After some discussion out small group (and becoming smaller) decided to make full use of our Brittany Ferries friends & family discount card before the annual membership expired and head south again, this article in Ride magazine played a small part in the choice of destination as did the promise of fair weather (more of which later-and often) the magazine article in question;
The dates didn't suit or appeal to all of our group so this year only 4 bikes and 5 people were confirmed to go, earlier discussions had suggested 6 or 7 bikes but as time passed the ferry booking was amended and amended again, less than a week before our ferry was due to depart Portsmouth for Santander another of our group cancelled, we would be 3 bikes and 4 people which should make staying together almost impossible.............
We were due to get Brittany Ferries vessel Cap Finistere from Portsmouth on Friday July 15th arriving 17.30 the next day, all 4 of us met at the terminal and boarded the vessel in short order, we noted the crew now appear to use 2 straps to secure bikes on the car deck the first over the seat with a large blue cushion placed on the riders seat and a second shorter strap from the frame or pillion footpeg on the left side down to the same securing eye on the deck, perhaps we could start another thread along the side or centre stand thread, 1 strap or 2 straps ?
Bikes secured we found our cabins and retired to the bar.
We arrived to a bright and sunny Santander (for a change) the next day, weather forecasts were suggesting something of a heatwave further south during the week or so we would be in Spain and Portugal over and above the expected warm summer weather
We had pre planned routes for the next 8 days with hotel waypoints included, we took the routes from Ride magazine's excellent Portugal supplement and modified them to suit our needs and booked our hotels through booking dot com which gave us some flexibility due to the free cancellation policy.
Arriving Santander;
Local pilot boarding the ferry;
The Ride magazine routes can be found here; http://www.ride.co.uk/routes-1/tour-2016
As stated we had modified them to average out at between 210-250 miles per day with the exception of day 1 (140 miles from Santander to Sahagun Spain) and day 7 which was to be only 115 miles
Day 1 Saturday 16th
From Santander to Sahagun 137 miles approximately 3 hours 20 minutes, by the time we had cleared the ferry port and hit the road the Sun was beginning to go down, we enjoyed a coffee stop in a little village in The Picos
I had been experimenting with a Go Pro mounted to the pannier to capture some stills on the road with mixed results......
nonetheless the roads were fantastic and the scenery great
n fading light we arrived at our hotel around 9pm
Hotel; https://www.booking.com/hotel/es/puerta-de-sahagun.en-gb.html?label=gen173nr-1DCA4oggJCAlhYSApiBW5vcmVmaFCIAQGYAQq4AQ3IAQ_YAQPoAQH4AQOSAgF5qAID;sid=9a7de7b91488a857145ea79f7219ae7c;dcid=2
Day 2 Sunday 17th
Sahagun Spain to Vila Real Portugal, 245 miles approx 6hours 30 mins
We began using the Morecast weather app which when you input your start and destination points and departure time gives you a route weather forecast ours looked like this
We were on the road early and happened across these castle ruins, being off road gods we headed off piste for a look
Off road god and pillion........
Waitrose Off road god
A couple of old ruins and the castle remains......
We pressed on along a mixture of road types from fast open roads to mile after mile of single track roads and endless switchbacks all the while the temperature climbing into the mid 30's then we happened upon a rural restaurant an air conditioned oasis where we enjoyed menu of the day for 11 euros which comprised some locallly sourced tapas dishes a tuna salad and a small dessert and as much iced water as we could manage-excellent value
A view from the restaurant car park
There was no shade in which to park the bikes........
And by the time we emerged from lunch the temperature had climbed 5 degrees to 40 a theme which would continue for many days.
We arrived at our hotel Miracorgo very late in the afternoon and after a dip in the hotel pool went in search of an evening meal around a near deserted Vila Real
we eventually found a restaraunt (the only one open in the town seemingly) and dined very well for less than 20 euro per head including drinks
Hotel; https://www.booking.com/hotel/pt/miracorgo.en-gb.html?label=gen173nr-1DCA4oggJCAlhYSApiBW5vcmVmaFCIAQGYAQq4AQ3IAQ_YAQPoAQH4AQOSAgF5qAID;sid=9a7de7b91488a857145ea79f7219ae7c;dcid=2
Day 3 Monday 18th
Villa Real to Constancia, 240 miles approx 7 hours 10 mins
Given the predicted temperatures forecast we were up and breakfasted and on the road a little after 9am to try and make some progress before the temperatures soared,
This forecast proved inaccurate as I entered the departure time incorrectly the temperatures we experinced were a little higher than those in the pic but you get the general idea
We enjoyed more single track switchbacks and then a most welcome open road blast up a mountainside not dissimilar to the B500
Then the roads narrowed again and we followed the banks of a river enjoying the relative coolness offered by the overhanging tree canopy, we stopped for a coffee around midday and enjoyed the shade of a pavement cafe whilst the bikes baked......
True to form by the time we got kitted up to ride on the temperature had risen another 3 degrees or so.........I was using a BMW Airshell jacket with full mesh panels to the body and upper arms and Trailguard trousers minus liners with vents to the thigh area, both performed well and were a good choice the only problem was that the temperature of the air passing through the vents was similar to ambient although increased road speed helped a little..........
At some point we got split up which isn't easy when there are only 3 in the group so I pressed on and entered the hotel waypoint via fastest route as I was convinced the other 2 were ahead..........along 50 miles of boring empty motorway I messed about with the Go Pro with the bike set on cruise control
I was in fact ahead of the other 2 and arrived at the Manor house hotel and former convent in Constancia first
Having checked in and showered I went to check out the facilities, cookie & Angi and Oscar had not yet arrived when I discovered the pool area so I ordered beers and sent them a pic to encourage them to hurry up
Our hotel for the night Quinta de Santa Barbara
https://www.booking.com/hotel/pt/quinta-de-santa-barbara.en-gb.html?aid=304142;label=gen173nr-1DCA4oggJCAlhYSApiBW5vcmVmaFCIAQGYAQq4AQ3IAQ_YAQPoAQH4AQOSAgF5qAID;sid=71bd56f5a323810b63f41946d324cd03;dcid=2
Day 4
Constancia to Serpa, 233 miles or approx 6 hours
We enjoyed a great evening meal at the Quinta de Santa Barbara although the restaurant service had been more than a touch Fawlty Towers
Another early start and another hot day beckoned, today's route would take us as far South as we were going although not to the South coast as per the Ride magazine route, we had enjoyed a variety of roads that were mainly tight and technical going so far with the odd stretch of mountain pass and motorway thrown in, during the morning we had ridden along the N222 through terraced Olive groves which some motoring mags would have you believe is the best driving road in Europe, it's good-so good that I appear not to have any pictures and quite demanding but I'm not sure it deserves such high praise, good-yes, enjoyable-certainly but the best? hmmmmmmm
It had been enjoyable so far but quite grueling in these high temperatures and I began to wonder when we might experience the sort of Stelvio type passes the article alluded to.......
We enjoyed a brisk ride during the morning and covered a lot of ground quickly, we stopped to refuel and to take on refreshments and enjoyed more fast paced twisting roads and fantastic views along the N2 N263 and N265 having lost the others (again.........due to an an unannounced fuel stop I think) I detoured to an old hilltop castle
We re-grouped in time for a lunch stop, obligatory food pics........
Before continuing to the hotel for the night, billed as Agro Turismo (Farm B&B/Hotel) the hotel was excellent the hosts welcoming and of course, it had a pool
Our host Teresa not only booked us a table at the best restaurant in town she also gave us a lift there and dropped us at a great bar she also picked us up and drove us back at the end of the evening meal
Monte de Morena Agro Turismo hotel; https://www.booking.com/hotel/pt/monte-da-morena-agro-turismo-lda.en-gb.html?aid=304142;label=gen173nr-1DCA4oggJCAlhYSApiBW5vcmVmaFCIAQGYAQq4AQ3IAQ_YAQPoAQH4AQOSAgF5qAID;sid=71bd56f5a323810b63f41946d324cd03;dcid=2
The dates didn't suit or appeal to all of our group so this year only 4 bikes and 5 people were confirmed to go, earlier discussions had suggested 6 or 7 bikes but as time passed the ferry booking was amended and amended again, less than a week before our ferry was due to depart Portsmouth for Santander another of our group cancelled, we would be 3 bikes and 4 people which should make staying together almost impossible.............
We were due to get Brittany Ferries vessel Cap Finistere from Portsmouth on Friday July 15th arriving 17.30 the next day, all 4 of us met at the terminal and boarded the vessel in short order, we noted the crew now appear to use 2 straps to secure bikes on the car deck the first over the seat with a large blue cushion placed on the riders seat and a second shorter strap from the frame or pillion footpeg on the left side down to the same securing eye on the deck, perhaps we could start another thread along the side or centre stand thread, 1 strap or 2 straps ?
Bikes secured we found our cabins and retired to the bar.
We arrived to a bright and sunny Santander (for a change) the next day, weather forecasts were suggesting something of a heatwave further south during the week or so we would be in Spain and Portugal over and above the expected warm summer weather
We had pre planned routes for the next 8 days with hotel waypoints included, we took the routes from Ride magazine's excellent Portugal supplement and modified them to suit our needs and booked our hotels through booking dot com which gave us some flexibility due to the free cancellation policy.Arriving Santander;
Local pilot boarding the ferry;
The Ride magazine routes can be found here; http://www.ride.co.uk/routes-1/tour-2016
As stated we had modified them to average out at between 210-250 miles per day with the exception of day 1 (140 miles from Santander to Sahagun Spain) and day 7 which was to be only 115 miles
Day 1 Saturday 16th
From Santander to Sahagun 137 miles approximately 3 hours 20 minutes, by the time we had cleared the ferry port and hit the road the Sun was beginning to go down, we enjoyed a coffee stop in a little village in The Picos
I had been experimenting with a Go Pro mounted to the pannier to capture some stills on the road with mixed results......
nonetheless the roads were fantastic and the scenery great
n fading light we arrived at our hotel around 9pm
Hotel; https://www.booking.com/hotel/es/puerta-de-sahagun.en-gb.html?label=gen173nr-1DCA4oggJCAlhYSApiBW5vcmVmaFCIAQGYAQq4AQ3IAQ_YAQPoAQH4AQOSAgF5qAID;sid=9a7de7b91488a857145ea79f7219ae7c;dcid=2
Day 2 Sunday 17th
Sahagun Spain to Vila Real Portugal, 245 miles approx 6hours 30 mins
We began using the Morecast weather app which when you input your start and destination points and departure time gives you a route weather forecast ours looked like this
We were on the road early and happened across these castle ruins, being off road gods we headed off piste for a look
Off road god and pillion........
Waitrose Off road god
A couple of old ruins and the castle remains......
We pressed on along a mixture of road types from fast open roads to mile after mile of single track roads and endless switchbacks all the while the temperature climbing into the mid 30's then we happened upon a rural restaurant an air conditioned oasis where we enjoyed menu of the day for 11 euros which comprised some locallly sourced tapas dishes a tuna salad and a small dessert and as much iced water as we could manage-excellent value
A view from the restaurant car park
There was no shade in which to park the bikes........
And by the time we emerged from lunch the temperature had climbed 5 degrees to 40 a theme which would continue for many days.
We arrived at our hotel Miracorgo very late in the afternoon and after a dip in the hotel pool went in search of an evening meal around a near deserted Vila Real
we eventually found a restaraunt (the only one open in the town seemingly) and dined very well for less than 20 euro per head including drinks
Hotel; https://www.booking.com/hotel/pt/miracorgo.en-gb.html?label=gen173nr-1DCA4oggJCAlhYSApiBW5vcmVmaFCIAQGYAQq4AQ3IAQ_YAQPoAQH4AQOSAgF5qAID;sid=9a7de7b91488a857145ea79f7219ae7c;dcid=2
Day 3 Monday 18th
Villa Real to Constancia, 240 miles approx 7 hours 10 mins
Given the predicted temperatures forecast we were up and breakfasted and on the road a little after 9am to try and make some progress before the temperatures soared,
This forecast proved inaccurate as I entered the departure time incorrectly the temperatures we experinced were a little higher than those in the pic but you get the general idea
We enjoyed more single track switchbacks and then a most welcome open road blast up a mountainside not dissimilar to the B500
Then the roads narrowed again and we followed the banks of a river enjoying the relative coolness offered by the overhanging tree canopy, we stopped for a coffee around midday and enjoyed the shade of a pavement cafe whilst the bikes baked......
True to form by the time we got kitted up to ride on the temperature had risen another 3 degrees or so.........I was using a BMW Airshell jacket with full mesh panels to the body and upper arms and Trailguard trousers minus liners with vents to the thigh area, both performed well and were a good choice the only problem was that the temperature of the air passing through the vents was similar to ambient although increased road speed helped a little..........
At some point we got split up which isn't easy when there are only 3 in the group so I pressed on and entered the hotel waypoint via fastest route as I was convinced the other 2 were ahead..........along 50 miles of boring empty motorway I messed about with the Go Pro with the bike set on cruise control
I was in fact ahead of the other 2 and arrived at the Manor house hotel and former convent in Constancia first
Having checked in and showered I went to check out the facilities, cookie & Angi and Oscar had not yet arrived when I discovered the pool area so I ordered beers and sent them a pic to encourage them to hurry up
Our hotel for the night Quinta de Santa Barbara
https://www.booking.com/hotel/pt/quinta-de-santa-barbara.en-gb.html?aid=304142;label=gen173nr-1DCA4oggJCAlhYSApiBW5vcmVmaFCIAQGYAQq4AQ3IAQ_YAQPoAQH4AQOSAgF5qAID;sid=71bd56f5a323810b63f41946d324cd03;dcid=2
Day 4
Constancia to Serpa, 233 miles or approx 6 hours
We enjoyed a great evening meal at the Quinta de Santa Barbara although the restaurant service had been more than a touch Fawlty Towers
Another early start and another hot day beckoned, today's route would take us as far South as we were going although not to the South coast as per the Ride magazine route, we had enjoyed a variety of roads that were mainly tight and technical going so far with the odd stretch of mountain pass and motorway thrown in, during the morning we had ridden along the N222 through terraced Olive groves which some motoring mags would have you believe is the best driving road in Europe, it's good-so good that I appear not to have any pictures and quite demanding but I'm not sure it deserves such high praise, good-yes, enjoyable-certainly but the best? hmmmmmmm
It had been enjoyable so far but quite grueling in these high temperatures and I began to wonder when we might experience the sort of Stelvio type passes the article alluded to.......
We enjoyed a brisk ride during the morning and covered a lot of ground quickly, we stopped to refuel and to take on refreshments and enjoyed more fast paced twisting roads and fantastic views along the N2 N263 and N265 having lost the others (again.........due to an an unannounced fuel stop I think) I detoured to an old hilltop castle
We re-grouped in time for a lunch stop, obligatory food pics........
Before continuing to the hotel for the night, billed as Agro Turismo (Farm B&B/Hotel) the hotel was excellent the hosts welcoming and of course, it had a pool
Our host Teresa not only booked us a table at the best restaurant in town she also gave us a lift there and dropped us at a great bar she also picked us up and drove us back at the end of the evening meal
Monte de Morena Agro Turismo hotel; https://www.booking.com/hotel/pt/monte-da-morena-agro-turismo-lda.en-gb.html?aid=304142;label=gen173nr-1DCA4oggJCAlhYSApiBW5vcmVmaFCIAQGYAQq4AQ3IAQ_YAQPoAQH4AQOSAgF5qAID;sid=71bd56f5a323810b63f41946d324cd03;dcid=2
