Travelogue – Spain and Portugal 2019
Travelogue
Spain and Portugal 2019
A roundtrip with our buscamper that we made in the spring of 2019 in Portugal, which started in the Extremadura in Spain.
14 March 2019 - 8 April 2019. Distance: 7,145 Km
Photo gallery
The photo’s of this journey have been uploaded on SmugMug in the Portugal folder and they are merged with photo’s of our later and earlier travels in Portugal. The link: Portugal . The photo’s of Extremadura are incorporated in the series: Extremadura. You might also be interested in our Country Series of Portugal and Spanje.
Route
A nice journey which started in Extremadura in Spain and then we traveled through Portugal. In Portugal we started our journey in our so beloved Alentejo region. Then towards the most southwestern point of the Iberian Peninsula, Cabo The São Vicente. Then along the Atlantic coast and partly inlands northward. And finally traversing the north of Portugal, along the river Douro, direction Spanish border (Chaves), where our journey ended. Lisbon, Porto, certain parts of the Alentejo and the Algarve we have visited in earlier years and were therefore not visited this time but of course well worth a trip.
- Zeeland (NL) – Buchy (France, above Rouen)
- Buchy – Mirambeau (France)
- Mirambeau – Bordeau -Villaquiran de Los Infantes (Spain)
- Villaquiran de Los Infantes – SalamancaValle Del Jerte – Navaconcejo
- Novaconcejo – Coria- Valle La Vera – Losar de la Vera
- Losar de la Vera – Villanueva de la Vera – Parque Nacional de Monfraqüe – Trujillo
- Trujillo – Garrovillas -Valencia de Alcantera
- Valencia de Alcantara – Marvao – Portalegre – Elvas – Olivenza Rosário (Portugal)
- Rosário – Estremoz – Elvas – Rosário
- Rosário – Terena – Barragem do Alvito – Viano do Alentejo
- Viano do Alentejo – Alvito – Castro Verde
- Castro Verde-Cuba-São Pedro das Cabecas
- São Pedro das Cabecas – Barragem de Santa Clara-Cabo de São Vicente
- Cabo de São Vicente-Carrapate -Villa Nove de Milfontes -Porto Covo
- Porto Covo – São Bartolomeu da Sera – Santiago do Cacém-Porto da Carrasqueira – Comporta
- Comporta – Peniche – Consolacao
- Consolacao – Obidos – Nazaré -Coz
- Coz – Aqueda – Bico
- Bico – Bunheiro – Cortegaca – Ovar – Bico
- Bico – Aveiro – Peso de Régua
- Peso de Régua – Braga – Soajo
- Soajo – Lindoso – NP da Peneda-Gerès – Santuario de NS da Lapa Soutelo – Boticas
- Boticas – Senhora da Graca – Cascate de Figas de Ermelo- Peso de Régua
- Peso de Régua – Pinhão – Chaves
- Chaves – Saint Jean de Luz (France)
- Saint Jean de Luz -Bordeau – Mayet (France)
- Mayet -Zeeland (NL)
Highlights of this trip
Valle del Jerte. A 50 km long valley northeast of Plasencia. It is known throughout Spain for the more than one and a half million cherry trees that flourish in this period.
Valle la Vera. A beautiful valley with typical villages. We have been in Villanueva de la Vera. Many old houses with overhanging floors, resting on wooden beams. The valley lies on the southern flanks of the Sierra de Gredos.
Parc Nacional de Manfragüe. This National Park is quite beautiful. It is located at the Taag river. The fauna is special because of a large number of protected animals, such as monk vultures, black storks and eagles.
In Trujillo we made a city walk. The Plaza Mayor is nice. We drove the same day to Garrovillas, and this village has one of the most beautiful village squares in Spain.
Elvas. We visited Elvas back in 2010 and we didn’t see the charm then. Probably the wrong time. Now we found Elvas a beautiful, lively and atmospheric city. Narrow streets. The aqueduct of Elvas is the tallest in Europe. It was built in the 15thcentury and still active. We have to go back again to Elvas and take the appropriate time.
Terena is a very small village, along the road from Estremoz to Elvas. We found it very worthwhile visiting. Estremoz in miniature.
Alvito. A small town in the Alentejo. A small gem. The market is very cosy. The old town is beautiful. Some years ago, we made a Alvito of the Alentejo region and on the cover of our book is a photo of the Ermida The São Sebastião, a church with Moorish influences.
We passed Cuba. The country Cuba is high on my wish list to visit. This small town with the same name Cuba is worth a visit too. It has Cuban influences and this small town claims that Christovão Colon (Columbus) was born here, in contradiction to the history books which say that Columbus was born in Genua.
Stunning views can be found at the São Pedro das Cabecas with a 360 degree’s view of the surrounding area. We stayed there for the night. The land owner told us the next day that this was not allowed, but he understood that we did not do it intentionally. You have enjoyed it in any case, he said.
Cabo de São Vicente. The lighthouse, the rocky coast and a beautiful sunset. We had a nice camper place for the night. Fortunately, not too many tourists, yet. A month later it is Sunset Circus.
At the Atlantic coast we took at Carrapate a dirt road along the cliffs. This place is a paradise for the Surf Tribes. In Porto Covo, a blue-white town, with a beautiful coastline we stayed overnight.
We have visited two unique train stations in São Bartelomeu de Serra and Santiago do Cacém. We hope that the Portuguese will discover how unique these stations with tile tableaux really are and treat these stations as a national heritage.
The Cais Palafitico do Porto da Carrasqueira is a characteristic very small tidal port in the delta of the Sado River. A big storm and everything will be vanished. It is ramshackle, but a great location for photo shoots.
Obidos. This is a must of course. In 1989 we were here for the first time. Although many tourists visit Obidos throughout the year, the town is rather unspoiled and still worth a visit.
Nazaré. Beautiful beach and a beautiful old town. If you are lucky, we were not, you can see spectacular high waves close to the lighthouse. A fantastic spectacle. Nazaré is a place you must visit. Unfortunately, but rightly of course, pretty camper unfriendly.
Coz. The Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Coz is the only landmark of the village. But definitely worth a visit.
At the Aveiro Lagoon is Bico. An excellent camper spot. In the port are the typical pointed lagoon fishing boats. Aveiro, we found not that interesting, too much pimped up for tourists. Well worth the effort is the Igreja Matriz de Cortegaca in Cortegaca. The walls of the church are covered by azulejas. Also the town Ovar is worth a visit.
In Braga we visited Bom Jesus do Monte. A pilgrimage’s place. Great, but too bombastic I find.
In the National Park da Peneda-Gerês, in the villages Soajo and Lindoso, are really wonderful groups of espiqueiros. Espiqueiros are typical maize storage sites, but also stock shed for onions, garlic, pumpkins. The National Park located on the border of Spain and Portugal is breathtakingly beautiful.
We had seen a picture of a church in a rock. After a long search we found it: Santuário The NS da Lapa Soutela. It is about 10 km west of Vieira Do Minho. It was worth a detour, not only because of the church, but also the spectacular rocks behind the church. The gigantic boulders seem to only need a small push to thunder down.
From Boticas we drove through the Serra do Alvão. A beautiful old landscape. The Rio Olo collapses through the Figas waterfall. At Cascate de Figas de Ermelo you have a nice view of the waterfall. It is a very beautiful nature area.
From Peso de Régua we drove along the Douro river to Pinhão. A beautiful town along the Douro. Also, Pinhão has a unique train station with tableaux of azuleas. In the surrounding mountains of Pinhão are beautiful viewpoints over the Douro. However, with a camper it is a challenge to get there.
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