# Portugal



## pejow (Dec 12, 2010)

We are currently at Camping Pinar San Jose at Zahora (coast nw of Gib). We are heading towards Portugal and along the Algarve for the first time. Can anyone recommend places to stop, campsite or wild.
Pete n Jo


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## Briarose (Oct 9, 2007)

Hi Camping Dorado is quite good at Alvor. You can walk into Alvor quite easily. We spent a few weeks there and rates are very reasonable....also places to eat around it and a decent on site restaurant too.


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## Briarose (Oct 9, 2007)

http://www.algarve-gids.com/campings/west2_campingsuk.html


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## ned (Dec 12, 2006)

Hi Pejow,

There is a free aire in Alvor with a waste disposal point ( rather crude and hidden on the other side of the road. Its in the large car park on the beach front next to the local football 'stadium' it would just be called a pitch in the UK. The carpark has shade from huge palm/fern trees along each row. It sounds a bit agricultural but actually its quite nice. 100metres from a huge sandy beach which is very safe for swimming. We stayed a few days last year and Alvor itself is a nice touristy village. A whole large plate full of sardines, bread and salad with a caraf of local wine 8euros each in the restuarants overlooking the small harbour.

Wish we were there................. Ned


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## clive1821 (Mar 27, 2010)

The first aire just over the border, at 37 13'13.37"N, 7 26'40.81W

Wild camp at quarter 37.06224916N, 8.08883428W

Camping oihao at 37 02'07.50"N, 7 49'17.80"W

Wild camp in sagres at 37 00'25.30"N, 8 56'22.80"W

Just a few we have been to this week :wink:


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## jedi (Nov 22, 2007)

Used all of these last year:

*Camping Olhao* 7€ per night ( 6€ if you stayed 30 days or more). Large site with swimming pool, bar, shop. Good local market and cheap restaurants near by.

*Praia d'Alvor* - beach car park. Short walk to town with shops and good fish restaurants. WC waste via manhole.

*Portimao *- Parking by the marina at Praia de Rocha. Large area tarmac or grass. 1€ per night! Water 1.50€ per 100 litres. Grey and WC disposal. Run by great local who doesn't speak a word of English but makes you welcome. Short walk to vast beach and shop/restaurant area. Supermarkets in town (Lidl and Continente). Bread van calls daily.

*Silves *- 37° 11' 07" N; 8° 26' 40" W Cross river and turn left sp 'Continente' supermarket. Car park alongside river just beyond swimming pool on left. Supermarket 100 yards, wifi at pool. WC waste via manhole.

*Ferragudo *- Opposite side of estuary to Portimao. Follow tracks to park on rough ground ( sand and shingle - care needed) by estuary with great views.

*Boca do Rio* - 37° 03' 59" N; 8° 48' 32" W My favourite spot! Unmade road leading down to isolated cove. Park by beach at mouth of small river not a house in site!

*Boca do Rio* - From above parking leave beach area and turn left on unmade road up the hillside. Several spots about half a mile up overlooking bay.

*Sagres *- Parking in town above the beach adjacent to Mara a Vista restaurant. Shops and bars nearby. WC disposal via manhole. Also parking at nearby fort.

Enjoy,

Jed


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## Tavira (Mar 18, 2011)

Hi, don't dash of to the western Algarve, before you have visited some great stops at Vila Real and Manta Rota, not expensive and legal. And also the camp site at Tavira is good value, look in reviews Brian.......


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## Patrick_Phillips (Aug 17, 2006)

On the way to Portugal... can be expensive as the ACSI & Camping Cheques haven't really been round there.
Torre de la Pena - nice site and reasonable. Right on beach and much favoured by Germa 70+ hippies (for the windsurfing, man) GPS 36.07 -5.68
Play de las Dunas in El Purto de Santa Maria, near Cadiz is expensive (€28 per night short stay!) but ideal to visit Cadiz and Jerez as well as El Puerto itself. Opp. side of road from fine beach. Walk to town. Ferry to Cadiz. GPS 36.588 -6.24

in Portugal
de Fuzeta has a reasonable campsite but there is wild camping on the estuary wall close to the town. GPS 37.053 -7.745
Quartera is a bit more expensive than it was when it was ASCI but still OK and there is a wild camp spot just by it on the beach though the police clear it out from time to time but in a friendly way! GPS 37.067 -8.087
Every one stops at Turiscampo on the N125 just West of Lagos at Pria de Luz. ACSI & Camping Cheque GPS 37.1 -8.732
Have fun
Patrick


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## bigtree (Feb 3, 2007)

Thanks for this post,I'm going to stop at Olhao instead of Faro car park.


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## Briarose (Oct 9, 2007)

ned said:


> Hi Pejow,
> 
> There is a free aire in Alvor with a waste disposal point ( rather crude and hidden on the other side of the road. Its in the large car park on the beach front next to the local football 'stadium' it would just be called a pitch in the UK. The carpark has shade from huge palm/fern trees along each row. It sounds a bit agricultural but actually its quite nice. 100metres from a huge sandy beach which is very safe for swimming. We stayed a few days last year and Alvor itself is a nice touristy village. A whole large plate full of sardines, bread and salad with a caraf of local wine 8euros each in the restuarants overlooking the small harbour.
> 
> Wish we were there................. Ned


Strangely enough when we were there, the police often moved motohomes off from there. As it now been classed as an aire ?


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## Wizzo (Dec 3, 2007)

If you want a quiet campsite that is a little off the beaten track then 'Caravanas Algarve' at Moncarapacho is excellent. It is small, clean, good views all round, in orange groves, unshaded, gravel that drains almost instantly so no mud! It is about a mile from the town so a decent walk and there are lots of restaurants in town. The owner, Frank, speaks English (but with an Australian accent). 3 nights or more is €10 a night. It has an electronic gate that requires a code to get into, as Frank is not always there if you wish to go then pm me for the code beforehand.

Portimau (Praia da Rocha) has a huge parking area that is €2 a night with a dump point. 100 litres of water is €1.50. It's convenient for the beach. Head for 'Praia da Rocha' and the Marina.

JohnW


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## jedi (Nov 22, 2007)

Briarose said:


> ned said:
> 
> 
> > Hi Pejow,
> ...


No problems last year. Stayed there on two separate occasions. Police drove around both times but did not stop. I think it's about time of year. I stayed there in May. It would be unreasonable to expect to use this beach car park in high season.

A local ex-pat told me the local council were looking in to making a proper aire with facilities on adjacent land.

Jed


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## pejow (Dec 12, 2010)

Thanks to everyone for the info currently at manta rota hope to find the other places soon.
Pete n Jo


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## christine1310 (Apr 10, 2008)

We are currently at Fuseta - just follow the campsite signs from the N125. The price goes by pitch size and as we have a small pitch it's costing us €14 per night (pitch, 2 people plus elec). A large pitch is about €3/4 more. There are about 10 vans wild camping in the parking area behind the site. We usually stay at camping Valverde near Lagos as it's an ACSI site but last year we got pensioners rates which were cheaper than ACSI.

Christine


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## meakwooders (Feb 26, 2011)

We are currently staying at Chicken Run, which is a rural campsite about 5 miles inland from Alvor. I have reviewed it before, and they have a website. One advantage is that the owners run a cheap taxi service to local towns, supermarkets and beaches. It is also on a bus route between Portimao and Lagos.

Prices are 7.50 per night, plus 2.50 for electric. No toilets or showers though.

Alvor beach car park is not an aire, we drove past yesterday, and there is a sign saying parking is forbidden between 9pm and 9am, but there are at least 30 vans there.

There is also a new aire in Lagos, by the football stadium, which I think has been mentioned before. I believe it is free but limited to three nights. It is quite a walk into town though.

Karen


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## makems (Jul 26, 2010)

The free camping spotat the north end of Quarteira was closed down in January and concrete barriers put in pace tostop anybody returning.
However vans have now moved to a car park at the other end of town down by the fish market.
N37deg 04'17.4
W08deg 06'34.8
Currently about 20 vans here.
Waste is emptied by lifting a manhole cover. There is no easy solution for water but there is a tap at the cemetery about half a mile away.
The Police came round about 10 days ago and cleared out everybody who was illegally camping on the waste ground next to the car park. They let those parked "legally" alone but gave a stern warning that no chairs outside, bikes must be kept on bike racks and a max stay of 3 nights. All terms are being routinely ignored 
But the Police haven't been back since.

There is a proper Aire with services just outside the town. If you pass the ACSI site on the right and keep going, straight ahead at the roundabout (Lidl on left) and then about 100 byds on left (signed)
It is €2 to park overnight, €2 to fill up with water (100 litres) and €2 for electric.
It would be a super place except there's b*gger all there and it's a bit out of town. About 10mins on bike.


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