Horta de Sant Joan regulates the motorhome area with fees and sanctions

The Horta de Sant Joan City Council has definitively approved the municipal ordinance regulating the use of the municipality’s motorhome area, which sets a parking fee from 3 to 10 euros per day, a maximum stay of three days, and a sanctioning regime that can reach 600 euros. The regulation, signed by Mayor Jordi Martín Cuello, is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Tarragona on August 24, 2026, with the reference CVE 2026-07810 (pages 1 to 5).

The City Council Plenary provisionally approved the ordinance on July 2, 2026. After the public information period elapsed without any allegations being presented, the agreement was automatically elevated to definitive, and the full text is made public in compliance with Article 17.4 of the Revised Text of the Law Regulating Local Treasuries, approved by Royal Legislative Decree 2/2004, of March 5. The regulation is based on Article 93 of Royal Decree 1428/2003, of November 21, which approves the General Circulation Regulations.

An area to boost caravanning tourism

The City Council has adapted an area for motorhomes with the aim of promoting tourism in the municipality and ensuring the rotation and proper use of the space, within a legal framework that favors the tourist, social, and economic revitalization of the territory. The council emphasizes that caravanning is an increasingly established form of tourism in the Terres de l’Ebre region.

The area is located in the municipal sports facilities zone, with access via Baixada Camp de Futbol-Camí de les Piles street, at coordinates (40.95583, 0.311732). It currently has parking space, drinking water, and greywater drainage, and the City Council plans to be able to expand the services. During periods of peak tourist influx, the opening of an annex space is being considered.

Daily fee and maximum stay of three days

The use of the space is subject to payment, and the fee is paid before entering the enclosure via the parking meter located at the entrance. The amount for every 24 hours is:

• 3 euros from November 1 to March 1, Monday to Sunday.
• 5 euros from March 2 to October 31, Monday to Sunday.
• 10 euros for extraordinary and specific events (recreational, cultural, sporting, astronomical, or festive activities), with a maximum of five events per year.

Only vehicles approved as residential vehicles may park, according to the numbers of the technical sheet of Annex II of the General Vehicle Regulations (camper van, mixed residential vehicle, and motorhomes up to 3,500 kg or more). The maximum duration of stay is 3 days, and free camping is prohibited both within the area and in the surroundings. The area is not monitored, so the City Council is not responsible for incidents or thefts.

Sanctioning regime

Non-compliance with the ordinance is classified into three degrees of infringement, with fines adjustable according to intentionality, recidivism, or the damages caused:

• Minor infringements, up to 100 euros: irregular parking, free camping in the area, cleaning of vehicles, parking of unauthorized vehicles, or non-payment of the fee.
• Serious infringements, from 101 to 300 euros: obstruction of the public road, camping outside the area, noise outside of permitted hours, emission of fluids, or dumping of waste outside of designated points.
• Very serious infringements, from 301 to 600 euros: deterioration of equipment, irreversible damage to the service, or total obstruction of traffic, and may result in expulsion from the area.

The competent body to initiate and resolve the sanctioning procedure is the mayor-president or the person to whom they delegate. Fines can be paid within a period of twenty calendar days with a 50% discount on the amount. Against the final approval agreement, interested parties may file a contentious-administrative appeal before the High Court of Justice of Catalonia within two months of publication.

The new ordinance provides Horta de Sant Joan with a clear regulatory framework for an expanding tourist modality and reinforces the municipality’s position as a caravanning destination in the Terres de l’Ebre, while guaranteeing the rotation of spaces, neighborhood coexistence, and the preservation of public space.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Tarragona, no. 24-8-2026, announcements section, pp. 1-5 (official reference: CVE 2026-07810).