Motorcycle dream Portugal CPS 2601
Our bikes are all waiting at our beautiful hotel, so we’re busy cleaning and polishing them as we make the final preparations for our journey. Tomorrow after the breakfast, we’ll leave the big city behind and head into the Portuguese countryside, we’re all excited for what’s ahead. In the afternoon, we’ll meet up to go over the plan for the next few days and finally receive our keys. Just one more night’s sleep, and then the adventure truly begins.
Finally, the day has come—our first day of riding on the tour is here. The sun is shining in Lisbon, but unfortunately only in Lisbon 😉—we realize that pretty quickly. We leave the city via the highway and take the first opportunity to turn onto small side roads to avoid the traffic. All around us, the landscape is lush and green, and our first impression of Portugal, away from the big city, is already very promising. After stopping for a quick coffee at the westernmost point of Europe, we set off for the highlight of our day. The small town of Mafra, with its impressive palace complex, is our destination. Here, we don’t just spend time sightseeing; we also wait out the increasingly heavy rain over lunch. Fortunately, it stays dry in the afternoon, and we enjoy the last hundred kilometers of the day until we finally reach Nazaré in the early afternoon. The weather is perfect for a walk on the beach. Does anyone have their surfboard with them?
After a delicious breakfast and about an hour of riding, we arrived in the world-famous town of Fátima. Despite the rainy weather, we first enjoyed a coffee before visiting the impressive Basilica of Fátima. On the way to the Chapel of the Apparitions, we also came across a piece of the Berlin Wall – a powerful symbol of freedom. At lunchtime, we recharged in a traditional local restaurant directly at the beautiful river Zezere before continuing our journey into the mountains, riding through the winding roads of the Serra da Lousã. After countless curves and a quick photo stop, we made our way to Coimbra, where our hotel was waiting right by the banks of the Mondego. In the evening, we all looked forward to enjoying dinner together at the hotel.
Since we got pretty wet yesterday, we’re hoping for better weather today. Today’s ride has a lot to offer, so we set off full of anticipation. For the most part, our route takes us through the sparsely populated countryside between Coimbra and Porto. We avoid the main roads and take small, almost deserted side roads instead. There’s plenty to discover along the way. And thanks to the afternoon sunshine, we can fully enjoy both the roads and the many details of the amazingly varied landscape. Just in time before rush hour sets in, we reach Porto, where we’ll be spending two nights.
Sleep in, enjoy the hotel breakfast at our leisure, and wait patiently for the sun to push the clouds aside. That’s our morning in Porto—it sounds like a relaxed start to the day, and that’s exactly what it is. Porto is a fascinating city, and there is so much to experience here that one day is nowhere near enough. Yet our options are still plentiful. We just have to choose wisely. One option is a ride along the Douro River with its wineries, small villages, and picturesque views. A dream on two wheels—even if the weather isn’t quite perfect. Most of us decide to spend a relaxing day in the city. Sightseeing, shopping, and an exclusive boat ride on the Douro. Either way, we’ll remember this day for a long time.
A clear blue sky with just a few clouds—that’s how this morning greets us. This day can only turn out one way… amazing. It’s also our last day heading north. The rugged beauty of northern Portugal awaits us. We leave the city via the highway and head first to Braga, where we’ll find the second-most important pilgrimage site in Portugal, after Fátima. The Bom Jesus do Monte Cathedral. And while Randy climbs the over 500 steps to the summit, the rest of us discover that the historic cable car is unfortunately out of service due to maintenance work. Fortunately, we can still reach this impressive site directly by motorcycle if necessary. But now we’ve really had our fill of old buildings, so off we go into the countryside. The traffic thins out noticeably, and the number of curves increases. Welcome to Ceres National Park, where dense forests, reservoirs, rivers, and small villages define the landscape. After our lunch, with a spectacular view, we enjoy an afternoon filled with endless curves and sooo much of that Portuguese vibe. Our destination today is Malgaco, where only the chirping of birds can break the silence around us.
What a perfect day for riding! Our journey began in the small town of Melgaço, close to the Spanish border. While our two friends Jonathan and Chris decided to take a shortcut and enjoy a relaxed ride directly to the next hotel in Bragança, the rest of the group set off with Làszló for another unforgettable day on the bikes. The morning first led us to Castro Laboreiro, where we stopped for a photo with the famous “Ghosts of the Valley.” From there, we continued through the breathtaking Peneda-Gerês National Park, a place where every corner reveals another spectacular view. Endless curves, massive granite rocks, blooming yellow and purple flowers, and untouched nature made this stretch simply magical. This remote and rural region is full of history and tradition. Along the way we passed charming stone villages, ancient Roman bridges, and even spotted a few wild horses roaming freely through the mountains. After a short photo stop at the Dolmen and Foxo do Lobo wolf trap, we rode a scenic loop around the impressive Rabagão Lake, one of the largest man-made lakes in the region. Around lunchtime, we arrived at a unique picnic spot with an incredible view, where Tom had already prepared a delicious meal for the group. The afternoon continued through the Montesinho Natural Park, followed by a relaxing coffee stop in the small town of Vinhais. Then came the final highlight of the day: the last 30 kilometers to Bragança on freshly paved asphalt and perfectly flowing curves, motorcycle heaven. Tonight, a special 5-course dinner is waiting for us in the hotel. Stay tuned for more adventures! 🏍️✨
The clouds hang low over Bragança as we wake up this morning. And, of course, just as we set off on today’s leg of the journey, it starts to rain. We’re lucky, though, because after just twenty minutes we manage to escape the rain. Apart from a mini hailstorm😉, we won’t get any wetter today. And so we enjoy the ride on the wonderfully winding roads along the Spanish border, drinking coffee in the shadow of imposing cathedrals and dining like noblemen in medieval walls. But the star of the day is undoubtedly our destination today, Salamanca, the golden city. Where we have all the time in the world to visit it this afternoon.
A Day of Curves Through the Wild Landscapes of Spain and Portugal! The first 75 kilometers take us straight through the wide rural landscapes of Spain, surrounded by olive trees, sheep, and cattle. Golden fields, small villages, and the scent of pine trees accompany us until a low mountain range slowly appears on the horizon – the Sierra de Francia. Our first stop is the charming mountain village of La Alberca, where we enjoy a good café con leche before continuing the ride. Via El Portillo, we slowly climb higher and enter one of the least populated regions of Spain: Extremadura. The roads become quieter, the scenery wilder, and the riding in the rain more enjoyable with every kilometer. After lunch in Valverde del Fresno, the route takes us across the border into Portugal and into the Serra da Estrela Natural Park. The mountains here are impressive, rocky, green and yellow, with clear streams running through the valleys. Our destination for the day is Manteigas, where a beautiful hotel with a jacuzzi and spa awaits us right next to a waterfall. We’re already looking forward to dinner tonight a delicious buffet to end the day.
Since yesterday felt more like a ride on a whitewater rafting course, our first thought this morning is the weather. And unfortunately, we realize that the mountains aren’t being kind to us. We stay at the hotel a little longer and wait for the rain to let up. We can even see a bit of blue sky. Our first destination of the day is at just under 2,000 meters. Our support vehicle drives ahead and reports that, unfortunately, temperatures there are around freezing and it’s snowing. That’s a bit too much of an adventure for us, so we take the road through the valley and make a wide detour around the mountain weather. The route is nowhere near as spectacular, but with a few exceptions, we stay dry for the rest of the day. In the afternoon, we rejoin the original route, where we enjoy the view of the Tagus River and a few beautiful curves in bright sunshine. Our destination today is a very quiet hotel near Crato. Here we let the day come to a relaxed end.
Our final day started with a relaxed ride south through the Portuguese countryside, passing small villages, vineyards, and open farmland. Along the way, we rode through the medieval town of Arraiolos before continuing toward Évora. In Évora, we explored some of the city’s best-known sights, including the Sao Francisco church, the Chapel of Bones, and the historic old town, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage list. After lunch at an amazing Indian restaurant in the city center, we began our return ride to Lisbon. The route back took us over the impressive Vasco da Gama Bridge, the longest bridges in Europe, stretching almost 19 kilometers across the Tagus River. Back in Lisbon, the tour came to an end with a farewell dinner, great memories, and many kilometers shared together on the road. Until next time ride safe and keep exploring.