Parque de Campismo Rural Quinta das Laranjeiras

I came in June 2024 planning to stay just one night while travelling around the island on my own, but ended up staying three. There’s a lot available here: hot and cold running water, showers, drinking water, electricity and charging plugs in the common area, kitchen gear, two barbecues, and even a washing machine powered by a bicycle. You can rent a tent, though I brought my own. The site is spacious, so it usually stays quiet even if some neighbours are noisy. I’d read bad reviews about Renato and was surprised by them. He’s very thorough and firm about the rules and security during the initial briefing, then you’re free to get on with your stay. He was lovely and extremely helpful, and made me feel welcome and safe. My trip wouldn’t have been the same without him and the campsite. If you’re unsure because of those reviews, I’d say book anyway. You won’t regret it.

Renato made communication easy over email and WhatsApp, and the prices felt fair. He welcomed us warmly and gave us a full tour of the campsite. We stayed a few nights with our tent and two young children, and had a great time. It’s a safe, gated place and a good base for seeing the island, with a play area and plenty of room for kids to run around. There’s good parking, a spacious, clean shared kitchen, and hot showers with strong pressure. We had plenty of room for a standard tent.

I definitely wouldn’t recommend this place. We planned to stay nine nights, but were made to leave on the very last day. In the evening, after a long day out, the gate was opening and we went in. When the owner saw us, he ran toward my boyfriend and started shouting without giving him a chance to speak or explain. My boyfriend calmly asked him to stop, but Renato said he was kicking us out and would call the police. It felt completely unnecessary after such a long stay, especially since he knew us. The kitchen has no hot water, and the dish sponges were awful, which made me question the hygiene. One night an animal, probably a rat, ate our bread. Food also kept disappearing from the fridge. If it didn’t fit in one tiny box, the owner apparently took it and waited for someone to ask for it. Our milk, salad, a whole expensive piece of cheese, vegetables, and coffee went missing. We later got some back, with the explanation that we couldn’t use any more fridge space, even though one fridge was nearly empty and the second was completely empty. At first I couldn’t believe the negative reviews, but during our stay some people left because the owner had been rude to them, others were shouted at, and we were kicked out. It feels like a prison.

Quinta das Laranjeiras is lovely and green, with a small banana plantation and a lookout tower over the sea. I had a relaxed, enjoyable stay, and honestly don’t understand the bad reviews. I booked easily with Renato on WhatsApp using the number listed on Google Maps. He has rules, but they seemed fair and intended to keep everyone safe and comfortable. Check-in is from 18:00 to 21:00. In June 2025, I paid 15€ for one person and one tent. Renato has good ideas for saving resources and being ecological. There’s a fully equipped kitchen with gas stoves, a space of your own in the shared fridge, and barbecue facilities. The facilities may be a bit old, but they’re clean, with hot showers. Electricity and WiFi are available too. You can wash clothes by hand or pedal the bicycle-connected washing machine to power it. The only small issue was the ladies’ bathroom light switching off quickly. While brushing my teeth, I had to move a few times to activate the motion sensor; perhaps the timer could be extended. Thanks, Renato, for sharing your home. I’d gladly recommend staying here.