The municipality of Vila do Bispo, located in the Algarve region, aims to regulate the presence of motorhomes that often park illegally in natural parks and urban areas, causing significant issues for local communities.
“Our objective is to organize these activities in a legal manner. The type of tourism we do not seek tends to bring pollution, hygiene issues, and even public health problems,” stated Rute Silva, the president of Vila do Bispo, in an interview.
Despite existing prohibitions against parking in natural parks, which account for a large part of the municipality, these rules are frequently ignored, presenting further challenges.
“I’ll give you an example: our school parking lots are occupied by motorhomes in the morning when parents bring their children to school,” explained Silva.
The council has installed signs to prohibit such parking but plans to take further measures.
The Algarve municipality (Faro district) will soon initiate public discussions on a proposed regulation to ban motorhomes from overnighting within urban perimeters, similar to the current restrictions in natural parks, except for designated areas such as service areas or campgrounds.
“What we need to do is create more infrastructure, meaning service areas and campgrounds, for motorhomes to park legally,” Silva advocated.
The municipality is currently in the process of licensing additional service areas for motorhomes, which tend to crowd coastal regions, often settling in inaccessible spots.
“We know the Guarda Nacional Republicana and other authorities, including the ICNF [Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests], perform periodic inspections. However, due to limited resources, these authorities find it challenging to enforce legislation, which prohibits overnight stays in natural parks,” Silva commented.
The responsibility for enforcing these rules primarily lies with the GNR and the Maritime Police, who face significant challenges.
“Although this area is sought after throughout the year, [in summer] it attracts mainly foreign tourists, young people seeking nature and surf experiences, who arrive from various parts of the world,” noted Francisca Albergaria, commander of the GNR Territorial Detachment in Portimão.
The security forces strive to educate offenders to comply with laws but often need to enforce the rules more strictly.
“Our priority approach is educational, providing necessary information for compliance. There comes a time when ignoring violations is not an option, hence we transition to enforcement, issuing citations as needed,” Albergaria stated.
GNR data from 2024 reported 346 administrative offense citations and two arrests related to drug trafficking and unlicensed driving, resulting from 11 planned enforcement actions involving 129 officers and Maritime Police participation.
This year, seven enforcement operations have been conducted involving 51 officers, resulting in 171 citations.
“The main issue with this type of tourism is its frequent non-compliance with national standards or laws, leading to problematic behavior. This is particularly evident in the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park, where we routinely receive local complaints,” said Hugo da Guia, captain of the Port of Lagos and local commander of the Maritime Police.
Currently, there are two available service areas or campgrounds for motorhomes, with plans to expand to five. Sector entrepreneurs emphasize the need for increased tourist information dissemination.
“In our municipality [Vila do Bispo], perhaps 98% are foreigners, many unaware of Portugal’s laws and unaware they are in a natural park. Even journalists don’t see signs welcoming them to the natural park when coming from Faro,” remarked Joaquim Lourenço, director of Salema Eco Camp.
The motorhome phenomenon has grown significantly in recent years in the Algarve, occurring informally and causing conflicts in environmental and territorial management.
Properly managed, this form of tourism could cease being a threat and become an economically beneficial opportunity.
