Road trip in Northern Portugal
My only previous experience of Portugal had been a day trip to the beach from Salamanca, Spain. So, I hadn’t considered myself as having truly experienced the country. After arranging a weekend in Porto with friends, I took the opportunity to extend the stay, and embark on my first proper road trip since lockdowns started in March 2020.
I was aware many Brits travelled to the Portuguese Coast for holidays in the sun, but I had also heard there was much more to Portugal than beaches. When I started researching it, I found there was far more to see than I could possibly fit into a single week. So, I created an itinerary for the North of the country, with Porto as the start and end point. I hope to go on a second trip, at another time, to Lisbon and the South.
Starting with a weekend in the second-city, Porto, I then moved on to the small city of Braga, before the town of Guimaraes. From there, I drove through the Douro valley, to the mountains of Serra da Estrela.
I had mixed weather in the mountains, and had to abandon a hike on my first day. It meant I had to be creative with my itinerary, with a trip to Moncato, before the sun came out for my final day in the mountains. My final stop was in the university town of Coimbra.