Summation: Thoughts on the trip.

My first thought is that i am really glad that i decided to take this trip and get the chance to see parts of Portugal that i probably would not have seen otherwise. Having been to Porto, Liston and Faro a number of times, and a 2024 stay where we explored the Southern Algarve region, i knew that i loved Portugal, but really would not have had a reason do explore the interior where it not for this trip.

From a motorcycling point of view, this country is a paradise of great roads, fantastic weather and never-ending vistas. The roads here are so very different from our roads in Canada, or in North America to be fair. Our wide straight roads suit my Goldwing very well, however it would have been a hindrance here on the narrow winding roads that made up 70% of my travels. An adventure bike like the NC750X that i rented, or even better the Honda Transalp is what these roads call for. You really need to have something on the lighter side with lots of maneuverability to get in and out of the many tight spots i found myself in while exploring.

On the personal side, this trip was really good for some self exploration. Motorcycling is a great way to encourage pensive thought, and I found throughout my trip that i kept reflecting on how lucky i was to be taking on this great adventure, meeting new people and exploring new places. It also helped me realize that we make our own luck in life, and that I was able to make this trip because of the hard work put in building a life for Kate and Christopher and I.

The reality is that being closer to 60 than i am to 50 by far, limits the number of solo 2K trips i will be able to look forward to, and i am determined not to let those possible adventures slide by unexplored.

Regions:

I started my trip in the Algarve, where the weather is warm and roads are busy. Riding here was the least enjoyable part of my trip, as it involved highway riding, traffic and constant starts and stops. The climb out of Faro up the mountains however was spectacular.

From the Algarve i climbed into Baixo Alentejo. The amount of traffic dropped by 90% and the roads, while mostly fairly straight, were beautiful and the scenery was outstanding. This is the bread basket of Portugal, and crops, fruit orchards and animals grazing were a constant feature.

The city of Serta is at the norther part of Baixo Alentejo, and as i headed north from there, i entered the Alto Alentejo region. The roads were more interesting in this region, and there were numerous mountain valleys and altitude changes on the road from Serta to Castro Daire in the Beira Alta region. This was also the part of my trip that included mutliple road closures on the N2 due to the storms that hit this region in the winter and early spring of this year.

From Castro Daire to Chaves i was in mountainous country with tight roads riding into the Douro valley. The scenery here is incredible. The roads are fantastic, and the people were very friendly. Riding into Chaves, i was taken by the fact that the city was completely surrounded by mountains on all sides. The weather in the Tras-os-Montes region was what i should have expected. The mornings were cold, and it took until noon or 1pm before things warmed up. This region was by far my favorite part of the trip. The winding roads were never ending, barely populated and the views in every direction were fabulous. I seemed to be on the north side of a mountain valley one minute and the south side of a different one the next. Every decent sized town or city was in a valley with mountains visible all around.

The North Eastern part of the Douro valley is also in this region, and my stay in Foz de Sabor was a highlight of the trip. This would be one area that i would recommend to anyone interested in seeing more of the interior of Portugal.

On my trip back south along the Spanish border through these same regions i could not help but be amazed by the number of castles along the way. There is something worth stopping to explore every 15-20 minutes as you travel. Should you choose to follow this route, i would suggest allowing for ample time for exploration and not aiming to cover more than 200KM per day, as your average speed when travelling is likely to be around 50k/hour.

All in all, the trip was fantastic. I am glad that my average travel day was right around 250km per day, as that allowed me to travel mostly in good weather, and gave me time to explore along the route. I really hope that someone gets inspired to see some of the sights i saw along my travels, as this was a different Portugal from the vibrant bustling cities. This trip was full of small towns, road side cafes and restaurants, incredible scenery and places to explore and full of genuinely friendly people.