Two nights near Lisbon turned into one of those trips where everything happens at once: a lovely campsite, a day in the city without me (I was feeling rough), a beach park-up that cost nothing, a fridge that’s officially on borrowed time, and a late-night visit from the owner to explain why our neighbours had just quietly disappeared. Portugal doesn’t do boring.
Where we stopped
Lisboa Camping was our base for the first couple of nights. We arrived without a reservation, which always gives you a slight flutter of anxiety, but they had space. The first pitch they offered us was too tight and too shaded for Starlink to work, so we asked to move and ended up somewhere much better: flat, near the pool, and with enough clear sky overhead for a solid connection. Coming in at €87.10 per night for five adults, it is not cheap, but the pool and the full services to the pitch make it good value for Lisbon. If Starlink clearance matters to you, ask for an open pitch when you check in, because the tree coverage on some of the others is pretty dense.
Mó de Bakesa (near Fonte da Telha, Costa da Caparica) came about because our actual plan fell through. We had our hearts set on an old favourite beach stop we had not visited in ten years, but the development down there is now extraordinary. Coaches, no room to manoeuvre, a no-caravans sign we only spotted once we were already committed. We turned around on a roundabout that was, let’s say, a tight fit, and headed south to find an alternative. Mó de Bakesa was everything we needed: right by the beach, free for motorhomes (the barrier just lifted, and when Steve confirmed with the owner it was confirmed as gratis), a bar overlooking the sea, and enough space to fly the drone and not bother anyone. The owner Hugo came round in the evening to collect €5 per motorhome, which is about as reasonable as it gets. Lovely spot. The link to it is in the video description.
Lisbon without Steve: George’s grand tour
Since I was under the weather and needed a quiet afternoon in the van with the air con on, Lyndsay took the kids into Lisbon by Uber. About 30 minutes from Lisboa Camping, roughly a tenner each way. George had appointed himself tour guide and put together a proper route: the Miradouro de Santa Luzia for the views across the city and the cruise ships in the harbour, the Sé Cathedral (one of very few buildings to survive the catastrophic 1755 earthquake, as George will tell you in considerable detail), the Rua Augusta Arch, built to commemorate the city’s rebuilding after that same earthquake, and a walk along the waterfront before finishing at Timeout Market. Lyndsay noted the market looked very expensive and very beautiful, so they found a small pizzeria nearby with excellent Google reviews and had pizza and lasagne instead. Harry apparently had the best lasagne of his life, which is high praise from someone who is notoriously difficult to impress about food. Pastéis de nata to go on the way back to the Uber. Total cost for the return trip: €9. Decent evening.
Meanwhile, back at the campsite, I had a quiet van, the editing software open, and a large cup of tea. I’m calling that a win.
The knock, the fridge, and a bent something we were not expecting
The travellers had been at Mó de Bakesa when we arrived: a group of French and Belgian vans, friendly enough, a little lively. By evening they had cleared off, and we later found out why. Hugo, the owner, came round at ten to eleven to explain that he had asked them to leave and to collect the €5 from the remaining guests. Perfectly pleasant conversation, captured accidentally on the Ring doorbell. He was a genuinely nice bloke about the whole thing, and we had absolutely no trouble ourselves. Worth mentioning because the video title might put people off: do not let it. It is a lovely park-up.
The rather more pressing issue the next morning was the van. Hitting an unmarked speed bump rather too enthusiastically on the way out of Lisbon had done something to the rear wheels, which were visibly bent inward. Valta (whose birthday it was, which added a particular layer of stress to proceedings) had a look and confirmed it is likely the wheel carriers rather than the chassis, which is the best possible version of bad news. We are getting it looked at, and I will report back.
And then there is the fridge. The three-way absorption fridge has been struggling in the Portuguese heat, sitting at 14°C when it should be running cold enough to keep raw chicken safe. We lost a pack of chicken because of it. The compressor fridge in the rear held up fine, which tells you everything you need to know. I have been saying for a while that three-way fridges in warm climates are just not up to the job, and this trip has confirmed it. When we are back in the UK, that fridge is coming out and a compressor unit is going in. Done.
Questions people ask
Is Lisboa Camping worth it without a reservation? We turned up without booking and got a pitch without any trouble, so it seems to be manageable outside peak season. That said, arriving without one always carries some risk. The pitch we were originally offered was not ideal (tight, heavily shaded), so if you need Starlink clearance or a more open spot, ask specifically when you check in. At €87 per night for five adults it is on the pricier side, but the pool and full pitch services justify it.
Is the beach park-up at Mó de Bakesa genuinely free for motorhomes? Based on our visit, yes. The barrier lifted without issuing a ticket, and when Steve asked the staff they confirmed motorhomes were not being charged. The owner Hugo collected €5 in the evening, which seems to be the overnight fee for staying on his land rather than a car park charge. Either way, it is extremely good value for a pitch right by the beach.
What is the best way to handle translation with non-English speakers on the road? Steve used ChatGPT to translate between English, French, and Italian in real time when the neighbouring motorhomers came over to look at the drone footage and ended up staying for a chat. It handled the multi-language back and forth better than Google Translate, which tends to struggle when you are switching between more than two languages quickly. Well worth having on your phone.
Should you avoid Mó de Bakesa because of the travellers incident? Honestly, no. The group had left by the time the owner came to explain the situation, and the Radfords had no problems during their stay. Steve’s verdict is clear: do not be put off. It is a lovely spot with good facilities nearby, a bar overlooking the beach, and a genuinely decent owner in Hugo.
The full video has everything in more detail, including Lyndsay cooking that honey-soy-Sriracha pork on the campsite, the drone footage over the beach, and the moment we discovered what exactly a speed bump can do to your motorhome if you hit it with sufficient commitment. Worth a watch.
Watch the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG6OjsDKEOA