Tour of Spain and PortugalJuly 2014

[Peirre O`Bollox]

Ideas & input please
I`m putting together a route for the summer which I hope will take in some of the best Spanish roads & sights highlighted in other threads/posts elsewhere on the forum.
I`m due to land in Santander June 29th, but due to the possible late arrival of the poole ferry, I`ve decided to play it safe and stay overnight locally in Santander then ride the next day the 300 miles to Zaragoza.
The only fixed itinery is that I will be in Faro on the 16th July for the Rally there. so I have over 2 weeks to meander down the east side of Spain.
The route will take me from Santander, via Burgos to Zaragoza for the night (or 2) then south along the A226 and N330 down towards almansa.
From Almansa my route is lacking, which is where I`m looking to fill out the trip with input from the masses, but apart from wanting to travel down to Granada to visit the Alhambra, then onwards to Faro. So I`d welcome ideas and suggestion of where to go especially on the route east-west across the southern side. Having spent several summers in the past riding down through the centre of Spain, I`m well aware that it will be hot during July and I intend to gear up accordingly, (full mesh, camelback, and Techniche hyper cool vest) I hope to mainly use random hotels along the way, depending where I end up at the end of the day, but will take camping gear with me for the Rallies, so camping en-route south is possible.
My return route north will follow This Route north through the centre for 3-4 days (21st-24th July) after the Faro Rally and take me through the Serra De Estrela to Chaves for another Rally (24th-26th July). Then up to the Picos towards Potes for a few day. Before heading back to Santander for the ferry on the 3rd of August. The only deviation from the return route maybe a side trip to Lisbon to visit friends.

 

[corky]

Did a 2 week trip of spain/portugal a few years ago, planned around around small roads and best biking roads. Did a bit of work on it to avoid as many towns as possible. Some of the route is close to that you have posted. You are welcome to the GPS routes to see if theres anything you want. If you want them pm me with your email address and if you want gpd or gpx format.

Bill

 

[The Goose]

I can show you some great roads around southern Portugal I live 40 mins from Faro and may see you at the Rally

 

[Rusty]

Looks great .. be sure to post some piccies of your adventure !

 

[Peirre O`Bollox]

I can show you some great roads around southern Portugal I live 40 mins from Faro and may see you at the Rally

I`ve been going to the Rally for at least 15yrs and its changes significantly over that time, mainly due to the brits on the lash.
The highlight for me however, is winning the holiday to Daytona at the 2006 (25th year) rally.
This year however I`m wussing out and not camping, as I`ve found a couple of places on AirB&B one of which that I`ve booked, is just off site close to the Tennis courts, 300yrds from the back gate

 

[peterc]

Im thinking of attending the Faro rally as I find myself with plenty of spare time to tour this year, it will be my first at Faro and you have got me thinking of wussing out too and booking a BnB for the duration, sounds like yo have a peach of a BandB, what made you BnB this time PoB?

 

[Timpo]

Chaps, have you dates and any links to the rallies this summer in Portugal/Spain?

 

[Roberto]

Chaps, have you dates and any links to the rallies this summer in Portugal/Spain?

Timpo- some details around this parish old chap.. http://www.thebikerguide.co.uk/motorbikeevents2014.html

 

[Peirre O`Bollox]

Chaps, have you dates and any links to the rallies this summer in Portugal/Spain?

if you tell me the rough dates and areas your thing of going it may help pin down rallies that may be of interest.
There are a few that are ideal (on the way down an back) if you intend to attend Faro, but generally to maintain them, I try to keep info for Spanish and Portuguese rallies of the web to keep down the number of Brits in attendance, having seen the effect the brit influence has had on Faro. Some of the larger rallies in Portugal besides Faro inc Gois moto clube http://www.goismotoclube.pt/ who hold their rally in mid august
Listing for other smaller rallies in both Portugal and Spain can be found on the events (concentracoes) pages of both the Portuguese and Spanish versions on the motociclismo website
or the federacio motociclismo Portugal http://www.fmotoportugal.pt/#sthash.uER0Z4Q0.dpbs under noticias
links to Portuguese clubs can be found via http://cameira.wordpress.com/ and a little work will find the dates for rallies

 

[The Goose]

if you tell me the rough dates and areas your thing of going it may help pin down rallies that may be of interest.
There are a few that are ideal (on the way down an back) if you intend to attend Faro, but generally to maintain them, I try to keep info for Spanish and Portuguese rallies of the web to keep down the number of Brits in attendance, having seen the effect the brit influence has had on Faro. Some of the larger rallies in Portugal besides Faro inc Gois moto clube http://www.goismotoclube.pt/ who hold their rally in mid august
Listing for other smaller rallies in both Portugal and Spain can be found on the events (concentracoes) pages of both the Portuguese and Spanish versions on the motociclismo website
or the federacio motociclismo Portugal http://www.fmotoportugal.pt/#sthash.uER0Z4Q0.dpbs under noticias
links to Portuguese clubs can be found via http://cameira.wordpress.com/ and a little work will find the dates for rallies

I have to agree on the Brit influx some of the persons attending seem to just want trouble to start I go to the Faro club and Aberfuira club and some times the discussion does go in to the Brit problem as they see it

 

[Peirre O`Bollox]

Im thinking of attending the Faro rally as I find myself with plenty of spare time to tour this year

Go for it, you just have to do it at least once.

it will be my first at Faro and you have got me thinking of wussing out too and booking a BnB for the duration

Most of the best B&B accommodation will be booked up far in advance.
Also the hotels tend to significantly jack up prices during the event. for example the Ibis would normally be €30 pn, jacks up the prices closer to €80 pn
I was looking at a 10 person home stay in the small community just behind the Rally hospital 50m from the rally entrance at around £10 pn. But my Portuguese friends didn`t seem keen on booking it so far ahead.
There are still possibly a couple of 2-8 person room lets available on airB&B across the highway in Montenegro, 10 mins+ from the rally site

what made you BnB this time PoB?

Its my 50th birthday this year so I figured on pushing the boat out a little.
I will be in Sesimbra next weekend for Carnival & visiting my Portuguese friends, and inevitable conversation of the Brits at Faro will no doubt come up.
Initially it was the "Back Street Hero`s" tour and their drunken antics both on site and on the ferry that set the rot in.
The inevitable influence that it caused opened the flood gates and the event has gone down hill since then. Also over the years the site has changed, things have gone downhill with trees being cleared for a (failed) development, rubbish being left across the site and the attitude of the MCF club embittered by the loutish behaviour, has led me to think about staying off site.
This is why there are those among the group I meet there tend to avoid the Brit influence as much as possible, and not post significant details online of other smaller rallies that are held either side of the MCF rally that can be taken in on the route there/back. I have seen some loutish brits being asked to leave certain smaller rallies for being prats
But if you look at the route north I posted, it leads to the rally site at Chaves where the rally there is held the weekend after Faro

 

[peterc]

Thanks for the reply Peirre, grateful for your advice, its a real shame that the 'brit' influence has spoiled what I know through bikers friends that have been that it was one of the rallies to do, abeit, it was a few years ago they went. It seems that the 'Brit' influence extends to other pastimes too which is a shame, the minority of course. If I do end up in that area, I will camp, as you said lodgings are rare and expensive and I best experience the organic feel of the rally hopefully (famous last words). Might look at some of the ones being held on the way home too, I stayed at Chaves last year so know the area.

 

[Peirre O`Bollox]

If I was you I would still go to the Faro rally, I will be there along with many others (Irish, German, French, & obviously Portuguese), we along with everyone else just ignore the Brit louts.
Try to get there sometime Wednesday ahead of the mass influx of Spanish (sports bike) bikers who turn up with on Thursday and pitch up hundreds of £10 Tesco style tents millimetres apart.
A suggestion for a rally the weekend before Faro would either be Villa do Conde http://www.mcviladoconde.pt/ on the coast above Porto.
The V.do Conde Rally is held outside the football stadium, or there`s another rally held just south of Valladolid. Another good Rally in Portugal is held 14, 15, 16, 17 august by Gois Motoclube http://www.goismotoclube.pt/ this is on par with Faro.
The Chaves Rally is usually held along the southern bank of the river the weekend after Faro, camping on the strip of grass on "alameda Galinheira" road, which is closed off for the event, and the stage & Beer tent is erected at the far end, the site entrance is usually the slip road off the south side of the Av.Dr. Mario Soares Bridge. there's also a decent campsite just south of town where the few brits meet up the day or so before the rally for a little respite.
A lot of the smaller clubs have a presence on Facebook, & also advertise their events via Facebook, so a little digging thru FB will yield a mountain of info, if you use the Gois link to their FB page you should see dozens of their Friends who are MC clubs, which should allow you dig up a lot of links to the FB pages of the other clubs

AFAIK there is still accommodation available, a quick look on AirB&B along yields several results in the £20-£30pn price tag
This one is the other side of the main highway roughly 1km from the site entrance https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/944206

 

[Peirre O`Bollox]

Alicante to Granada

Running between Alicante and Granada, is there any detours worthy of taking?
Or should I just head west asap towards the hills of the Serre Nevada then into Granada?

 

[Flipfly]

Running between Alicante and Granada, is there any detours worthy of taking?
Or should I just head west asap towards the hills of the Serre Nevada then into Granada?

I love this part of Spain, get off the beaten track a little and you'll find some fantastic little villages and great tapas. You're in to the garden of Spain, so food is cheap and generally very very good. The roads vary, some are well surfaced but many are broken up and shagged out, but don't miss the opportunity to get cultural in the quest for twisty roads.

 

[Rusty]

Best of luck with that route and journey Mr Bollox ... looks great. I have never "done" Spain but when I retire in 3 years time I shall be getting to know it a lot better .. hopefully riding your sort of route ! Good luck with your trip and post us some piccies.

 

[Peirre O`Bollox]

The routes been tweaked slightly, initially I`ll ride from Santander via Miranda de Ebro skirting the north of Elbalse de sobron on the BU530 then the N roads close to the AP68 to Zaragoza for a couple of nights.
From Zaragoza I`m heading to Tortosa via the roads highlighted in the "best biking roads" then turn inland avoiding Valencia and Alicante down the N330 road to cantevieja, Teruel, Manzaneruela, Almansa, and Pinoso. Then onto Granada. I`m told by those in Pinoso that there is a motorcycle race meeting in neighbouring Alguena on the 6th of July where the towns roads will be closed off for the event
Its the section after Pinoso that's lacking in substance atm

 

[RJC]

When you say Faro rallie you mean Faro international motorcycle concentration right?

 

[RJC]

This is just my opinion, but already know the "Costa Vicentina"?

It's great beach's and sea landscapes for me I do this route:

When it ends hers a ferry to cross to Setubal.

You can see this:

 

[RJC]