Portugal

We start our road trip in the Douro Valley. The Douro is also called the Golden River and originates in Spain. From there, it flows further to the North-East of Portugal to join the Atlantic Ocean at Porto. This beautiful river is the perfect base for your road trip, although you will breathe in and out quite a bit as you drive the narrow, winding roads. We'll follow the Douro's north bank, but there's also plenty of beauty to be discovered along its south bank, starting from the Miradouro de Penedo Durão viewpoint, where vineyards and olive groves grow over the rugged hills.

We follow the river as closely as possible and pass quiet towns and villages such as Torre de Moncorvo, Vila Flor, Carrazeda de Anciães until we reach Peso da Régua - the centre of port production.

We stop regularly at beautiful vineyards that follow the contours of the terrain, at castles that were part of the defensive line during the Christian Reconquest, and make many small stops to admire the surrounding landscape.

From Porto, we drive further south to the city of Coimbra. The city is situated on the banks of the Mondego, but is best known for its university, which is located on the higher part of the city. The university is the oldest in Portugal and one of the oldest in Europe. Walking along the Pátio das Escolas you will be overwhelmed by the large, 13th century buildings. To escape the burning sun, we also visit the chapel, library and the main hall of the university.

In the lower town of Coimbra, there are many buildings that bear witness to the heyday of Romanesque art in Portugal. A must see is the monastery Mosteiro de Santa Cruz. Here you will find the tomb of the first king of Portugal: Afonso Henriques. Coimbra is still a lively student city where you can go shopping or enjoy a terrace.

From Coimbra, we decide to continue our trip south along the coast. Inland lovers can instead follow the N2 - also known as Portugal's "Route 66.

Nazaré is famous for its monstrous waves. It's not for nothing that it has the highest waves in the world. Normally, waves are slowed down by the decreasing depth of the seabed, but this is not the case at Nazaré. Off the coast is a very large undersea ravine that measures 5 km at its deepest. So the waves are given free rein here until they suddenly encounter shallow water off the coast. Gigantic masses of water are thus pushed upwards. You can see this impressive phenomenon especially between October and March because of the storms at sea. In summer, Nazaré is a rather quiet fishing village.

We need not explain further, the village is a true surfers' paradise. For years Nazaré has been the place for many surfing events. Repeatedly, a Guinness World Record also emerges from it. In the iconic Praia do Norte lighthouse, you can visit the surf museum. For just a few euros, you can view the boards, wetsuits and videos of the daredevils who once surfed these giant waves. So, not for beginners…

Lisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal. There are many tourist attractions that will keep you busy for hours. We liked to be guided by the city itself. Lisbon is a very diverse city and each district has its own character. From a practical point of view, it is recommended to park your camper at the (pricey) city campsite. Although you are not allowed to park along the Tagus with your camper, it is done. The symbol of Portugal's prosperity and power - Torre de Belém - could not be missed. The tower is built in the Manueline style, a late Gothic style only found in Portugal. The tower was built as a defence tower in the period of the discovery journeys. But it also served as a ceremonial gateway for returning ships. Not far from the tower, you will find the Hieronymite monastery where you can visit the tomb of the famous explorer Vasco de Gama. Be sure to try the famous Portuguese pastries pasteis de nata.

The southern part of the Algarve is a popular holiday destination, and that is not surprising. When we drive into Sagres, we are silent for a moment. On the tip of Europe, we listen to the screeching seagulls and the wild waves crashing against the rocks. The town lies on the bay of the same name and close to the most south-westerly point of mainland Europe: Cabo de São Vicente. The lighthouse seems to mark the end of the world. The lighthouse used to be a monastery where the monks warned the ships at sea of danger. Sagres itself is a somewhat mystical fishing village. The name also honours this mysticism: Sagres is derived from 'sagrado' which means holy. In the harbour, the hard-working fishermen are constantly busy. This also means that you don't have to look far to find the specialities of the local cuisine: sea snails and mussels. At the harbour, you can also go on a boat trip to spot dolphins.