PICOS DE EUROPA AND NORTHERN PORTUGAL TRIP REPORT SEPTEMBER 2022
Support rider Hugh Donaldson gives us a day-by-day rundown of this fantastic trip!
Picos de Europa and Northern Portugal Trip Report September 2022
Day 1
And the fun begins. We have all met up, getting ready to board before the tour proper.
Day 2
And there you have it, just arrived in Spain. Having spent the day on Brittany Ferries Pont-Avon. we all had a great little en-suite bedroom, multiple dining areas and a couple of bars to choose from. Lots of folks Orca watching without success! but dolphins, even tuna have been surfacing.
Greeted by 30 degrees on arrival, briefed by Toby before heading of in the Picos. What an area to explore! Excited for the day ahead.
Day 4
Tineo to Santiago
Fantastic hotel last night. These photos don’t do it justice. What a transformation from a bygone age.
Another of those days that keeps on giving. Fantastic weather on the whole. Roads for all to enjoy, views on another level.
Day 5
Free day at Santiago de Compostela.
For a city that gets 200 days of rain a year we have been blessed once again with the weather. Walking adventure for some and a ride out for others.
Day 6
Maybe a little chilly as we leave Santiago and head to Guimaraes, but that didn’t last long. Through the old border checkpoint into Portugal, we didn’t expect to see an ancient stone circle in one of the buildings now used as as cafe! Up into the nature reserve, beautiful roads and scenery to match. I can’t believe they had a small stretch of twisties made from cobblestones, so pleased it was dry! Guimaraes is stunning.
Day 7
We leave Guimaraes behind and head off to the Serra da Estrela mountains.
Past beautiful lakes and through the famous port vineyards of the Douro valley. Arriving at our hotel after some fantastic views and sweeping bends. We all came back together for a mouth watering buffet.
Day 8
Rest day today if you wanted, or a ride out to Torre the highest point in Portugal. Followed by a ride around the Serra Da Estrela national park. My pictures don’t do it justice, it’s got to be one for the bucket list 😁
Day 9
As we left the Serra Da Estrela this morning it felt like tears from above, sad to see us depart… No it’s drizzle!
But not for long and we were blessed again by glorious sunshine. We head over to Zamora and our beautiful hotel. We are being spoilt once again.
A small celebration was had for a 30th wedding anniversary. Congratulations!
Day 10
Our penultimate day, Zamora to Llanes. We leave the beautiful city of Zamora behind and skirt around the Reserva Natural de Lagnunas de Villafafila national park. It seemed that we were riding through the scenery for a cowboy western, with long abandoned troglodyte settlements dotted about.
We then came to the Picos range again for the second time on this tour, riding the famous Pots and Pans route. The sort of road that makes other twisties jealous. Cracking day.
We say goodbye to the happy couple, who leave us in the morning as they make their own way down through France home, bonne chance guys.
Lastly but not least we have a birthday tomorrow, but as we won’t be all together we celebrated early.
Santander tomorrow…
Day 11
Well that’s us. Tired but happy, what a holiday 👍
