Dream beaches, sea views and always a good surf spot around the corner: Portugal is considered throughout Europe as a paradise for vanlifers who want to spend the night far away from campsites in the middle of nature. Although wild camping has never been officially permitted in Portugal, it has been largely tolerated outside the high season. But that's over now: Since January 9, 2021, there's a new law in the country, which expressly prohibits camping outside of an official campsite.
The reason: Especially in recent years, self-sufficient camping in the southwest of Portugal and in the Algarve got out of hand. The local population increasingly complained about over-parked beach parking lots, garbage, noise and self-built fireplaces. Although there have been expulsions and fines in the past, in the vast majority of cases the police have only issued a verbal warning. Much to the annoyance of the locals, who have already taken matters into their own hands: With self-designed flyers they informed tourists about the regulations for wild camping in Portugal and gave directions to the nearest legal campsite.
Already in May last year, due to the worldwide Corona pandemic, more restrictive measures were taken, which regulated the use of public beaches. In this context, campers were already forbidden to stay overnight in parking lots near the beach. This ban has now been extended to the hinterland and places less frequented by tourists.
Source: The Portugal News