Shamwari Hilltop Retreat

View prices & book 10 4 reviews
Mist rolling in from the river
New
Earth pitches
Aerial view of the site
Hilltop pitches

  • Relaxed rural site a 15-minute drive from Alcoutim, in Faro District
  • Praia Verde 40 minutes’ drive; Mértola 45 minutes
  • Snack bar terrace with country views; communal fridge
Surrounded by lush hillsides, Shamwari Hilltop Retreat occupies a rural corner in the northeast of Portugal’s Faro District. It is a top choice for those who are into wild camping – but not too wild. Indeed, this family-friendly site, 15 minutes' drive away from the town of Alcoutim, comes with a few key luxuries, first among them toilets and showers. Shamwari Hilltop Retreat goes one (and possibly two or three) better, with a restaurant serving inventive dishes on a covered terrace from where diners can survey the valley below. When night falls, this is a top spot to gaze at the stars speckling the dark sky. Meanwhile, those who prefer to cook their own meals head to the barbecue area (any foodstuffs can be stored in the communal fridge/freezer). Nature trails and bike paths lead north to the Rio Vascão, which marks the border between Faro and Beja districts, or east to the river Guadiana, which marks the border between Portugal and Spain. Mind you, although Spain looks tantalisingly close, if you fancy an evening of tapas in Huelva Province, you’ll have to drive 35 minutes to the Guadiana International Bridge to cross the border. On a hot summer day, it might be difficult to resist the lure of spectacular Algarve beaches such as Praia Verde (40 minutes’ drive), Praia da Manta Rota (45 minutes) and Praia da Ilha de Tavira (55 minutes). If that feels like longer than you want to spend in the car, there’s a river beach (10 minutes) on the outskirts of Alcoutim.

Campground type

Tent sites 8
Camper sites 5
RV sites 10
Open all year
Opens
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • Your dog must be tattooed or microchipped.
  • The campground/park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Breed-specific legislation (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro) and/or any of the following: Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiler, any Mastiff or Tosa.
  • No bachelor/bachelorette parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 21 or over.
  • A cable measuring at least 5 metres is needed for the electric hook-ups.
  • Units longer than 9.5 metres are not allowed.
  • Units heavier than 4000 kg are not allowed.
  • Minimum spacing of 2 metres between pitches.
  • This is a quiet park: no music is allowed.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality flashlight with them as parts of the park are unlit.
  • Bookings must not consist of more than 2 different households.
  • No naked flames are allowed inside the hired accommodation units.
  • No charcoal barbecues allowed.
  • Please note that the shower facilities are unisex.
  • If reception is closed on arrival: please contact the number provided on your booking confirmation.
  • Fires, barbecues and/or firepits will not be permitted in dry, windy and/or hot weather conditions.
  • The charging of electric vehicles is not permitted on site.

Languages spoken

English

Campsite types & availability

Reviews

  • 100%
    10
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    1
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10

100% would recommend this campground to a friend

100% would stay here again

What customers say

This rural campsite gets rave reviews for stunning views, peace, and great facilities like clean restrooms/showers. Guests loved owner Helena and chef Billy's delicious food, especially pizzas. It's a perfect, nature-blending retreat with a relaxed vibe, great for solo female travelers. Many want to return.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 1
Arrival date (latest first)

Highly recommend for a relaxing stay, particularly for solo travellers

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Caroline G.

Frontier Park primitive earth tent, campervan or trailer tent campsite (wild)

Liked The view, the staff, the other solo female travellers I met, the dinner service, the toilets & showers, the wind (much appreciated to take the edge off the hot weather!), the personal welcome on arrival, the free WiFi (good enough for me to work online) and overall the safe, relaxed vibe of the site.

Disliked Nothing 😊

Recommend to friends Visit again

Will definitely visit again.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
10
Tamar H.

Frontier Park primitive earth tent, campervan or trailer tent campsite (wild)

Liked Lovely rural campsite. Helena the owner was very helpful and Billy the chef made delicious food in the restaurant. Nice big pitches and fantastic views. Good clean facilities.

Disliked Nothing.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Der beste Platz einer 4 monatigen Reise durch mehrere Länder

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
No rating
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Tobias R.

Hilltop Park power optional grass and earth travel trailer campsite

Liked So macht das Reisen Freude. Das war der schönste Platz auf meiner 4 monatigen Reise. Da passt alles. Absolut ruhig gelegen, alles da was man benötigt, eine tolle Aussicht, alles sauber und die Gastgeberin ist einfach wunderbar und hat dort einen extrem tollen Platz geschaffen.
Danke
Ich komme wieder!

Disliked ---

Recommend to friends Visit again

Wonderful!

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
10
Accommodation
10
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Fiona D.

Hilltop Park power optional grass and earth travel trailer campsite

Liked Everything! Shamwari is a very special place indeed, we arrived and didn’t want to leave. Helena has created a perfect retreat in the most stunning setting, the site blends naturally into the surrounding hills and environment. The Cafe is a fantastic addition offering wonderful views, the pizzas are incredible and at 62 years old I can honestly say they are the tastiest I’ve ever had and I’ve eaten a lot of pizzas! Every evening we went down for supper and a glass or two of local wine, so relaxing and a total joy not having to cook for a few nights. Great walks and bike rides down to the river and a local town, hilly though so we were grateful for our electric bikes. On a practical note, spotless toilets and showers, washing machine and plenty of drying lines.
I will definitely remember our holiday here and think of it often.
Thanks Helena for creating this gem for us and many more to enjoy! Oh…definitely order the bread rolls for the morning, they’re fab!

Disliked Us not having enough time to stay longer.

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Fiona, thank you so much for your wonderful review. It was a great pleasure to meet you both and I'm so happy you enjoyed your stay with us. If you are back this way we look forward to seeing you both again. Best regards Helena


Features

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Covered terrace area Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports

Amenities on park

Bath available Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Picnic table Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue grills allowed Barbecue provided Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Hikers’ paradise Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Communal freezer Communal fridge Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Nearby farmers' market

Type

Small (11-25 sites)

Accessibility

Bathrooms: Large spacious shower Bathrooms: Large spacious toilet Dedicated quiet space Level campground, no steep slopes Site close to accessible bathrooms Smooth, hard roads e.g. tarmac Uneven terrain; gravel or loose mud Well-lit path

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Mountain biking nearby Outdoor pool nearby Restaurant nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Motorhome service point

Location

Shamwari Hilltop Retreat

Estrada Municipal M1054

km2

Monte Vascao

Alcoutim

Alcoutim

Portugal

8970-028

Directions

Timezone

Europe/Lisbon +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

37.51127°N
7.52496°W

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Overlooked by the 13th-century Castelo de Castro Marim, Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António Marsh Natural Reserve (35 minutes’ drive) is a protected area of salt marshes that attracts avocets, pink flamingoes and other water birds. A hilltop town of whitewashed houses on the river Guadiana, Mértola (45 minutes) is crowned by a medieval castle that houses a museum. Fragments of mosaics portraying lions, ducks and intricate geometric patterns are among the items on display at the Basílica Paleocristã - Museu de Mértola Cláudio Torres. When in Faro (one hour and 15 minutes), check out the Chapel of Bones, decorated with monks’ bones and skulls, or (for something less macabre) the Igreja de Santa Maria, with its colourful ceramic tiles and elaborate altar. Take a selfie in front of the Faro Sign on the marina before joining a cruise to the Ria Formosa Natural Park.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Cabeço 23.4 mi Sea ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent
Monte Gordo 23.4 mi Sea ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent
Praia Verde 23.5 mi Sea ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent
Alagoa-Altura 23.7 mi Sea ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent
Lota 23.9 mi Sea ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Nearest campgrounds

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable campgrounds.

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Shamwari Hilltop Retreat have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Shamwari Hilltop Retreat dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Shamwari Hilltop Retreat? Overlooked by the 13th-century Castelo de Castro Marim, Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António Marsh Natural Reserve (35 minutes’ drive) is a protected area of salt marshes that attracts avocets, … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Shamwari Hilltop Retreat?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  10 a.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    On-park accommodation
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  9 p.m.
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Shamwari Hilltop Retreat? From $29.07 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.