Portugal 2014

GA team have just returned from an excellent trip to Portugal. Jose from Dream Land rover helped us with the routes, tracks and planning.
Photos can be seen here - http://global-adventures.webs.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=15709136

Its a must do destination!!

Hi Scott

Portugal is on my list of places to do hopefully next summer.
Any advice on places to go and things to see would be welcomed.
Looks like the children and dog had a great time as well as dad

Are you the Norfolk overland adventure guy on Face Book ?

Hi,
My first advice would be to try and stay as long as possible in Portugal as there is just so much to see!! We crammed in as much as we could but still had loads of things we could have done and seen. The tracks are great and range from easy to technical, so you can pick and choose. We started at the Malacata Nature reserve where you can spend a whole day exploring the tracks. We then went south as advised by Jose, but I hear the North is good as well.. See here - https://www.visitportugal.com/en/NR/exeres/682B5CB2-A1D9-4E41-8AB3-8531173E070F

It all depends on what kind of trip you want? We started on mountainous tracks and ended up at the coast in the south. I really recommend Jose as his info he supplied was outstanding. He can supply GPS tracks and waypoints for anyone who wants to explore on their own like we did, or he also does tours for anyone wanting to 'tag along'. See here for his details - http://www.dreamlandrover.com/en.html

The NOE is a group of us in Norfolk who are interested in Overlanding and travel. I am part of the group, and we decided to make a Facebook group to bring everyone together and to share ideas and experience. Members range from experienced to complete novices.

Let me know what kind of trip you want and I will recommend places to go.....



Scott.

I will be in France, Andorra and the Spanish Pyrenees at the end of May off roading it would be handy to stay down south and do Portugal early June.

Hopefully the wife will join me (fly out and I will pick her up at an airport somewhere) so we will be looking at a split between off roading (getting bumped around a bit as the wife calls it) and plenty of road miles to see the sites and some beaches a friend with a VW camper has told is about a fantastic beach which they wild camped on for a few days at the northern tip of Portugal so we would probably look to start around there.

It looks and sounds as if you had a ball - very jealous. Have never quite made it into Portugal, it's on my 'hit list' too.

Enjoy your works outing to sunny climbs   , see you at AO`14.

Hi ya,
I had a friend fly down to join us in Faro with Easyjet for 50 GBP, but that's in the south. I would certainly try and get to the Malcata Reserve which is in the middle of Portugal. Camping Freixial is a good place to stay, and the main office for the reserve is in Penamacor.
As mentioned we went south so can't help with locations North of Penamacor, but Jose could help.
If you go South, then I would recommend -

Serra da Malcata Nature Reserve
Idanha-a-Nova
Castelo de Vide
Camping Rosário
ELVAS and its Fortresses
Serpa

The Coastal areas down near Faro are very commercial, so we didn't stay long there, but there are great tracks up the West Coast area up to Setubal.

I did a daily blog of our trip, so more details of each area are on there - http://global-adventures.webs.com/apps/blog/categories/show/1932371-portugal-2014

Yes Tom, its a great place!!!! Brilliant scenery, tracks, friendly people! Just recommend booking the ferry ASAP so you don't have that long drive through France / Spain. I left it too late and the ferry company wanted 1600 GBP , so told them to poke it and drove through France / Spain.

As ever from people on this forum some great info there.
I just skipped through your blog but will settle back with a bottle of London Pride and read it in more depth
Later.

After a debate with the wife it seems she's up for the full trip next year so it may be a 6 weeker as long as we don't kill each other because of living out the back of the truck for an extended time all should be good.

Hi Scott
I'm glad you liked my country.
Portugal is small but beautiful country with lots to see. A real off road paradise.
Regards

Hi Jose!
Yes, totally agree its an offroad paradise and also a fantastic country! As far as offroad is concerned your route took us through every sort of terrain possible! Sand, Rivers, Mud, Rock and Gullys.
The GA team will be back!!

Many thanks for your help in the planning and the support when we were there.

scott.l. wrote:

Hi Jose!
Yes, totally agree its an offroad paradise and also a fantastic country! As far as offroad is concerned your route took us through every sort of terrain possible! Sand, Rivers, Mud, Rock and Gullys.
The GA team will be back!!

Many thanks for your help in the planning and the support when we were there.  

Hi Scott, I´m not Jose. My name is Tito

Sincere apology's Tito..... Old brain matter is not what it used to be!!