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Take the trip heading out of Northern Spain to the Algarve region of Portugal, and travel back via the major cities of Lisbon and Porto. Photo shows ESPINHO - Fishing boats. |
HOW TO GET THEREWe completed this trip with a car and towed caravan*. The main loop of the trip inside Spain and Portugal could just as easily start anywhere within it, and you could do it in a car staying in hotels or other accommodation. Headed to Portugal from the UK or Northern Europe you have plenty of options on land routes and stops on the way across France. Alternatively there are ferries into Santander and Bilbao from the UK. We took two weeks to complete the main trip loop, and a further week in total on the outward and return journeys across France taking the ferry from Newhaven(UK) to Dieppe(F).
* please see notes on travelling with a caravan or motorhome underneath the header 'Caravanning' next to 'Home' above.
ROUTE
ORIO(E) Starting the trip from Orio, just inside the Spanish border, your campsite is a short walk from a nice sandy beach. This is in the Basque region, and a short distance from some interesting towns. San Sebastian(12 miles/20km) is a gastronomic haven, renowned for its tapas and pintxos snacks, set in a beautiful bay with classic 19th century architecture. The resort town of Zarautz is a 15 minute drive away, a very neat small town with a beautiful sea front. This is a proper Spanish local resort rather than a 'must see' international tourist destination and is well worth a visit.  |
| ZARAUTZ - Promenade |
A 45 minute scenic drive up into the hills above the coast will take you to the Sanctuary of Loyola at Azpeitia, the HQ of the Jesuit religious order. The buildings and interior decor are in the extravagant Baroque style. |
| AZPEITIA - Sanctuary of Loyola |
SALAMANCA (E) It's a 4.5 hour drive across to Salamanca. Your campsite is just 4 miles from the historic centre of the city. This is a university city with impressive architecture, including a massive central square and an imposing cathedral. Whilst here in addition to these attractions it is well worth visiting the Art Nouveau/Deco museum with its fantastic stained glass and objets d'art.  |
| SALAMANCA - Museo Art Nouveau y Art Deco |
The walk down to and in the vicinity of the river is very pleasant. Tour the old university buildings to see some beautiful quadrangles and a painted ceiling that was only recently rediscovered. |
| SALAMANCA - Roman bridge over Rio Tormes |
CACERES (E) You could drive all the way across from Salamanca to Evora in Portugal in under 5 hours but a more leisurely pace will allow you a stop after 2 hours travelling at Caceres. Taking a good look around here is well worth your while. Your campsite is 4 miles outside the old town. |
| CACERES (E) |
This is a beautiful old town with many Moorish influences inside its walled circumference, alongside classic squares and churches. You will be spoilt for choice amongst the viewpoints at ground level and higher up on the walls and towers all round the old town. Beneath the Caceres Museum, housed in the Palacio de las Valetas, you can see the huge Moorish cistern, the largest medieval water tank on the Iberian peninsula.  |
| CACERES - 'Aljibe' 10th century water cistern |
EVORA
A further two and a half hour drive will take you into Portugal and your
campsite at Evora. On our springtime journey across we saw snow on the mountains, storks nesting on pylons, eagles flying overhead and fields of spring flowers.
In Evora the Roman Temple is the best preserved example in Portugal.
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| EVORA - Roman Temple |
Walking the city walls will give you many viewpoints from which to view the architecture and surrounding countryside. In amongst the churches an unusual feature is in the church of Sao Francisco, the chapel of bones, decorated with the remains of 5000 monks . The inscription on the door translates as "our bones await your bones".
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| EVORA - Capela dos Ossos |
LAGOS
It's a 2.5 hour drive down to the Algarve, your
campsite is just away from the coast but with excellent facilities including a large swimming pool. The beaches nearby are excellent, with the contrast between the white sands and the rugged cliff backdrops behind. You are very close to the end point of the continent of Europe at the scenic Cabo de Sao Vicente.
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| CABO DO SAO VICENTE- Europe's most Westerly point |
A walk on the cliffs above the eroded arch rock formations at Ponta da Piedade close to Lagos is interesting. Lagos is a large town with attractive buildings.
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| LAGOS - Ponta da Piedade |
While you are in the area you will be well rewarded if you take a trip into the nearby countryside, with its pretty villages. Aljezur is a good example, with a Moorish castle overlooking it. |
| ALJEZUR - Castle |
LISBONIt'll take about 3 hours to drive up to your campsite to the south of Lisbon. This is at Costa da Caparica which is a genuine Portugese resort (rather than an international tourist hotspot) with good facilities and public transport connections into Lisbon and surrounding area - bus, metro, train & ferry - we managed all 4 on one day! In the city you will need to take a tram ride up the hills even if there is a bit of a queue for a place, otherwise its quite tough walking up. |
| LISBON - stop at Basilica da Estrela |
We took the no.28 tram from the Basilica(don’t miss the fantastic interior) up to Alfama, and enjoyed the views of the city and a walk round the area before heading on foot back into the centre. Lisbon has plenty to occupy you, and is quite rightly a destination in its own right for holidays/mini breaks. |
| LISBON |
We took a couple of day trips in the area to the east - by train up to the famous resort of Estoril - and to the north, to see the Palacio Nacional and the Pena Palace at Sintra. SINTRA - Palacio Nacional (top) and Pena Palace
OBIDOSA drive of 1.5 hours will take you up to your next campsite . This is handy for making a visit to the picturesque old town of Obidos with its perimeter walls, well preserved castle and houses set on narrow, winding cobbled streets. |
| OBIDOS |
We also paid a quick visit to the attractive nearby market town of Caldas da Rainha, which has a large number of ceramic shops and the Museu de Ceramica.  |
| CALDAS DA REINHA - Fruit Market |
An hour and a half up the road you will arrive at the campsite outside the city of Coimbra. This was Portugal's capital in the 12th/13th centuries and the site of Portugal's only university until the 20th century. The University's complex houses the best buildings/ monuments in the city. |
| COIMBRA - University courtyard, library on left. |
Take a Tour round the interior of the university buildings to see the library, royal palace and Saint Michael's chapel. In the town itself there are many interesting buildings including the Santa Cruz monastery which contains the tombs of the first Portugese kings, some beautifully tiled decorative walls, an elaborate pulpit and organ, and a garden with cloisters. |
| COIMBRA - Santa Cruz Monastery |
PORTO The journey is just over an hour to your next campsite south of Porto, at Espinho. This is another very local resort, with real character particularly on a short walk down the seafront to where the sardine fishermen land their catch. |
| ESPINHO - Sardine fishermen on Praia dos Pescadores |
Porto may share some similarities with Lisbon in its layout, having a hill setting above the river mouth, but it has its own unique character. The main part of the centre, at the top, is fairly flat with shops and other buildings set out in wide streets. The section down the hill towards the waterfront has narrow alleyways and old |
| PORTO - port boats in front of quayside and upper town |
housing, and is the setting for the impressive Se (Cathedral). The walk down, and the promenade along the quayside are very pleasant. Take the funicular as the easy way back up. The boat ride out to the mouth of the river and back up under the Luis 1 Bridge makes an enjoyable trip with great views of the city and its neighbour Vila Nova de Gaia. A visit to Vila Nova is highly recommended, include a visit to a port warehouse and tasting, and a ride on the cable car ride for great views. From Espinho it is a 40 minute drive out to the picturesque town of Aviero with its lagoon and canal network. A boat trip is a must but there is also very pleasant walking nearby. There is a neat Art Nouveau museum in a beautiful building in the town.
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| AVIERO |
VILA REALYour next stop is a campsite 1.5 hours from Espinho. This is about 20 minutes outside Vila Real and is handy for touring the Upper Douro river valley. There are some lovely vineyards, villages and scenery in this area. We visited a vineyard and enjoyed a boat trip out of Pinhao that took us for a closer view of the vineyards skirting the river. As well as a brief visit to Vila Real we also went to the Solar Mateus Rose to view the house and gardens, famous for its wine. |
| UPPER DUORO VALLEY |
LEON (E) You're headed out of Portugal now, with a 3.5 hour drive up to the Spanish city of Leon. The campsite is 15 minutes outside Leon, which has some distinctive buildings including a bank designed by the Spanish architect Gaudi, and the cathedral which has some pretty stained glass windows. |
LEON - Cathedral
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ST. JEAN DE LUZ(F) Your journey just across the border into France will take you about 4.5 hours. Your campsite is a 20 minute drive from the chic resort of Biarritz with expensive shops, swanky hotels and a nice promenade high up above the beach and seashore. |
| BIARRITZ - Promenade |
From somewhere near here you’re probably headed for home.
Have a Safe journey home!
