Motorhome friends. Or Motorhome parking Centieira, as they are also known as. This camping is something truly unique. Upon arrival, we got information and were welcomed like we were a part of the family. Come with us as we spent a couple of days at Motorhome friends.

Motorhome friends is a place like home

The camping is located in Centieira, close to Paderne on the Algarve. We ended up spending New Years here in a Dutch way – because most of the campers here were from The Netherlands. This camping is based on a real trust system. You are free to enjoy all the facilities and there is even an open bar. You take whatever you want and then there is a box where you put the money.

I love the way that the family owning the camping are so open and friendly. When we arrived we spent about an hour with the owner and he gave us loads of information about the area. We even learned about the Portuguese flag and got information about several attractions around the area.

Collecting food for the poor

At the Motorhome friends, they are also working towards helping people and children that are not as well off. They have a place in their main room where you can place food that you don’t need or that you bought to help the less fortunate. They also arrange activities several times a week like a barbecue and party nights.

At first glance, it looks like there is nothing around the camping – nothing as far as the eye can see. And yes, the town of Centieira is not a big place with a lot of things to do. However, you have the city of Paderne within walking distance and it is a super nice place. We got lucky and spent some time at the camping during the Paderne Medieval and it was a really nice experience.

Planning for a day – staying for a month

I’m not sure if you can get a better review than people that only plan to spend one night, stay for weeks or even months. Because almost everyone we talk to said that they were just passing by and fell in love with this camping and keep coming back, year after year. I think that the only downside with this place is that they are not opened all year round. They close during the summer and are only open during the low season. Why? Well, I got two answers to that question.

When I talked to the husband of the family, he said that they close for the summer because they don’t want people that come and only stay for a couple of nights. He told us that there are a lot of families traveling with small children during the summer and that they want activities for the whole family. Since Motorhome friends are out in a more rural area, they only stay for a couple of days. But when talking to the wife, she said that they are closed during the summer because of the simple fact that there are not enough people that come and visit the camping.

How we found Motorhome friends

We were traveling in the Algarve when our friends, Yvonne and Lorenz contacted us and asked if we wanted to go with them to the Medieval in Paderne and celebrate New Years together. They were already at the camping and we drove straight there. We had some great days together and to this day we are still friends that keep in touch and meet up whenever there is time.

We were supposed to stay there for two nights but ended up staying for another couple of nights, just enjoying life and working. While visiting Motorhome friends we also recommend you to visit Donkey tours Algarve, where you can walk and ride on Donkeys in an amazing environment.

New Years with Motorhome friends

So we spent christmas with friends in Olhao and New Years with other friends close to Paderne. It was really nice. Since there were mostly people from the Netherlands, we had a party with all of them. They started making their famous Oilebollen – a real Dutch tradition treat that you eat during New Years. They are Dutch donuts that are really good. They were making them in teams, and a lot of them!

It was a party all day with the preparations and then it was the celebration of New Year’s Eve in the evening with party horns. Well, the party horns kind of got out of hand when Mini started competing with the other guys at our table. And it was dancing and singing and good food and loads of fun! We wouldn’t mind coming back here for New Years in the future!

Recipe for Oliebollen – a New Years treat

Ingredients for 25 donuts. 

• 400 grams of flour.
• 2 tablespoon of salt.
• 20 grams of fresh yeast.
• 300 milliliter of milk (warm).
• 1 tablespoon of sugar.
• 2 eggs.
• 200 grams of raisins (soaked, washed and dried).
• 1 big apple (peeled, and chopped in small cubes).
• fat for deep fat frying.
• icing sugar.

This is how you do it

1. 1. Dissolve the yeast in the milk, leave it for a few minutes to get frothy.
   2. Mix the flour, salt and sugar.
   3. Add the eggs and the yeast-milk mixture to the flour.
   4. Use a wooden spoon, whisk or dough-hooks and a mixer to mix everything together to a mass. Keep mixing for about 10 minutes to develop the gluten.
   5. Mix the raisins and apple.
   6. Cover the bowl and leave to rise for about one hour.
   7. Heat the fat in a deep fat fryer to 170 degrees Celsius.
   8. Form spheres from the risen batter with 2 spoons, or an ice cream scoop, dipped in the hot fat and let them slide into the hot fat.
   9. Bake them until brown, about 4-6 minutes. When the temperature of the fat is correct, the oliebollen will turn their selves over when the first side has browned enough.
   10. Take the oliebollen from the fat with a spoon, place them on a papered plate to get rid of most of the fat. Use more kitchen paper towels between the layers. The towels will absorb the remaining fat.
   11. Use the same method to bake the rest of the dough.
   12. Eat hot, cold or reheated in the microwave and dusted with sugar.
   13. ENJOY!

Information about Motorhome friends

Address: Centieira, 8200-000 Centieira, Algarve, Portugal.
Phone number: +351917788337.
Max capacity: 22 motorhomes.
Open: 1:st of November until June 1:st.
Price: 6 euros for motorhome and two persons. 3 euros for electricity per 24 hours (2018).