Fishing on the coast of Morocco ... Yes, Morocco!
Photo by: Jean Froidevaux (Stock Exchange)

Welcome to AllCampgrounds!

It’s the middle of August, and for many of us here in the good ol’ United States, that means the official camping season is starting to draw down.

But campers rejoice: there are tent camping and RV camping destinations scattered all around the world where the fun is just getting started.

Camping is holding steady in the States, but it’s growing fast in many other countries, including a few that make tempting winter destinations.

Today, we’ll peek in on a few choice places to camp in winter.

Whether tent camping or RVing, your best bet for winter camping in Europe is down south. Camper Van Life provides a warm weather overview of some of the top picks for continental campers. Naturally, Spain and France are popular with both Americans and Europeans, with Spain being a bit warmer. Both are a tad pricey, though, and there are other choices afoot for those who would rather avoid heavy tourist traffic. We’ll cover France and Spain in detail in a future post.

The Algarve, in Portugal, is one of the best kept secrets in winter camping throughout Europe. Located at the southern tip of the country, it dips gently into the warm waters of the Mediterranean. The southwestern coast is replete with camping opportunities, and also provides water sports and sight-seeing: there are scads of beautiful and historic lighthouses to visit and view. Algarve Beach Life has a description of Algarve camp grounds and other things to note, including typical prices, safety, and more.

At only a few Euros a night, Algarve camping is an inviting prospect, and some of the parks and camp grounds include sophisticated private “chalets” equal to what you’d expect from cabins in the States. RVs are welcome at some sites, but be aware that all camping in the Algarve area has to take place in the confines of official sites; there is no backcountry camping. (Backcountry and unofficial site restrictions are hot topics around the world right now: check out the debate over freedom camping in New Zealand.)

Morocco is becoming another popular destination for camping in moderate climes during the tail end of the year. For some great “on the ground” perspective about what it’s really like to camp the desert, check out Camping in the Sahara from Bill and Cori’s Excellent Adventures. Also visit Camping Beyond Travel for a laudatory look at Morocco’s low cost, high value coastal camp grounds. RV campers are more than welcome throughout the country’s coasts, so don’t be shy! Tent campers will find both seaside and mountain settings to set up camp.

Now, obviously, there are a lot of things to consider and plan if you want to go camping abroad. AllCampgrounds is your number one source for all things camping, so in the coming weeks we’ll explore more warm weather haunts and chat a bit about crafting the perfect international camping trip. Drop by again this time next week, won’t you?