# Wild Camping Costa del Sol



## 38Rover (Nov 9, 2006)

The lighthouse car park in Torre del Mar(costa del sol) is now closed the police have moved on the 20/30 Motorhomes that gather there on more than one occasion guess they got fed up so a very useful amenity closed at the moment(height barriers going in I think) the car park is 500meters from 2 campsites.
Why do people spend £50k on there motorhome then reuse to spend 10/15 euros on a camp site less for long term!!!!!!!!!
The main large car park at Torrox now looks like a camp site that allows some cars in.
It's one thing spending the odd night but most of these people spend weeks at the same spot gets us all a bad name.


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## carol (May 9, 2005)

I do tend to agree - we use Aires in France, and the one and only time we ventured to Spain we stopped on sites for 30 days at a time, to get the cheap rate.

I suspect it is because, either they can't afford it - having perhaps bought their motorhomes when times were better, and pensions do not go as far.... we all have the same problem, but a lot of people have found the amount of capital they have to spend has shrunk a lot... unfortunately we are not all on these cast-iron pensions (2/3rds salary...) wish we were..

Others just because they don't want to pay....

Carol


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## 101405 (Oct 15, 2006)

*wild camping*

Well I did warn them ! Its not a camping ground and as you say 2 very good campsites nearby , Camping laguna playa offers good rates for long term stays and we have many friends who come back year after year. the policia cleared the last lot just after new year and blocked it off , cruised by on Tuesday and saw that the signs (solo turismo) were in english also " cars only" well not being able to read is no excuse. what I want to know is were did they empty their tanks ?


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## statenisland (Aug 17, 2007)

*Wild camping on Costa del Sol*

Good evening Silversurfa,
Re emptying motorhomes tanks at Torre del Mar.
I can put your mind at rest. There is a manhole cover in the left hand corner near the blue hut. Someone had thoughtfully put a loop of wire through the lid to make for easier opening .
At Torrox Costa there is a manhole between the Civil Protection huts and the enclosed football area.
Is this the beginning of the end of wild camping on the Costas?
NB- my view of wild camping is one or two nights in one place not staying for weeks.


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## 101405 (Oct 15, 2006)

So you put it in the sea then, because they are sea outlets for treated waste?. carry on camping.


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## statenisland (Aug 17, 2007)

*Wilding camping on the Costa del Sol*

Good evening Silversurfa,
The two manholes I referred to are adjacent to buildings which appear to have toilets within. So motorhomes waste goes in the same direction and to the same place as the toilet waste.
Where does it go when waste is dumped at the campsite at Torre del Mar?


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## Annsman (Nov 8, 2007)

We have a motorhome that cost nearly 50 grand, I have a 2/3rds pension, that I worked for and contributed to. I pay UK taxes and VAT which is an EU tax, so I do contribute my share, as do most of the people "free camping". I also am in Torre del mar and would have wild camped at the car park but for having to have an address to receive some mail from home. But I did spend 2 nights at Torrox!

We used the shops and bars at these resorts as did other people we were parked near. No one emptied anything in anything other than the recognised municipal sewer system, where it went after that is something I can't comment on. 

The sites we have used in Spain cost a lot more than 15-20 Euros, 25-30 seems to be the going rate, if you want to spend less than 30 days in one place, and from talking to people free camping most move along the coast from one end of Spain to Portugal and back again., so staying in one place for 30 days isn't a desire for a lot of people.

The other things is, is that most motorhomers who are out for long periods are "mature" adults who are responsible people they are not vandals or free loaders who are wrecking the place. Our motorhomes give us freedom to move around and many don't want to be stuck in one place for a long time. They are all nationalities and we all seem to get along fine, helping each other when needed and informing each other where the best and latest spots are! The free camps we have used are usually as quiet as can be after 10.30 so can't be accused of causing a disturbance. Many vans have moved off during the morning to get to wherever they are bound for.

There is, and has been, more damage being done to the environment by developers and buiders, most of who, since the credit crunch have just abandoned the building sites leaving everything there, than motorhomers could do in a life time. Even when they were building they were happy to dig up this coast for profit, But no one seems to be criticising the people buying apartments or villas and adding to this legalised vandalism. 

There is enough space on the Costas to allow freecamping and site camping. 

"Freecamper and proud!"


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## 38Rover (Nov 9, 2006)

Acsi sites are no more than 11 to 15 euros a night or less that does not break the bank.
Point here is Motorhomers have ruined a facility not only day parking of a Motorhome but for anybody despite being warned by the police.
How would you like to pay 200/300 thousand euros for a flat only to find the square which you live in full of Motorhomes in fact some of the vehicles are little better than bangers british vehicles with no tax I wonder about MOT and insurance.


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## LPDrifter (Aug 17, 2005)

Yep there are all sorts in this world and there are all sorts of 
motorhomers too.

During our travels we met people who always stayed on sites and paid
for the use of a place to camp, empty their waste, fill up with fresh water,
do their laundry, charge their battery or whatever. Mostly that is
what we did.

We also met motorhomers during our travels whose chief goal in life
was to pay for nothing. They expected a place to do all the services
I mentioned above but believed they should not pay as much as one euro
towards the cost of providing services needed.

As a consequence they spent their lives avoiding - as much as possible -
paying for anything. As a matter of fact many of their conversations
are about boasting how they stayed in a certain place free of charge.

No doubt these people will make it more difficult for the rest of us who
would hope to get a wild camping spot every now and again as more
and more height barriers are erected and police are more switched on
to moving motorehomers along.

Sadly we will all get tarred with the same brush


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## Annsman (Nov 8, 2007)

There are people from all walks of life you will abuse and rip off any system. But the majority of people I have met would be willing to pay a few Euros for "aire" type facilities where they can empty and top up their vehicles tanks. Similar to the aires in France, Germany, Italy, etc.

Facilities are available from most sites anyway for people who are not camping there. For 3-5 Euros you can use the camps water and waste supplies as an aire anyway. I spoke to 2 van owners who were doing this in Torre Del Mar at Camping Torre Del Mar, 20 metres from the car parks mentioned in these posts.

In fact, if the authorities in Torrox and Torre Del Mar and other such places got their act together they could have a nice leittle earner here! The stop overs would be regulated which would please those who don't like the term "free" camping! It would also provide the vans with recognised stopovers and local businesses with a further regular income source. Which as the credit crunch bites and holiday bookings go down and the tourists don't arrive, most will be welcome of.

Some people would still seek out the truely free places to camp, but if the plan was to eliminate all forms of motorhome stopping apart from sites then they could be rounded up and herded out of town easier!

By the way for anyone who isn't familiar with Torre Del Mar, the police are NOT driving motorhomes away completly, they are quite happy to let vans park further along the prom in the parking laybys along the road and in the off street parking areas just off the front for as long as you want to stay. I can understand why they would want the car park available in the summer when the flats are being used all the time, but at the moment at least 75% are standing empty, many with "To Let" or "For sale" signs on them.

On Tuesday there were about 8-12 vans there, 4 Brits, 3 German, 2 Dutch and a couple of Spanish ones. None looked like wrecks and were in fact well looked after vehicles.


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## inkey-2008 (May 24, 2008)

Look at it another way if you lived in England on a nice sea side town with nice views and a group of ***** vans turns up on your door step. How long before you are on the phone to the council and police.

If you parked up at Erosky then they would leave you alone, but you want to park as close to the sea in the best spots and don't give a dam about the how the local people feel.

Why not go another 50 yards and park in the next car park within yards of the sea but with out the nice view's. You ignore the signs on the other car park so what is so different about that car park.

I have stopped on route to and from Spain but always park away from any where it might offend local people, and on Aire's in France.

Andy


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## Patsy (May 1, 2005)

Last year I saw wild camping at Santa Pola Spain and Quateria in Portugal along the sea front . My immediate thought was how can people stop there in such numbers Looked lika a typical - - - - - (I don,t think Im allowed to say the word) Camp back home You all give motorhomers a bad name


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## 108370 (Nov 20, 2007)

we have a house near to Almunecar. A couple of years ago the local council put up signs banning motorhomes parking in the most desiable places.

They were quite right to do so IMO.

It used to be the case that the sea front road was more or less a continous row of long stay motorhomes ( mainly Dutch ) . They set up BBQ 's on the pavement , had dogs tied on by leads and generally an amount of ods and ends scattered around.

Some would stay for 2 months or so. 

According to the locals they DID not contribute much to the local traders. Mainly they ate in , travelled to the larger Supermarket for food etc.

Only knows what they did for waste etc.

Basically they spoilt things for everyone and as a Motorhome owner who regularly goes to Spain , I am glad to see the back of them.


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## Annsman (Nov 8, 2007)

I was talking to the few vans parked on the prom at TDM today when the police turned up. There is a Spanish van there who was interpreting for the others, 2 Brits, a Belgian and a German. They didn't want them to move on, it was just because the German had rung the police because the Belgian was running his genny to charge his battery and he didn't like the noise! He never asked him to stop, just rang the police!

The policeman asked the others if it was a nuisance, which it wasn't, they said. He asked the Belgian to turn it off until the road got busier and the noise wouldn't be so annoying to the German.

They didn't have a problem with them camping there because it is in a pull in parking area and, according to the police officer, a car is the same as a motorhome in their law, so if a car can park there so can a motorhome. You cannot have awnings and stuff out, but there is nothing to stop you staying over night.

The reason they moved the vans off the larger carpark near the campsite was because it is only for special occassions and the holiday season. It is now closed to ordinary cars too, but NOT because of the motorhomers.

My point before was that if Spain did, and some places are, making official aires then it might help strike a balance between the two differing opinions. There are people who abuse stuff, like there are everywhere, but again I make the point, most motorhomers are respectable people who are just out to enjoy themselves. They don't wreck places, don't cause damage and are certainly not act like some travellers who sometimes do disrespect an area.

I haven't experienced such hostility from some motorhomers about other motorhomers before as I am picking up from some of the posts on this thread, and it has come as a bit of an eye opener. All I have ever experienced when on the road, either on sites, aires or wildcamping is commeraderie and helpfulness from people of all nationalities. Perhaps if some of you tried a bit of freecamping now and again you might realise it's not such a bad thing. Still, that's life as they say!


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## anderson (Oct 17, 2008)

Looks like the police in torre have had enough of wild camping
This morning the16/2/2009 the police photographed each vehicle and noted their registration numbers. All vans from the car parks, streets and where they are building the new flats about 70 vans in all were removed on immediately. At the moment there seems to be a complete absence of van wild camping in Torre


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## 38Rover (Nov 9, 2006)

Theres a time and place for most things including "wild camping" but it's all got out of hand with vans staying put for week at a time the main car park in Torrox often looks more like a Camp Site than a car park.
We are not talking the odd night while moving on these are almost reidents,
What i can never understand is why thes people want to spend their days sitting in a car park with inmade surface no view and dust to boot where's the pleasure in that.
Anything to save a few EUROS


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## markandlorna (Jan 17, 2009)

some people have got it really wrong! for a lot of people it is not about the fact it is cheaper, it's about the freedom, not doing the convential in a field that is designed for it, the whole point of travel is freedom, not to tick boxes for the sake of it.. but it's easier for people to pigeon hole them into gypsies! well nomads, gypsies, travellers.. isn't that the point of a motorhome?

but i'm sure some people take the p#ss, there are always people like that, in all walks of life, that what makes humans so nice!! (not...)

we will wild camp when we can and when we can't put her in a campsite, each to their own, some people live in flats some people live in houses, some people live in cities some people live in country, whatever suits them.. one is neither better than the other, it's what suits you at the time..

I understand though sometimes free parkers can ruin it for others, but don't tar everyone with the same brush..

just as i'm sure on campsites there are people that ruin the experience for others, loud music etc.. so should everyone else think all people who go on campsites are the same? noisy loud and abusive? 

it's all about balance, trying to find somewhere nice, but at the same time not ruining it for others and also leaving the place the same as you found it, have respect for other's wild camping or camp camping and respect for local's and the local economy and the local habitat and the local nature... that's why were all there in the 1st place..

mmm anyway, went off on one sorry about that.....


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## unitedgirl (Feb 8, 2009)

*Wild camping Costa del Sol*

As a new Motorhomer, I see can understand both points of view on this.

It is a difficult one, personally I like the facilities of being on a site, showers, Electric, WIFI, etc but the downside for us, particularly on the larger sites is the amount of permanent residents with families, lots of kids screaming and running around etc, I am currently on Camping Marbella Playa which is a good location with good clean facilities but the noise means we will probably move on in a day or so. Maybe this kind of thing is what puts others of many sites and encourages them to wild camp.


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