Honestly, up front: not ridden yet, but at the top of my list
I haven't ridden this tour yet. I read about it – three roads, three days, 840 kilometres – and it has stayed with me ever since. The N222 between Peso da Régua and Pinhão was voted the world's best road in a 2015 study, the N339 climbs to the highest point of mainland Portugal, and the N304 through the Serra do Alvão is an insider tip among Portuguese riders. All of that in one loop from Porto: that makes me very curious.
So here is the tour as I would plan it – with getting there, motorcycle rental, stages and hotels. And one request: if you know these roads, send me your tips below. I will add them here.
Getting there: fly to Porto, rent the motorcycle locally
From Zurich, Swiss and TAP fly nonstop to Porto in a good two and a half hours, easyJet from Basel. Bringing your own motorcycle isn't worth it for three riding days – from Switzerland to Porto it's 1,900 kilometres, two long days each way. In Porto, Hertz Ride and several local companies rent BMW GS, Honda Africa Twin and Triumph Tiger from around 100 to 150 francs a day, panniers and sat nav included; handover is usually in the city or at the airport. If you travel with a support car, compare rentals at Discover Cars as always.
The route: three stages, three roads
Day 1, Porto – Vila Real – N304 Serra do Alvão – Mondim de Basto – Peso da Régua (approx. 230 km): Pick up the motorcycle and leave the city on the A4, from Amarante on the old N15 to Vila Real. Then the N304: from Vila Real it climbs into the Serra do Alvão, granite boulders, heath, bend after bend, hardly any traffic – and drops down to Mondim de Basto, where Monte Farinha with its pilgrimage church towers over the valley. Lunch in Mondim, then the N210 through the Tâmega valley and the N101 via Amarante down to Peso da Régua on the Douro. First night in the Douro Valley.
Day 2, Peso da Régua – N222 – Pinhão – São João da Pesqueira – Serra da Estrela (approx. 250 km): Early in the morning, the N222 from Régua to Pinhão: 27 kilometres, 93 bends, the river on your left, the port wine terraces on your right – this is the road voted the world's best in 2015. Look at the azulejos at Pinhão station, then continue up the N222 to São João da Pesqueira with its viewpoint over the whole valley. Via Trancoso and Guarda (Portugal's highest town, 1,056 metres) into the Serra da Estrela, overnight in Manteigas in the glacial valley of the Zêzere.
Day 3, Manteigas – N339 Torre – Seia – Viseu – Porto (approx. 360 km): From Manteigas up through the glacial valley, then the N339 to the Torre at 1,993 metres – granite peaks, the Lagoa Comprida reservoir, views all the way to Spain; put on a jacket at the top, it's chilly even in summer. Down the other side to Seia, cheese (Queijo da Serra) and coffee, then the N17 or the A25 via Viseu back to Porto. Return the motorcycle, evening in the Ribeira looking across at the port wine lodges.
If you have an extra day, stay two nights in the Douro Valley and ride the N222 in both directions – or add the coast between Porto and Aveiro. On Portugal in general: my pages on Lisbon and the Algarve.
What I noted down before the tour
- The N222 is at its best and emptiest in the morning – from 11 a.m. the coaches and wine tourists arrive, at weekends the Portuguese riders.
- Portugal's national roads (N) are mostly well surfaced but narrow and without barriers; after rain there are leaves and sand in the bends. Motorways (A) have electronic tolls – ask the rental company for the Via Verde transponder.
- Serra da Estrela: the N339 is often closed in winter, snow until April is normal. For May/June pack warm gloves and a rain suit – 28 degrees at the bottom, 10 at the top.
- Douro Valley: port tasting is only for those not riding – or in the evening at the quinta where you're staying. Many quintas have garages or courtyards for the motorcycle.
- Fuel: in the Serra da Estrela there is no petrol station for 60 kilometres between Manteigas and Seia – fill up in Manteigas.
Where to stay: quinta on the Douro, mountain hotel in the Serra
For the first night I would choose a quinta in the Douro Valley – a wine estate with rooms, a terrace above the river and dinner in-house; there are dozens in Pinhão and around Peso da Régua, from simple to luxury. For the second night a mountain hotel in Manteigas or higher up on the road to the Torre, with silence in the evening and the view into the glacial valley in the morning. In Porto, finally, a hotel in the Ribeira or across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia by the port wine lodges.
After the tour: a day on the Douro without a helmet
If you want to experience the Douro Valley without the motorcycle too, add a day in Porto: a boat trip on the Douro, the Linha do Douro train to Pinhão (one of Europe's most beautiful railway lines, right along the river) or a port wine tour in Vila Nova de Gaia. I book excursions through GetYourGuide, free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Guided tours instead of going it alone
If you don't want to deal with route and hotels: several operators run northern Portugal tours from Porto in spring and autumn with support vehicle, motorcycle and hotels included. Current offers are in the motorcycle section.
Do you know these roads? Your tip
Which quinta, which mountain hotel, which order – and how was the rental company in Porto? Send me your tips, I'll check them, add the best ones here and credit you by first name.
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