Vila do Bispo, a municipality in the Portuguese Algarve, located in the Faro district in a territory which encompasses the beginning of Portugal's southern coast and the end of the northern coast, situated within the Costa Sud Estão Alentejana National Park, the last stop before the town and fortress of Sagres and the Cabo de São Vicente, iconic cape which was once thought to be the end of the world, a centre highlighted by picturesque narrow streets, whitewashed houses and peaceful cafes, started to regulate motorhome traffic, partcularly those parking illegally in natural parks or urban areas, as they often cause issues for local communities.
The mayor of Vila do Bispo, Rute Silva, told Lusa news agency, that the town wants, is for things to be organised legal. Because anything that brings tourism that is not what Vila do Bispo wants, this brings pollution, lack of hygiene, even brings public health problems.
The ban on parking in natural parks, which make up most of Vila do Bispo's territory, is already a reality that is often not complied with, but it raises other problems that need to be resolved.
An example is that the municipality has school parkings that in the morning when parents go to take their children to school, are occupied by motorhomes. The council has purt signs prohibiting this type of parking but it wants to go further.
Vila do Bispo Council will begin public discussions of a proposed regulation to prohibit caravans and motorhomes from spending the night within urban areas, as is already the case in the natural parks, except for places designed for this purpose, such as service areas or campsites.
The mayor stated that what the town needs is to create more infrastructure, that is, service areas or campsites so that motorhome can go to the right places, preserving the urban and natural environment.
Directly linked to this issue, the municipality of Vila Bispo is already licensing more service areas for caravans and mortorhomes, which at this time of year invade areas.
The mayor added that the National Republic Guard and the authorities, namely the ICNF, the Insititute for Nature Conservation and Forests, occasionally carry out assessments and inspections, however they are not able to carry out all these operations more frequently in a way that ensures compliance with the legislation, because what the legislation states is that overnight stays are prohibited in natural parks.
The responsibility for monitoring compliance with the rule falls mainly to the National Republic Guard and the Maritime Police, which sometimes have difficult tasks.
The commander of the National Republic Guard's Portimão Territorial Detachment, Francisca Albergaria, said that although this area is very popular all year round, in the summer most of people who come here are foreign citizens, young people, who come looking for contact with nature, looking for surfing who come from all over the world looking for these paradisiacal places.
The security forces try to make offenders aware of the rules, but in many situations, they must to be less permissive and more uncompromising.
The National Republic Guard main approach and what NGR should give priority to is awareness raising, that is, informing people, giving them the necessary information so that they know what they can do and cannot do.
NGR has reached a point where it can not turn a blind eye to the infractions thart are before the National Republic Guard which will have to start monitoring, and if people do commit an infraction must move on to legislation and issue fines.
The NGR commander added that this year seven inspections have been carried out with a total of 51 officers, and 171 reports of misdemeanours have been draw up.
The captain of the Port of Lagos and local commander of the Maritime Police, Hugo da Guia, stated that the main problem is that type of tourism often does not comply with the national rules of regulations,or with national legislation, and as a result, it behaves in a deviant manner.
The main problem is here in the Parque Natural do Suoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina, where the Maritime Police regularly receives complaints from locals.
There are currently two service areas of campsites that can accommodate caravans and motorhomes, and there will soon be five, but business people in the tourism sector want, above all, to see more information provided for this type of tourist.
The Director of Salema Eco Camp, Joaquim Lourenço said in the municipality of Vila do Obispo that 98% are probably international travellers, many of them do not even know what the legislation is in Portugal, and a lot of them don't even know that they are inside a natural park.
The Director added that because even journalists when they came from Faro, did not see any signs saying welcome to the natural park. There isn't one.
The phenomen of motorhome tourism has reached considerable proportions in recent years in the Algarve, developing in a context of informality that has made it a focus of conflicts from an environmental and land - use planning point of view.
With proper management, this type of tourism can cease to a threat and become an opportunity with significant economic returns.
Link
https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/2025-07-07/regulating-algarve-motorhome-traffic/99179
