By PAULO SILVESTRE [email protected]
A motor home park is to be built in the green area of Parque das Cidades between Loulé and Faro, home to the Algarve Stadium.
The project, which is the brainchild of the Association of Municipalities of Loulé and Faro, aims to raise funds from motor homers to ease the current financial problems resulting from the heavy burden of the stadium.
Loulé Mayor Seruca Emídio told the Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manhã: “We must find alternatives to stop the present situation which is unsustainable. The motor homes park will have a gas station and support facilities for motor homes.”
Seruca Emídio also referred to the fact that there are many visitors who “wild” motor caravan and that they always justify this because of the lack of official parks in the region.
“This project is viable from the economic point of view, because the location is great for motor homers.”
Loulé and Faro are also considering the possibility of building an amusement park in the same area.
The Algarve Stadium was built for the European Championships in 2004 and represents a financial burden of three million Euros a year on the councils.
“The stadium is an important national and regional premise but it lacks income for this investment,” said Seruca Emidio.
More parks
A Portuguese motor homer, Diogo Morais, told the Algarve Resident: “I travel a lot to the Algarve and it will be very good to have a park in that area.
“It is very difficult to find motor home parks with good conditions. This initiative will solve many problems that motor homers face with the lack of parking spaces. As Parque das Cidades has a very ample space, many motor homers will benefit from the construction of these facilities.”
He added: “Motor caravanning may not be the cheapest way to do holidays, but it is exciting. It is unique and I love to be amid the beautiful sceneries that Portugal has to offer.”
Paulo Rosa from the CampingCar Portugal association told the Algarve Resident: “The places chosen for motor home parks should not be too far from the centre of the towns, because motor homers move by foot when leaving their vehicles parked.
“They should also not be too isolated and they must allow access without difficulties, because a medium sized motor home is seven metres long by three metres high and two and a half metres wide.”
“I have great doubts about this new park at Parque das Cidades, because in my view it doesn’t meet the needs of the motor homers. It also seems strange that the municipal authorities still do not understand this kind of tourism, its economic benefits and their motivations,” said Paulo Rosa.
“However, in the Algarve there are two good parking areas and motor home services, at Castro Marim and Alcoutim.”
Do you have a view on this story? Please email Editor Inês Lopes at [email protected]
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