# Winter in Portugal



## Poulbot (Nov 8, 2013)

Up to now I have usually wintered at home in the UK, but am starting to suffer with the cold, so have been looking to see what the options are for wintering in Portugal. I have been relying heavily on the Camperstop book (and app) and am happy to go on to aires, but there will not be a 2021 edition of the Camperstop book, so have been looking at Searchforsites app which is very useful. However with the new parking rules for motorhomes I have a suspicion that their website is probably not up to date. I am looking at the Portuguese/Spanish border area, though prefer to be in Portugal, especially the Manta Rota (8900-054) parking which up to now has been open to motorhomers during the winter months. Are there any other safe and authorised areas east of Faro which are worth a few weeks stay? I am not looking to stay for months at each stop and may well head into Spain as I believe it is warmer than Portugal in the winter.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Portugal is warm enough in winter. The campsites, however, are geared up for summer and usually very shady. This causes people to leave and seek a sunny wild camping spot. Have not been for a few years but understand that wild camping is being discouraged.

We may well head to Portugal next winter as Spain has changed the laws around legal speed limits. It is quite draconian from what we understand with all but the main through routes being restricted to, I think, about 18mph. Our preferred area of Spain for the winter months is the Almeria region where they have the one and only European desert region. As you can imagine it is very dry if rather barren.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

We went to Tavira three years ago and the place was littered with campers. Sites, parking areas, streets and just spare ground. I can understand why the authorities started to limit the indiscriminate parking by campers. Most sites were back from the coast.
Moving west Alvor and Lagos still had some beachside basic sites.

Ray.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

You can compare the weather in Portugal and Spain using any of the web sites which publish historic climactic information. You will find that once you get roughly as far east as Gib Spain is noticeably warmer and drier than Portugal. That is hardly surprising since the prevailing winter weather in Portugal mainly arrives off the Atlantic.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Poulbot said:


> Up to now I have usually wintered at home in the UK, but am starting to suffer with the cold, so have been looking to see what the options are for wintering in Portugal. I have been relying heavily on the Camperstop book (and app) and am happy to go on to aires, but there will not be a 2021 edition of the Camperstop book, so have been looking at Searchforsites app which is very useful. However with the new parking rules for motorhomes I have a suspicion that their website is probably not up to date. I am looking at the Portuguese/Spanish border area, though prefer to be in Portugal, especially the Manta Rota (8900-054) parking which up to now has been open to motorhomers during the winter months. Are there any other safe and authorised areas east of Faro which are worth a few weeks stay? I am not looking to stay for months at each stop and may well head into Spain as I believe it is warmer than Portugal in the winter.


Choose your dates wisely because as you probably know, you can now only winter for 90 days out of any 180 in Portugal/Spain due to us leaving the EU. Unless of course you have residency or perhaps a Portuguese passport?

Still...90 days does take a decent chunk out of the UK winter :smile2:


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## Poulbot (Nov 8, 2013)

Three months would be fine for me. Jan/Feb/Mar are generally the coldest months. I saw a recent article suggesting the Spanish and Portuguese governments were considering 180 days. Not sure how that would get approval from Brussels though.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Yes, there are rumours circulating. I do hope it comes true. Perhaps they will campaign to Brussels? After all tourism brings in big revenue.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

It would be great however I suspect that the Schengen rules will not allow it.

Shame if so.


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