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Camper Vans and Vera Playa

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2022 8:27am
40 replies1718 views6 members subscribed
DarioMartin

DarioMartin

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Well it’s been a while since this discussion raised its head so I wanted to let people know (from what I can see) what is going on.

I now live in Vera Playa, with a fabulous view of the Mediterranean down towards Villaricos / Palomares.  The area of the beach down from the Repsol garage has always had a good few camper vans on it - right throughout the year.

The other morning, the area was choc-a-bloc full … by afternoon …. Deserted.  Then by evening, 2 or 3 had returned but by morning … deserted again.

I happened to be upstairs on the solarium watching the sunrise this morning, and looked over to see the area still deserted … and the distinctive twin blue lights of a police car slowly patrolling the area.

A Guardia Civil car came out and then took off at high speed somewhere with lights and sirens going, but it would appear that Guardia Civil are now actively patrolling that area and moving camper vans on.

Anybody know of any other areas where the “no overnight camping” is now being enforced?

Matthew

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2022 12:14pm

Matthew

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Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2022 12:14pm

What a pity! We've just had our campervan "El Sombrero" serviced and a new television antenna fitted. We were hoping to bring it to Spain during 2022 and drive down the coast from north of Barcelona to Mojacar Playa. We were thinking of stopping off in Palomares for a few days while waiting for tenants to vacate our apartment in Mojacar Playa. I hope La Guardia Civil have decided not to restrict campervan parking in Palomares and I am sorry to hear what is happening in Vera Playa. 

I think the people living in Palomares have always welcomed motor homes to their area. I don't see any reason why this should change.

DarioMartin

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2022 12:20pm

DarioMartin

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Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2022 12:20pm

Matthew wrote on Tue Feb 15, 2022 12:14pm:

What a pity! We've just had our campervan "El Sombrero" serviced and a new television antenna fitted. We were hoping to bring it to Spain during 2022 and drive down the coast from north of Barcelona to Mojacar Playa. We were thinking of stopping off in Palomares for a few days while waiting for t...

...enants to vacate our apartment in Mojacar Playa. I hope La Guardia Civil have decided not to restrict campervan parking in Palomares and I am sorry to hear what is happening in Vera Playa. 

I think the people living in Palomares have always welcomed motor homes to their area. I don't see any reason why this should change.

The area I’m speaking of is the very highly contested Palomares area - sorry I should have explained, I live now smack bang on the border of Palomares and Vera Playa so I see the Palomares parking area, right next to where the micro lights / powered parachute gliders launch from.

That’s the area now being cleared … sorry Matthew

Matthew

Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2022 2:47pm

Matthew

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Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2022 2:47pm

 I will be travelling and staying in our campervan around the Palomares area. While giving the van its first outing of the year last weekend I  met several campervanners from the UK in Dungarvan (a town just a few miles from where we live). Dungarvan is a fairly short drive from the ferryport at Rosslare where the Brits enter Ireland. The town while not being particularly touristic until recently welcomes campervanners and there are free motorhome "perches" along the seafront. There is so much to see there I hope to meet much more UK people in the area with their motorhhomes. 

Not only that it is at the start of a beautiful greenway where cyclists can travel  all the way over a former railway line to Waterford city (25 miles). The views are beautiful and entirely free of charge. No doubt, some of the owners of the campervans will be visiting east and south east Spain with the information of the area I supplied to them. "El Sombrero" won't be the only campervan in Palomares this year. 

No doubt, we'll be welcomed with open arms. Campervanners spend a lot of money while touring and are friendly towards everybody. I sincerely hope La Guardia Civil reciprocate.


Alicia 11

Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2022 9:24am

Alicia 11

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Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2022 9:24am

Matthew wrote on Tue Feb 15, 2022 2:47pm:

 I will be travelling and staying in our campervan around the Palomares area. While giving the van its first outing of the year last weekend I  met several campervanners from the UK in Dungarvan (a town just a few miles from where we live). Dungarvan is a fairly short drive from the fer...

...ryport at Rosslare where the Brits enter Ireland. The town while not being particularly touristic until recently welcomes campervanners and there are free motorhome "perches" along the seafront. There is so much to see there I hope to meet much more UK people in the area with their motorhhomes. 

Not only that it is at the start of a beautiful greenway where cyclists can travel  all the way over a former railway line to Waterford city (25 miles). The views are beautiful and entirely free of charge. No doubt, some of the owners of the campervans will be visiting east and south east Spain with the information of the area I supplied to them. "El Sombrero" won't be the only campervan in Palomares this year. 

No doubt, we'll be welcomed with open arms. Campervanners spend a lot of money while touring and are friendly towards everybody. I sincerely hope La Guardia Civil reciprocate.


the welcome arms in Mojacar seem to be lacking now as they have signs up all along the playas saying no vans and in the Garrucha car park by the mercadona end.  I expect they will defo clamp down in the summer but at the moment it seems that it is not being enforced by the police.   there were at least 20 vans on the beach just past Lopez by the beach bar just over the road from the official camp site.  Not much fun when they are all on the move and you get stuck behind them though!

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DarioMartin

Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2022 9:29am

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Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2022 9:29am

Alicia 11 wrote on Wed Feb 16, 2022 9:24am:

the welcome arms in Mojacar seem to be lacking now as they have signs up all along the playas saying no vans and in the Garrucha car park by the mercadona end.  I expect they will defo clamp down in the summer but at the moment it seems that it is not being enforced by the police.  &nbs...

...p;there were at least 20 vans on the beach just past Lopez by the beach bar just over the road from the official camp site.  Not much fun when they are all on the move and you get stuck behind them though!

Palomares área still clear - saw police patrolling again this morning … looks line they are getting very serious about stopping “wild camping”

We have a friend who rents out her villa, and moves into a motorhome for the duration of the guests stay.  She says the motorhome parks are choc-a-bloc full now.

Matthew

Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2022 11:38am

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Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2022 11:38am

Wait until the "Sombrero" campervan convoy arrives!!!!! 

Shay123

Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2022 2:31pm

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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2022 2:31pm

Seems as though the authorities are missing a trick here? Many places in France have invested in facilities on the edge of their towns and villages because the increase in trade is lucrative?

Many of the vans this year are surely a result of non-travel in Europe for two years and the effect of not being able to get to Morocco as they did in the past?

Anyway, the vanners know where to go and will happily move on to somewhere else. there is a website called Park4night that I used on my last trip back from the UK when I 'toured' sometimes camped and sometimes slept in my car. All in readiness for the new van but covid arrived first.

Matthew, do you think they will move your van on if you are resident? Also, are you from Dungarvan? My father was born there and a place I spent many holidays! :)

DarioMartin

Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2022 10:46pm

DarioMartin

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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2022 10:46pm

Shay123 wrote on Sun Feb 20, 2022 2:31pm:

Seems as though the authorities are missing a trick here? Many places in France have invested in facilities on the edge of their towns and villages because the increase in trade is lucrative?

Many of the vans this year are surely a result of non-travel in Europe for two years and the effect of not being able to get to Morocco as they did in the past?...

...

Anyway, the vanners know where to go and will happily move on to somewhere else. there is a website called Park4night that I used on my last trip back from the UK when I 'toured' sometimes camped and sometimes slept in my car. All in readiness for the new van but covid arrived first.

Matthew, do you think they will move your van on if you are resident? Also, are you from Dungarvan? My father was born there and a place I spent many holidays! :)

There already are licenced / lawful camper van facilities in and around Vera, Palomares, Mojácar etc. with various facilities including effluent emptying facilities.

What authorities are clamping down on is the so-called “wild camping” where vanners camp in spots not allocated or set up for camper vans, but which have nice views or similar.  This deprives the owners of the licenced spots of income and it has been alluded to that “wild campers” leave rubbish in and around where they have camped NOTE:  the alleged dumping of rubbish is without any basis in evidence but is normally used as the “reason” by those who just don’t like camper vans!!

Matthew

Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2022 8:21am

Matthew

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Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2022 8:21am

We've had two recent storms which affected Ireland and causing at least one death in a neighbouring county. There is another storm birthing while I write. These have contributed to our vanners from the UK spending more time in the village. They've added to the community and the village was never cleaner and never had as much flowers decorating the place. We have four campervans at the moment and we wouldn't have had them had I not met them last week in Dungarvan. The local pub has extended opening hours and no problems from the Gardaí either.

Even with only four vans the life of the village has lifted and a lovely atmosphere has been created and in the middle of February. The owners of the vans even attended Mass yesterday morning and were welcomed by our priest. Some Irish jockeys tending the local horse stables/yard (H de Bromhead) joined in at our unplanned festival and some handy tips for Cheltenham Festival next month were given. 

Our village, just one of the beautiful villages along the Co Waterford coast is largely ignored by tourists because of our proximity to Waterford city. Even the local shops are happy with the extra spend. OK, some of the ice-pops have gone out of date, but no moaning from the vanners who have given extra glee around here. 

They'll be back I'm pleased to say. But, interest in UK vanners joining our convoy is mounting and I'm considering additional sites to Oria to accommodate the demand. I'm thinking Turré, Los Gallardos and Macenas. I'm open to suggestions.

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