.

Is there anyone at Silves at the moment, who is able to confirm or deny first-hand that motorhomes are once again welcome at the 'traditional' big free-parking areas by the town swimming pool?


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## spinny555 (Jun 4, 2012)

We are at the new Aires in SILVES the M/homes Were moved from the large car park the other w/end because of a scouts meeting they needed the car park for coaches and cars to park rightly so but they are all back again now except the small car park think they have stopped m/homes parking in there the mayor has said in the Portuguese News that she is going to put in facilities so I expect that mens people will have to pay maybe next year


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## Zepp (May 14, 2009)

We are at Silves now 


we are on the aire just down the road from the wildcamping spot ( Algarve Motorhome Park ).

The motorhomes are back on the swimming pool area but they are not allowed on the burger ranch area . We heard it’s the mayor’s son who owns burger ranch and the all the motorhomes were moved because of a local event.

No idea if this is true but we also heard they are going to start charging soon along the lines of what they did at Manta Rota.


Not sure if they are welcome …..but it no longer looks like a campsite , its more like a parking area also heard they have stopped people using the drinking fountain to fill up.


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## peaky (Jul 15, 2009)

We are at the motorhome park silves, they have moved off all the vans again this morning from the car park, don't know who moved them but we had an early influx of vans this morning thought something was going on, must say the area looks a lot nicer without the freeloaders permanent camp there.


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## redkite93 (Dec 29, 2010)

We have just left the motorhome park at Silves and parked near the swimming pool to go into town to shop/ eat a meal etc. we were there about 3 hrs and there were at least 20 others who looked like they are staying there. I'm not giving an opinion, just letting you have an update.


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