A LONG DRIVE THROUGH PORTUGAL

Posted on 09/07/2016 | About Portugal

Driving through Portugal’s Douro Valley in late summer or fall must be one of the world’s most spectacular drives. Why, you may wonder, do I write “must be” when I would not be writing about it if I had not experienced this drive myself.

It’s all because of the vines; steep vineyards that rise from the water’s edge to the top of the surrounding high hillsides, all terraced and bearing the vines and their grapes which will eventually become Portugal’s most famous export - Port wine.
I enjoyed this drive in early spring, when the vines were leafless with barely a hint of the abundance to come in a few short months. It was spectacular then; it must be even more so as the season progresses.
But I’m jumping ahead with the narrative of our motorhome travels earlier this year. After exploring some of Spain’s famous southern cities, we were excited to see large road signs merely stating ‘Portugal’ … a country new to both of us. We did not think the popular Algarve was going to appeal to us, but we did deviate from the highway occasionally and discovered small, undeveloped villages by the sea. Quaint and special among these was Burgau in the west, with pretty houses, a good beach and a small ex-pat community.
One of our early destinations in Portugal was Sagres, a small town whose promontory was, before 15th century European exploration, on the edge of the known world. The two windswept capes - unspoilt - still hold that atmosphere with their pounding Atlantic surf and spectacular sunsets. Now we know what lies to the west. What a strange sensation it must have been looking out from here and believing the world was flat, with this turbulent ocean falling off a rim into the unknown.
The 16th century Sagres fortress stands here, together with a small church and a pillar tribute to Prince Henry the Navigator. Paths are set over and around the cliffs, enabling visitors to enjoy the spectacular scenery while inland, especially in springtime, the headlands are covered in wild flowers.
The same wild atmosphere pervades the south-western coast of Portugal. The cliffs and beaches are spectacular and much loved by windsurfers, kite boarders and walkers. The wild ocean that has prevented too much development along this coast … nobody would want to see their kiddies in the sea here. But all is not deserted, at Arrifana, high on the cliffs, stands a glass cube that is sophisticated O’Paulo’s Restaurant.
Inland is also spectacular. We left the coast to drive an inland ‘loop’ via Monchique as our trusted Philip’s atlas marked the route in green, meaning scenic. We were not disappointed, and wrote “what a road!” on said atlas after negotiating the winding mountain route.
Gentler scenery is found a little farther north in the rural Alentejo region. If you would like to drive in Portugal but wish to avoid challenging roads this region is ideal.
Time seems to have stood still in the Alentejo; here are whitewashed villages, forests of cork and olive trees, ancient dolmens and megaliths, small wineries and abundant spring flowers. Historic Evora is the region’s main town offering cobbled streets and good restaurants while the white hilltop village of Monsaraz is not to be missed. This high walled, cobbled enclave, closed to traffic, with its views across the Lago Alqueva was one of the most spectacular stops on our tour of Portugal.
We were reluctant to leave the Alentejo behind, but we have family in Lisbon and we were expected.
“Take the 25th April bridge into the city for the view,” said my husband’s niece, so that is what we did. Spectacular indeed! Once our motorhome was settled in the pleasant municipal campsite amongst the pine trees of this city’s vast ‘green space’ we set off to explore the city. The historic (and crowded) tram took us up to Castelo de Sao Jorge in time for the sunset followed by a lively family dinner at the Mercado in town.
Other Lisbon highlights include a walk into Belem to see the historic sites and, of course, a pause or two from sight-seeing to enjoy the local delicacies - custard tarts and ginjinha (a strong cherry liqueur) - though best not taken together!
The coastal road west out of Lisbon took us through some luxurious suburbs before we headed inland to the famed city of Sintra (which is easily reached as a day trip by train out of Lisbon for those without a car). Sintra is really special, though full of tourists most of the year. It enjoys a micro-climate that has resulted in luxuriant flora amongst it’s mossy forested hills. Popular for centuries, this town has lured kings, artists and poets, not to mention eccentrics (with money to spare!). The result is an evocative mixture of folly-style houses and palaces with exquisite gardens, while the town itself offers tourist shops, restaurants and little bars.
Another popular town on the tourist route is a short way north. Obidos is the quintessential Portuguese village, all cobbled streets and whitewashed houses with popular restaurants and some fancy hotels.
We found the drive on northwards boring and unattractive, but Porto was definitely on our itinerary and, once there, worth the effort. This town, the second largest in Portugal, rises from the Douro river estuary and offers all that can be expected of a city whose main item of commerce is port wine. There are some church highlights, of course, but it is the port bodegas and bars that attract most of the tourists. The town itself has become rather shabby, but the riverside setting with its fine bridges (one designed by Gustave Eiffel) is an attractive place to while away a few hours.
Which brings me back to the beginning of this story … the Douro River itself, surely one of Europe’s most spectacular drives. It is not, however, to be recommended for the timid driver; it climbs and dips and twists and turns. Sometimes the heights left our mouths dry and hands sweaty and my husband reckoned we changed gear almost a thousand times! But the reward is great as the high vine-clad terraces rising from the ribbon of the river make for some gorgeous views. For those not wishing to drive, there are hotel river-barges and rail trips.
At the close of this wonderful experience we drove higher and higher, the river disappeared from our view, the distances between the tiny villages became greater and then, almost suddenly it seemed, the land became flat and we were high on the plateau and crossing the border back into Spain.