Guide
Dump Stations and Aires in Southern Portugal: The Honest List
Écrit par le gestionnaire d'Alentejo Park
·Mis à jour October 2024
Portugal maintains an official database of approved motorhome stopping places. The reality on the ground is more variable. Some approved areas are well-maintained, clean, and properly serviced. Others are potholed, poorly lit, and have dump stations that have not worked since 2019. This guide separates them.
The official list
The Turismo de Portugal database lists over 400 approved motorhome areas across Portugal. The Algarve has approximately 65 listed areas. The list is updated irregularly and some listings are outdated. The most reliable current source is the Park4Night community database, which is crowd-updated and includes user photographs and recent reviews.
Eastern Algarve — the reliable stops
Vila Real de Santo António: the riverside area has been improved and has a working dump station. Castro Marim: parking near the castle works; the dump station is at the municipal swimming pool. Tavira: the riverside municipal area is good and priced reasonably. Olhão: the quay-side area is practical but busy in summer. Alentejo Park (Castro Marim, 5 minutes from the A22 junction): private, licensed, free dump station for guests, €8 for non-guests.
What to avoid
Several aires in the Algarve have been abandoned by their municipal operators and are technically still listed as active. Signs include: overgrown surfaces, missing electricity connection points, dump station valves frozen from disuse. If a free municipal aire looks too good to be true, check recent reviews on Park4Night before committing.
Looking for a place to stop in the eastern Algarve?
Alentejo Park is 5 minutes from the A22 junction at Castro Marim. Twelve pitches, full hookup, free dump station for guests. →