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Did Northern Spain a couple of years ago with some Aston mates –
Was absolutely magnificent. Quiet roads, stunning scenery, great food and excellent wine and fabulous value staying in historical 4/5 star hotels at £100 a night for a suite.
We even won the pub quiz on the ferry (after a magnum of Rioja)!
So its time to do it again in April – just after Easter 2020! Does anyone have any tips pls as we want to head to Portugal too and do that amazing Penhas da Saúde road – as seen on Top Gear. We will also stay in a gigantic wine barrel at Quinta da Pacheca. I hear Pontevedra is lovely place to be too but we did find that the closer we got to Santiago di Compostela last time the less interesting and slower the roads were.
If anyone has a route from Santander that takes in the Picos (Riaño/San Glorioso was stunning) and gets us to N Portugal and back I’d love to hear your tips.
We also have room for one more car if anyone fancies as quite a few of the usual gang cant go this time and it would be nice to have 5 cars. DM me if interested. Was truly epic last time.
Thanks for any planning help
Was absolutely magnificent. Quiet roads, stunning scenery, great food and excellent wine and fabulous value staying in historical 4/5 star hotels at £100 a night for a suite.
We even won the pub quiz on the ferry (after a magnum of Rioja)!
So its time to do it again in April – just after Easter 2020! Does anyone have any tips pls as we want to head to Portugal too and do that amazing Penhas da Saúde road – as seen on Top Gear. We will also stay in a gigantic wine barrel at Quinta da Pacheca. I hear Pontevedra is lovely place to be too but we did find that the closer we got to Santiago di Compostela last time the less interesting and slower the roads were.
If anyone has a route from Santander that takes in the Picos (Riaño/San Glorioso was stunning) and gets us to N Portugal and back I’d love to hear your tips.
We also have room for one more car if anyone fancies as quite a few of the usual gang cant go this time and it would be nice to have 5 cars. DM me if interested. Was truly epic last time.
Thanks for any planning help
I did a great route 2 years ago on a bike from Bilbao to the Algarve:
Day 1 was a very boring morning followed by a lunchtime disembark from the ferry at Bilbao. A short blast up the dual carriageway and the routes turns south into the start of the mountains. Twisties, amazing scenery, fast bits. I found myself slowing down just to take it all in.
Day 2 was superb. Flat plains in the morning then rising into the hills and into northern portugal. Epic roads. Often mile after mile of perfect tarmac. You could do that day back and forth a few times and never get bored.
Day 3 quickly gets into the wine region and follows the Douro valley (I think). The roads can be tight and twisty but the views are worth it. Then the ascent over the mountain range (Teso?), then through the forests (when I went the fires had been prior) to Serta.
Day 4 was mainly the N1, the old main road in Portugal running north/south. Big change of landscape, very flat, long distances.
There are a few things I would change if I was going again but hopefully this is helpful to your planning.
Day 1 was a very boring morning followed by a lunchtime disembark from the ferry at Bilbao. A short blast up the dual carriageway and the routes turns south into the start of the mountains. Twisties, amazing scenery, fast bits. I found myself slowing down just to take it all in.
Day 2 was superb. Flat plains in the morning then rising into the hills and into northern portugal. Epic roads. Often mile after mile of perfect tarmac. You could do that day back and forth a few times and never get bored.
Day 3 quickly gets into the wine region and follows the Douro valley (I think). The roads can be tight and twisty but the views are worth it. Then the ascent over the mountain range (Teso?), then through the forests (when I went the fires had been prior) to Serta.
Day 4 was mainly the N1, the old main road in Portugal running north/south. Big change of landscape, very flat, long distances.
There are a few things I would change if I was going again but hopefully this is helpful to your planning.
Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 24th August 22:48
Yeah! We did this back home instead.
|https://thumbsnap.com/yeZ5UojJ[/url]
Then went all the way to Portugal when the trip was resurrected.
|https://thumbsnap.com/YYwi47B2[/url]
Top tip is if you are going to do Pena da Saude in Portugal go early - too many plodders.[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/aNVBxHvA[/url][url][url]
So many good roads - just leave the motorways to the locals and pick the gnarliest looking ones! Highly recommended.
|https://thumbsnap.com/yeZ5UojJ[/url]Then went all the way to Portugal when the trip was resurrected.
|https://thumbsnap.com/YYwi47B2[/url]Top tip is if you are going to do Pena da Saude in Portugal go early - too many plodders.[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/aNVBxHvA[/url][url][url]So many good roads - just leave the motorways to the locals and pick the gnarliest looking ones! Highly recommended.
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