The Spain & Portugal – Serra da Estrela & Picos Tour takes us on 10 days of mind blowing scenery and roads so good that you’ll be wondering how soon you can come back.
This tour focuses on the epitome of in-country riding in the north of Spain and the Picos Mountains across the Asturias and Galicia autonomous regions where we’ll ride through the numerous national parks of pristine fresh mountain streams, beautiful scented pines, and wild flowers.
As we push into Portugal we ride some of the finest ribbons of slow winding tarmac that you’ll experience, and we take in some of the numerous old border forts that have seen Romans, Muslim, Portuguese, and Spanish settlers back through the previous 2,000 years of the areas history.
We ride the amazing roads up to Portugal’s highest point, where our guide will lead the group on an amazing roller coaster of mind-blowing roads.
Portugal is a meat lover and wine-tasters paradise, and so rest assured that each night there are some amazing hotels and numerous great steak houses in our schedule.
The accommodation is a mixture of rural and small town stopovers, leaving the group and with many options to walk out and eat as a couple or with your new found friends, or to relax and eat and drink in the hotel as needed.
Please note that the tour starts and finishes with a 30 hour each-way ferry crossing from Portsmouth down to Santander or Bilbao, which includes sleeping cabins, but please be assured that the ferries are extremely modern and comfortable and provide great food, drinks, and time to spend time with your guide and tour group as you start to soak up the feeling of this amazing tour.
This tour is an outstanding European bucket-list tour and one that you will truly never forget.
Motorcycle and equipment rental (if needed) is available through our rental partner, RoadTrip Motorcycle Rental, based just outside of London, U.K.
Come and join Polaris for this experience of a lifetime, and leave with lifelong amazing memories and newfound friends.
Please see the day-by-day tour schedule below for the full details of this tour.
If you have any questions or wish to discuss this tour further, please contact Polaris today.
*Please note that the following map graphic only displays a rough guideline of the route for display purposes.
Day 1 sees the group meet at the rendezvous point at Portsmouth, U.K. Ferry Port, before boarding the ferry to either Santander or Bilbao (TBD).
This cross takes approximately 30 hours and the time is quickly passed on the modern and comfortable boat, with all participants having access to a cabin as reflected by their original booking (shared occupancy, single occupancy, or double occupancy).
This time allows the group to spend time with the Polaris guide and to socialise with each other.
We arrive into Santander or Bilbao on the morning of day 3 and fully refreshed and eager for the first days riding.
Day 3 takes the first tour day from arrival into Santander through the magnificent Picos de Europa mountains and to the beautiful and historical medieval town of Oviedo which is located between the Cantabrian mountains and the Bay of Biscay.
During this first evening, the tour group will get together within this magnificent town to enjoy a complimentary welcome dinner together.
Day 4 takes us from Oviedo through an outstanding route within five connecting national parks, before we arrive into Corias and the site of the amazing 1,000 year old Benedictine monastery - San Juan Bautista de Corias.
Day 5 takes the tour group from Corias to the Galicia regions capital city of Santiago de Compostela, with a magnificent history and cathedral where the biblical apostle - Saint James is purportedly consecrated within the cathedral in 1211 AD.
Day 6 sees the tour move south down through Spain and across the Portuguese border before arriving into the ancient Roman city of Chaves, where unbelievable architecture meets ancient history on every corner.
Day 7 departs from Chaves and toward Manteigas, but not before pushing through the amazing scenic route of two national parks.
Manteigas is a quaint and local but very beautiful typically Portuguese town where exploring is recommended.
Day 8 commences from Manteigas before immediately pushing into the northern sector of the Serra da Estrella mountains, where we'll take some of the best roads in the world through this mountain range to the highest point in Portugal.
This day's riding is one of the highlights of the tour and we are sure - a highlight of your riding life.
A longer but extremely enjoyable and rewarding day brings us back into the major historical and regional capital city of Salamanca in Spain for the evening.
Day 9 is a rest day from any riding and allows the tour group a well earned and needed break from the bikes.
Salamanca is a perfect city to spend the day exploring and to enjoy the amazing food and drink and to take the time to absorb the city's history and culture.
Day 10 leaves Salamanca behind us as we ride again through two national parks and within some amazing twisty and scenic roads.
The afternoon brings us into the historic Spanish city of Leon, with its 10th century Basilica and 13th century Cathedral.
Day 11 takes our journey further north from Leon and back through the perfect centre of 3 national parks and the Picos de Europa mountains, one of our favourite days of many, and an outstanding way to start to wind back to the near-end of our tour.
The day finishes in Potes, a very beautiful Spanish town where you can walk down the Roman river and watch the Picos de Europa in the background of the best scenery.
Day 12 takes us from Potes back to Santander or Bilbao (TBD) where we board the overnight ferry crossing back to Portsmouth U.K.
This cross takes approximately 30 hours and the time is quickly passed on the modern and comfortable boat, with all participants having access to a cabin as reflected by their original booking (shared occupancy, single occupancy, or double occupancy).
This time allows the group to rest and to swap tales of the amazing tour that they've just experienced, as we gradually make our way into Portsmouth.
Day 13 sees the tour group arrive into Portsmouth, U.K., and for everyone to engage in the farewell shaking of hands and hugs as we all depart back to our respective destinations.
