Portugal

[Therealsouthstander]

After a very enjoyable Gijon to Cadiz trip we've started to think about next years trip. Definitely want to explore a bit more of Spain and Include Portugal this time.

Was thinking A Coruna would be a good starting point and I've always wanted to go to Santiago de compostela and Porto so it kina makes sense. I've heard to N2 down the middle of Portugal to Faro is great and we would possibly head East through Andalusia from there..

We would start our trip late August like we did this year as the weather was wonderful apart from a few cloudy days and some hot weather around Seville but it was more than manageable.

We loved the flexibility of not planning our exact route and booking hotels either the night before or even on the same day.. Hopefully that would work in Portugal?

So is roughly following the N2 a good option or are their better areas of Portugal to explore?


Thsnks in advance for any recommendations

[simonhill]

I spent a great 7 weeks in Portugal from mid October last year. I loved it, probably more than my following Spanish trip.

I started in Porto and zig zagged down to the far SW tip, then along The Algarve to Spanish border.

I don't usually follow cycle routes, unless on my way. I just find places I want to go or see and go there. I normally know when I hit an EV or whatever because I see other touring cyclists.

I have previously ridden the Camino (nearly 30 years ago), to Santiago, but not the bit from Santiago to Porto.

I can definitely recommend Portugal. It'll probably be hot at end of August, but looks like you're happy with that. Enjoy.

[Dingdong]

What was the weather like mid October/November?

[simonhill]

Generally pretty good. Hot and humid for first few days, then it changed to cooler, but still shorts and shirt by day, but good jacket by night. Lots of sunshine.

I had a 4 day storm that I stayed in a nice little town and enjoyed a bit of Portuguese life.

Quite windy on the Algarve.

Portugal has been going through a drought so don't know if typical, but very few wet days apart from the big storm. I can definitely recommend going at this time of year. Also everything fairly quiet, but things still open. Hotels widely available, but I saw very few campsites (open or closed).

[Therealsouthstander]

We we started our Spain trip it was more humid in the North but one we came over the Austrian mountains it was a dry heat all the way... It was nudging 40 Deg C in Extremadura and around Seville but the real heat didn't start until afternoon time.. we found this ok.

I would think the costal areas in Portugal will be humid but what is the interior like ?

[simonhill]

Humidity is more complicated than just on the coast.

This site gives detailed weather for any place and month. It includes humidity. Change location and month, top right.

https://weatherspark.com/m/32397/10/Ave ... o-Portugal

[borisface]

I live in central Portugal not too far from the N2. It's being marketed as the Portuguese route 66, well marked and with staging towns with b&bs etc. It is however a fairly busy road with a number of huge wood lorries using it, although plenty of cyclists do it top to bottom. There seem to be a much greater number of motorcyclists that do it than cyclists. If it were me I would try and use it as a guide and the staging towns but take alternative routes where possible. Late Oct early November are generally great times to visit, usually 18-25 degrees most days, cold at night though. But it can rain and rain hard. Typically the few days around St Martin's day on 11 November have excellent weather and are known as the little summer of St Martin. It's when many Portuguese harvest their olives, taking advantage of the weather. Also look out for a magusto which is a festa usually on the 11th to celebrate the chestnuts and people gather, roast chestnuts and drink something called jeropiga, a homemade fortified wine a bit like port.

August is hot, think 35 degrees plus. It can also be quite busy as Portuguese who have moved away come back. Basically anywhere within half an hour of the coast, Porto, Braga or Lisbon is fairly busy, especially in August but head inland and you'll find quiet roads and sleepy towns and villages.

[bohrsatom]

I cycled from Faro to Porto in September 2015. We followed parts of the N2 - I don't recall it being super busy, but because the road is often straight and flat the traffic speeds can be quite high. As others have advised, there are several opportunities to detour onto smaller/quieter roads and I'd recommend searching these out.

The centre of Portugal is very pretty with several small towns of interest. Evora in particular is worth a stop, with a Roman temple in the main square. Outside the bigger places food and drink is extremely well priced, although service can be slow because often the person cooking is the same person waiting the tables.

Accommodation-wise we booked hotels/b&bs online on the day (generally by lunchtime) and generally found plenty of options but there were a couple of areas where more careful planning was needed to find a place to stay.

August will be hot. At the end of September we experienced 33c temperatures so you may have to come up with a strategy to avoid cycling during the hottest part of the day

[MrsHJ]

We did may/June from Lisbon up the Tagus and then up the Portuguese/Spanish border some years ago and it was fabulous. It’s too long ago though to be relevant for accommodation options. My friend made us divert away from Braganca as too mountainous but I’d like to go back in that direction some time. The Douro valley (we were near to the border at this point) was humid and buggy but we were only there briefly. We finished up by doing the Picks de Europa and the north Spanish coast.

I’ve stayed in the Rias Baixas on a non cycling trip and that area is very nice- I presume you’ll head down that way from La Coruna.

[Graham O]

Like borisface, I live in Central Portugal not far from the N2 and although it is being widely marketed, apart from it's status as longest road in Europe, why ride on a main road when there are so many quiet roads to explore? The N2 also misses some of the best towns in Central Portugal. Outside the towns, even main roads are relatively empty of traffic and it's a great place for riding. Accommodation is relatively cheap and there is a reasonable network of youth hostels, pousada de juventude, with family rooms etc.
Weather for September is normally hot and dry while October/November are definitely the period of change. We had 32C last week and although cooler temps are forecast, still in the 20's. November is normally a wet month although temps don't drop much.
I did a couple of tours down the border from the Douro valley to Elvas in the Alentejo and it is a fantastic area. It does get much hotter in the summer, but the roads are really deserted. Beautiful countryside with a lot of history.

[borisface]

Like borisface, I live in Central Portugal not far from the N2 and although it is being widely marketed, apart from it's status as longest road in Europe, why ride on a main road when there are so many quiet roads to explore? The N2 also misses some of the best towns in Central Portugal. Outside the towns, even main roads are relatively empty of traffic and it's a great place for riding. Accommodation is relatively cheap and there is a reasonable network of youth hostels, pousada de juventude, with family rooms etc.
Weather for September is normally hot and dry while October/November are definitely the period of change. We had 32C last week and although cooler temps are forecast, still in the 20's. November is normally a wet month although temps don't drop much.
I did a couple of tours down the border from the Douro valley to Elvas in the Alentejo and it is a fantastic area. It does get much hotter in the summer, but the roads are really deserted. Beautiful countryside with a lot of history.

I think it is because the road links the very North to the very South a bit like the A1 in the UK and like you can't really see the point of it. Whereabouts are you? I live near Proenca a Nova.

[Graham O]

Whereabouts are you? I live near Proenca a Nova.

Hi borisface, I am near Montemor-o-Velho between Coimbra and Figueira da Foz. I've been north, south, east and west of you, but not explored the area around Proenca a Nova. North of us to Aveiro is probably the gentlest countryside in Portugal outside the Alentejo. A key factor in buying this place! I like the hills, but my legs don't.

[borisface]

I have been around that part of Portugal. A bit flatter than round here!

[simonhill]

I cycled up the river path between Figueora and Coimbra. Not the most exciting ride and a lot of industrial stuff in the lower reaches. It got pretty tedious towards the end.

I really liked Figueira, one of my favourite towns. I loved the old villas, etc on the now run down port area of town. The 'new' town was lively with lots of local tourists and the beach/tourist area was much better than most.

[delilah]

I've got a Portugal end to end route Faro to Spanish border then down to Porto in two weeks mainly staying in Youth hostels. PM me if its of interest to you and I'll let you have the details