Motorhomes key to Praíña beach tourism

Begoña Iglesias, a parking attendant in Andratx, Mallorca, has been living in a motorhome with her son since losing her home in 2022. She pays about 250 euros per month for the motorhome, while room rentals reach 1,400 euros. In September 2024, the Son Hugo parking lot in Palma had over 60 motorhomes used as permanent residences. A study by the University of the Balearic Islands identified six such settlements where residents with steady jobs cannot afford rents near 1,000 euros.

Content creator Guacimara Siverio, who has lived in a motorhome for three years, is debunking the romanticized image of this lifestyle. She points out that it is not necessarily cheaper than conventional housing due to maintenance, fuel, insurance, gas, campsites, and repairs. A breakdown can leave occupants without both transport and home. She also highlights difficulties in finding safe and legal parking spots, managing water and electricity, and the challenges of traveling with pets and in cold weather. Her main warning: moving into a motorhome does not solve personal problems—they 'travel with you.'

At the Caravan Salon, Benimar unveiled its new entry-level Kaleo range, comprising four partially integrated models based on the Citroën chassis with a 140 hp engine. Lengths range from 6.30 to 7.45 meters. All models feature ISOFIX seats, electric drop-down beds, and various sleeping arrangements. Base prices start at €58,990 for the K663, with Onroad package and extras bringing the price to between €62,000 and €67,000.

In Pravia, a motorhome area with six spaces is being set up at the Quinzanas recreation area, near the Narcea river and the AS-16 road. In Muros de Nalón, work will start in the coming weeks to convert a plot in San Esteban into a six-space motorhome area, and a project for a second parking area has been presented. In Soto del Barco, an area cannot be provided due to a lack of public land. A motorhome area with 11 spaces has been operating in Belmonte de Miranda since May.

A Spanish man named Jose and his father have converted a truck into a motorhome with a living area of 12 square meters. The vehicle includes a living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and a garage for a motorcycle. Jose says he does not pay a mortgage, water, or electricity bills.

Police in Palma arrested a 46-year-old Spanish woman on August 25 on suspicion of breaking into a motorhome parked on an undeveloped plot on Carrer Bartomeu Sureda i Miserol. The woman, who had been living in the vehicle for about a week, allegedly replaced the door lock, broke windows, and stole a TV, a vacuum cleaner, and two toolboxes. The owner, who uses the motorhome as a weekend second home, said he did not know the suspect. The incident highlights the growing housing shortage on the island, where hundreds of people now live in motorhomes and caravans.