Wild camping in Spain: motorhome and van rules, free places to sleep

In 30 seconds

Parking and sleeping inside is not camping, as long as nothing sticks out beyond the vehicle’s footprint, it rests only on its wheels (with chocks if needed) and it empties nothing.
Camping is regulated by the autonomous communities and town councils. Andalusia, Galicia and the Basque Country ban it as a general rule outside authorised places.
There is no single rule for the whole of Spain: it depends on the community and on the municipal by-law.
VanLife has 1,746 free places with the price confirmed in Spain and Portugal.

Where the line falls between parking and camping

Since 1 October 2026, article 92.4 of the Reglamento General de Circulación (Real Decreto 518/2026) has set three conditions for parking motorhomes and vehicles fitted out as living accommodation:

No elements of its own extended beyond the vehicle’s footprint.
Resting only on its tyres, with the option of chocks or safety wedges.
No fluids emptied from the living area.

If you fail to meet any of them, you are no longer simply parked. And even if you meet them all, the town council can limit parking by by-law.

What the communities say

There is no national camping law in Spain. These are the regional rules we have read in their official gazettes:

Community	Rule	What it says
Andalusia	Decreto 26/2018, art. 1.5	Bans as a general rule camping and overnight stays for holiday or leisure purposes outside tourist campsites
Galicia	Decreto 159/2019, art. 1.4	Bans tourist camping outside authorised tourist campsites
Basque Country	Decreto 396/2013, art. 81	Bans wild camping as a general rule, with a limited exception for small groups

The other communities have their own rules, and we will not summarise them here until we have read them in the official source. Protected areas, beaches and the coast are a separate matter: we explain them in the legal guide.

Where to sleep for free, by region

In VanLife, "free" means the place is not private and its €0 price is confirmed. If we do not know, we do not call it free. Figures as of 4 November 2026:

Region	Places	Verified	Free	With water
Catalonia	671	360	177	433
Andalusia	651	141	219	323
Castile and León	464	207	211	289
Galicia	405	198	162	296
Valencian Community	364	146	74	238
Aragon	289	51	112	178
Castilla–La Mancha	191	72	89	109
Asturias	175	52	100	114
Canary Islands	152	43	66	46
Basque Country	148	47	71	73
Extremadura	134	50	65	89
Cantabria	128	34	44	71
Navarre	114	38	51	70
Region of Murcia	88	44	30	56
Community of Madrid	77	31	27	45
La Rioja	51	16	29	32
Balearic Islands	49	9	23	19

Region	Places	Verified	Free	With water
Central Portugal	230	140	83	155
Northern Portugal	134	95	44	103
Alentejo	124	77	37	93
Algarve	85	45	17	57
Lisbon region	61	35	15	43

A place being free does not make it legal in itself. Each one carries its seal, and "Tolerated" means no known rule bans it, not that there is a permit.

Frequently asked questions

Is wild camping legal in Spain?

It depends on the community and the municipality, and as a general rule it is banned in several: Andalusia, Galicia and the Basque Country, for example. Sleeping inside a properly parked motorhome is not camping.

Does sleeping in a van count as camping?

No, if it is properly parked: nothing outside its footprint, resting only on its wheels and emptying nothing. That is what article 92.4 of the Reglamento General de Circulación has said since 1 October 2026. The municipality can limit it by by-law.

Where can I sleep for free with a motorhome?

In free municipal aires and car parks where it is allowed. VanLife has 1,746 free places with the price confirmed in Spain and Portugal, and in the app you can filter the map to see only those.

Can I put out a table if I am on a motorhome aire?

It depends on the rules of the aire. If anything sticks out beyond the vehicle’s footprint you no longer comply with article 92.4, so you need a place where camping is allowed. In the VanLife listing we tell you whether you can put out an awning and chairs when we know.

Keep reading

Sources

A summary of the general rules; this is not legal advice. Andalusia amended its decree in 2021 and here we cite the 2018 text: check the current wording, the municipal by-law and the signs at the site.

Every place, with its seal and where it comes from

In the VanLife app you see the map of every place, the legal seal of each one with the rule linked, its facilities and whether your vehicle fits. Free, and no account needed to browse.

Download VanLife