Hello everyone! Maria here. As you know, from the association we try to be always at the foot of the cannon so that your routes through the south do not end with a prescription of 500 euros on the windshield.
This beginning of 2026 is making it clear that things have changed. It is not that motorhoming has been banned, but the pressure in certain parts of Andalusia is different from what we experienced last year. I have prepared this summary so that you know exactly what you are facing this year.
1. The end of the “blind eye” on the coast.
If in 2025 there were still some corners where the municipal authority allowed to spend the night in beach parking lots without services, this 2026 the situation has turned around.
- What was happening in 2025: In many parts of the coast, as long as you didn’t take junk outside, overnight stays were tolerated in a gray zone.
- The reality in 2026: Several Andalusian municipalities have updated their citizen coexistence ordinances. Now, the simple fact of having the curtains drawn or the roof raised in unauthorized areas is being sanctioned directly as “camping”, without prior notice.
2. Almeria and Cabo de Gata: Surveillance 2.0
It is our most sought after area, but also the most sensitive.
- The real change: This year we have seen a much greater deployment of nighttime surveillance. In 2025 surveillance was more visual and face-to-face; this 2026 they are relying heavily on access control to protected areas.
- My advice: Do not gamble in the parking lots of the coves. The fine for spending the night in a Protected Natural Area has gone up and the patrols are no longer limited to informing. If you want to be in the area of Agua Amarga or San José, go directly to official areas.
3. Cadiz and parking pressure
In Cadiz, the fight this 2026 is not only for overnight stays, but also for the simple fact of parking.
- New 2026: The signs “Urban road forbidden to vehicles over X meters” or “Except cars” have multiplied. What last year was a problem of August, this winter we are seeing it already in January in municipalities such as Tarifa or Conil.
- What to do? Look for the dissuasive parking lots that the municipalities themselves have set up for us. They are usually farther away from the arena, but they are legal.
4. Traveling with a dog: How is it this year?
Many of you ask me how things are going for those of us who go with furry people. Andalusia continues to advance, but with nuances:
- In 2025: There was a lot of confusion about dog beaches.
- In 2026: The good news is that there is a greater official register of authorized areas, but the bad news is that outside these areas the surveillance is fierce. If you go to Almeria or Malaga, I recommend you always check our updated list of Dog-Friendly areas, because the fines for taking the dog loose on unauthorized beaches have grown by 20% this year.
