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.

 

[mjr]

I've ridden a bit of EV1 in Portugal, west of Faro. It's a bit Sustrans-y, stringing together minor roads, cycleable paths and routes through towns, but with the occasional rough edge like a step down a kerb or, in one place, riding through a ruined house and down a ramp of earth piled up against its back wall. I'd ride it for the beautiful bits, but not expect to set any speed records.

But that's almost a decade ago now.

 

[Emanresu]

Just looking at your routes again, the Bilbao - Madrid stage has some heavy duty climbing at the start but once you are onto the meseta you should be fine. There are ski resorts just north of Madrid and you might get snow on the route depending on how early/late in Spring you do it.

I've done Lisbon - Porto - Santiago - Ferrol - Santander and its all good cycling but with lots of ups and downs (inland route). Switch to Eurovelo 1 if you prefer the coast. When you get to the north Spain coast at Ferrol, there is a odd railway operator called FEVE. It's owned by the national network, Renfe, but it operates like a metro. It covers all that north coast to Bilbao and you just roll your bike on and off. It's slow because some of the stops are request - you stick you hand out to stop the train!. Great views though and gives you a break/rest day. Gijon and Oviedo are the places to see on the FEVE route.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Just looking at your routes again, the Bilbao - Madrid stage has some heavy duty climbing at the start but once you are onto the meseta you should be fine. There are ski resorts just north of Madrid and you might get snow on the route depending on how early/late in Spring you do it.

I've done Lisbon - Porto - Santiago - Ferrol - Santander and its all good cycling but with lots of ups and downs (inland route). Switch to Eurovelo 1 if you prefer the coast. When you get to the north Spain coast at Ferrol, there is a odd railway operator called FEVE. It's owned by the national network, Renfe, but it operates like a metro. It covers all that north coast to Bilbao and you just roll your bike on and off. It's slow because some of the stops are request - you stick you hand out to stop the train!. Great views though and gives you a break/rest day. Gijon and Oviedo are the places to see on the FEVE route.

Thanks, much appreciated. As we're on a tandem, trains aren't usually possible, so once we're en route, we're fully committed!

 

[Chislenko]

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!

Have done lots of cycling in Portugal when we had a place there. The country roads are extremely quiet and coffee stops are numerous. A Portuguese custom that I wasn't used to at first is when a car approaches you from behind they will very often toot their horn to make you aware of their presence. It is not done in an aggressive manner more so for your safety.

 

[Skinnybiker]

Look at the Caminos to / from Santiago
Look at the weather; wind on the Portugal coast is often northerly and wet
April is a great month for touring southern Spain
Warm showers?

 

[AndreaVin]

We're looking at doing one of the Eurovelo routes through Spain next year too. It seems very difficult to find good information about them, unlike cycling in France. I wonder why.

 

[Emanresu]

We're looking at doing one of the Eurovelo routes through Spain next year too. It seems very difficult to find good information about them, unlike cycling in France. I wonder why.

Spain has a peculiar geography. They refer to it as a donut with the main cities on the periphery with Madrid in the centre. There is also a north-south divide along the Tagus. So for example on EV1 from Cadiz you will go though some very remote areas. It's also a nightmare in summer with some high temperatures/no shade around Seville - Salamanca* section. Plenty of cheap accommodation and empty roads though and the locals will always stop to help if need be.

*Very much recommended.

 

[Gillstay]

We only did a few bits while travelling around in northern Spain. It was great. Good food, helpful people, fantastic wildlife, but be ready for some big distances between places. I would carry more food and water than you would in the UK, just in case.

 

[AndreaVin]

Are the Spanish Eurovelo routes separated cycle paths or quiet roads? We found a lot of the routes in France followed canals/rivers & ex-train lines, with some quiet road sections. I don't get the impression that's what happens in Spain.

 

[alicat]

We're happy with hilly terrain

That's fortunate since Spain is the second most mountainous country in Europe.