Spain and Portugal Hints and Tips

[roubaixtuesday]

A major tour of Iberia next Spring is in the offing.

For various reasons, start (early April) and end (mid June) are constrained. We'll be taking the ferry to and from Portsmouth to Santander/Bilbao.

The climate in central Spain looks pretty terrifying in summer, so we're considering a clockwise route, returning northwards through Portugal. Checking on climate, that looks OK, though with possibility of cold and wet to start.

The initial route is very roughly in the following segments at the moment, but open to radical change:

Bilbao - Madrid
Madrid - Valencia
Valencia - Granada
Granada - Faro
Faro - Santiago de Compostela
Santiago - Santander

Which fits a schedule of 70km/ day average with 1-2 days off a week. We're happy with hilly terrain, but only paved roads or very good quality cycle paths, no long gravel sections. We're not camping.

We don't know either country at all, save for a couple of very brief visits, so would appreciate any comments on

(1) The overall plan
(2) Any "Must see" locations or regions
(3) Any "Must ride" roads, bearing in mind we're on a loaded tandem
(4) Good accommodation options (eg equivalents of chambres d'hôtes or agriturismos in France and Italy)

And anything else at all!

 

[Emanresu]

Check out any Via Verdes and use them if you can. Think there is one from Santander down to Valencia. Great country to cycle as the drivers are very good. If not there is a €200 fine.

https://viasverdes.com/pdf/FolletoVV_Ingles_2025.pdf

Cheaper accommodation are the Albergues, Casa Rural slightly better or the Paradores to splash out. There is a Parador within the Alhambra in Granada which allows you in an hour before everyone else but £££

There are so many 'must sees' that it will be difficult to comment. Alhambra is one. Cordoba is close by and Seville is definitely worth it.

On the return leg from Faro, use Eurovelo 1 which will take you all the way up to almost Santiago on some good cycle tracks. Beyond Santiago to Ferrol the north coast there is like Cornwall but with sun.