Any such thing as an easyish N Portugal cycle camping tour?

[Madeleine]

I would really appreciate some advice on a route and starting point for a not-too-demanding trip.
We will have about 12 days and we have to end up at Tui in Galicia just north of the Portuguese border. Average daily distance are likely to be pretty low! While we are experienced cycle campers we do seek out easy routes, we like mountains but have tended to take trains to high starting points so we are mainly downhill. We have kids with us but youngest now 12 so they're probably not the limiting factor any more... Bit worried about heat and hills...
We are planning to hire bikes so could have them delivered to a convenient starting point.
We like quiet routes, beautiful scenery and somewhere to camp.
Lots of useful info in this forum but any more advice would be greatly appreciated!

[JMaude]

Suggest that you have a look at the https://pedalportugal.com/ website - they have a number of suggested tour itinararies as well as comprehensive details of campsites and advice re weather etc.

[bohrsatom]

No experience in N Portugal but we did a very enjoyable 10 days in S Portugal in September (Faro to Porto). Some tips:

PedalPortugal website is indeed great. The preplanned routes are very handy and I'm sure Huw would be happy to help with specific advice over email too.

Don't plan too much on taking your bikes on the train. Trains in Portugal aren't widespread outside of metro areas and there are many restrictions on bringing bikes with you. Be sure to research this before you leave home

Not sure about camping - we looked into this but found there weren't many campsites away from coastal areas. If you are planning on camping the the distribution of campsites will definitely affect where and how far you ride. Accommodation is plentiful and pretty cheap so maybe worth leaving the tent at home?

Overall I really enjoyed my time in Portugal and think it's a great place for a tour. I'm sure you'll have a great time!

[delilah]

bohrsatom
I'm riding a solo End to End in Portugal in September into Faro out of Porto.
I'd be interested in your route if you still have it.
Also details and your views on the accommodation would be useful
Thanks

[bohrsatom]

bohrsatom
I'm riding a solo End to End in Portugal in September into Faro out of Porto.
I'd be interested in your route if you still have it.
Also details and your views on the accommodation would be useful
Thanks

Lucky you! Take a look at our Crazyguy blog: https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=tS&doc_id=16745

Happy to help if you have any specific questions

[MrsHJ]

About 12 years ago we cycled Lisbon- castelo Branco - Miranda do Douro where we crossed into Spain on our way up to Santander. It was a really fabulous trip. I'd originally planned to cycle up to Braganca but my friend was on her first cycle tour and was suspicious of all the bumpy bits up that way (I still dragged her over the Picos de Europa!).

I would not describe the trip as spectacularly easy. For instance cycling up out of the Douro valley can be hard work and the atmosphere on one day we did it was hot and humid. The camping was not extensive (may be better now but there were small hotels etc that were very reasonable and maybe scope for discrete wild camping) and I found the maps pretty limited but then again there weren't that many roads to choose from.

It was one of the best trips we've ever done though with fabulous scenery, lovely people, quiet,decent quality roads, and that feeling of having got away from it all.

Ps- have a dog plan

[bigjim]

I'm riding a solo End to End in Portugal in September into Faro out of Porto.

I did this, Porto to Faro in October 2014.

[Madeleine]

Thanks for the helpful replies. I have indeed been looking at pedalportugal, but Huw doesn't think this tour is a great idea in August because of the heat, and campsites being full. We are debating whether to approach Galicia from the east instead...

[iviehoff]

Thanks for the helpful replies. I have indeed been looking at pedalportugal, but Huw doesn't think this tour is a great idea in August because of the heat, and campsites being full. We are debating whether to approach Galicia from the east instead...

What is true, topographically, of NW Portugal is also true of the north coast of Spain - there is a thin - in places practically non-existent - crowded, busy coastal strip and inland of that you have hills and mountains. Though in terms of human geography the situation in Spain is a bit different - the coast is much longer and there are some lightly populated areas along the way. Though the west coast of Galicia is as crowded as coastal NW Portugal, which is itself the most crowded bit of Portugal. Galicia is in general a relatively densely populated part of Spain, with much of the population in the west. In places even the coastal strip is very hilly, as in say Cornwall. However Spain has the advantage that once you get inland of the mountains, it gets much less hilly, to the point of being tediously flat in areas - though these flat areas tend nonetheless to be cut by valleys in places for entertainment. The obvious thing to do would be to follow part of the Camino de Santiago, which runs inland of those mountains, and where there is at least sufficient accommodation provision for people walking the route. Also, more generally in Spain there are many more campsites than in Portugal as the Spanish are much more into camping - mostly they are on the coast though some are inland too. (I've never seen an inland campsite in Portugal.) Although in general you have the issue that once you get on the south side of those north coastal mountains it gets very hot in summer, even though a lot of the route is up at about 800m or so, that being the altitude of the interior of Spain around cities such as Burgos and León which lie on the route. But it will still be hot there in summer - full-bodied red wines can be grown around Burgos and Leon. Although quite high up, it isn't so terribly hilly along much of the Camino. You can google some elevation profiles for the Camino - it is pretty flat from Burgos to León, then there's a couple of notable passes between León and Lugo, not so bad after that..

Given the description in general of what you are looking for, I tend to think that this isn't the best area of Europe for a cycling tour, especially in high summer. France has large areas which are much flatter and less extremely hot.

[whoof]

Lisbon to Bilbao has been on my to do list for a couple of years so it will be interesting to hear any feedback if you do make the trip.
Friends of mine toured a few years ago from Faro up to Porto in August. They found it very hot. They where riding 6 - 9 am and then 6 - 9 pm. They were camping and found they had difficulty sleeping due to the heat even with no flysheet on the tent. Perhaps it was a particularly hot year?

[bigjim]

When I did the trip in October we had to stop at 1.30pm ish as it got too hot to ride. Leaving Porto it is pretty flat and good riding for many miles. Eventually the road becomes too busy and dangerous and one is forced to head inland. In hindsight I would stay away from the Spanish border and head down the centre to Faro from Evora. It's pretty flat heading out of Evora. I never thought the hills were that bad as long as you stayed away from the rivers and I'm not a hill climber. I would not bother camping. Accommodation is so cheap. The trip is in my blog.

[MrsHJ]

Thanks for the helpful replies. I have indeed been looking at pedalportugal, but Huw doesn't think this tour is a great idea in August because of the heat, and campsites being full. We are debating whether to approach Galicia from the east instead...

I've cycled a fair bit around the cantabria/Asturias mountains, Picos etc. I agree with the view that staying on the northern side of the mountains will help temperatures. Actually staying in the mountains may be the best idea- but I don't know whether your kids would enjoy that. Galicia can be very cool compared to elsewhere in Spain but it depends, when we were there in September a few years ago it was low thirties and ok for cycling.

[delilah]

Thanks everyone some great ideas and information, very helpful
I just need to decide whether to go up the middle or take the east side and cut across to the border above Porto.
I've taken on board the advice and am going to ditch the tent in favour of B&B's. Riding solo I'll probably take a hit on the room prices but it will mean I can travel with just a saddlebag instead of panniers.

[MrsHJ]

Thanks everyone some great ideas and information, very helpful
I just need to decide whether to go up the middle or take the east side and cut across to the border above Porto.
I've taken on board the advice and am going to ditch the tent in favour of B&B's. Riding solo I'll probably take a hit on the room prices but it will mean I can travel with just a saddlebag instead of panniers.

I'd vote for the east side up the border. Quieter but more authentic, probably seriously hot though (we did it in May /June). Almeida (hope I've got the name right) has a star shaped fort straight out of the peninsular wars. Cannot recommend the eastern route enough but it could be the tougher choice.

So I love the Atlantic coast too but it would be more touristy, then again cooler, less distinctively Portuguese, but stunning beaches, fascinating historic sites (with plenty of tourists but still good), however probably some roads with heavy traffic. If you find any roads with heavy traffic up the east side I'll buy you a drink.

[MrsHJ]

Lisbon to Bilbao has been on my to do list for a couple of years so it will be interesting to hear any feedback if you do make the trip.
Friends of mine toured a few years ago from Faro up to Porto in August. They found it very hot. They where riding 6 - 9 am and then 6 - 9 pm. They were camping and found they had difficulty sleeping due to the heat even with no flysheet on the tent. Perhaps it was a particularly hot year?

No, more likely a regular year-August and the route probably goes next to the hottest Spanish region of Extramadura if I am mentally mapping it correctly.

We camped when we could but in the less touristy parts where there wasn't camping we found small hotels.