October 7, 2016

We make our way to Vila Real de Santo António where we need to catch a ferry across the river Guadiana crossing from Portugal into Spain.

It is a shame that we have ended the coastal route around Portugal on a bit of a negative note, with the last two stages being so frantic.  We have done the published route in reverse and I can see why it is set up the way it is, getting the unpleasant parts over with at the beginning, with the scenery getting ever more impressive the further north you travel, giving a positive final impression.  Having said that, to go from south to north would be a fight against a headwind all the way.  As to the route itself, if you have cycled Eurovelo routes before in France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Holland or Denmark, you will not recognise this as being anything like the same.  There is virtually no waymarking and the website is slightly midleading in showing pictures of cycle paths on every stage description, when, in fact, a great deal of the route is on roads not segregated from the traffic and some in poor condition.  Towards the north there are longer runs of cycle paths and less traffic on the roads.  Accommodation has been both easy to find and of high quality, many owners speak English and even if they don’t they have been invariably friendly and helpful.  Similarly, there is no problem finding good quality meals at most times of the day (not like France).   The weather at this time of the year has been perfect, not one single drop of rain during the whole trip so far, just warm sunshine all the way.

Once off the ferry in Spain and away from the busy port town, the countryside opens out with few signs of habitation, just fields of fruit trees, oranges, peaches and mangoes, to the horizon. Later in the day we move into rolling hills of cereal fields.  All the junctions have road signs and the roads have numbers.  It gives a welcome feeling of freedom after the congested mayhem of the past couple of days.  The temperature climbs steadily as we move further inland.

We are on a main road but the traffic is light, respectful of the bikes and we have a smooth hard-shoulder to ourselves.  We can go into daydreaming mode as we cycle along, it all feels very relaxed and more like the cycle touring we are used to.  Change is nice, but so is familiar.