Hidden Portugal

Avoiding the sandy beaches of a typical Portuguese holiday, Rolf Kummer took his Harley® inland to spend three months meeting locals and discovering the lesser-known sights

Mention Portugal and you may immediately think of the Algarve, Lisbon, Porto or giant ocean waves. However, my partner Uschi and I decided to explore inland Portugal on our 1995 Harley-Davidson^® Electra Glide^® Police, and we didn’t regret it for one minute.

Time is not an issue when you’re retired, so we planned a three-month trip between April and June to make the most of our tour. As it would have been too expensive to stay in hotels for this length of time, we decided to take our campervan (complete with a trailer for the Harley^®), with the intention of staying at some of the many campsites found inland.

After much research, we selected three bases from which to explore Portugal’s heartland on the Harley: Évoramonte in Alto Alentejo, Arganil and Mondim de Basto.

Évoramonte, Alto Alentejo

We spent a full three weeks exploring the beautiful landscape of Alto Alentejo in the south-west of Portugal. The region was mostly very flat, but the roads were generally excellent, quiet and very straight.

As we explored the area, we visited many castles and fortifications that were dotted along the Spanish-Portuguese border like a pearl necklace. We visited Monsaraz, Terena and Alandroal to name just three – we explored ten.

We also rode to some delightful locations including the city of Évora. This city was once a hub for Roman trade; today it is a UNESCO World Heritage site, complete with a medieval wall and plenty of Roman monuments. We also visited Évoramonte, where we explored its beautiful castle.

There are few Harleys to be found in rural Portugal, so we often found ourselves surrounded by inquisitive onlookers – old and young, men and women alike. Children were so excited by our bike; they could hardly believe it when we let them sit in the saddle and have their photos taken. It meant a lot to us that such a small gesture could bring them so much joy. It is the little things like this that make a tour so enjoyable.

As we met more people, we noticed that many spoke good English or German. Soon, our main aim was to talk to locals and find out more about the area’s culture. In Monsaraz, we had an interesting conversation with a Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR) policeman who told us that he earned only €1,000 a month, €600 of which went on his mortgage. It was only because his wife also worked that the family were able to scrape together a half-decent living.

Arganil

Eventually it was time for a new base, so we rode through the Serra da Estrela region to Arganil. While culture had been our main focus in Alentejo, it was the delightful roads that made Arganil such a special experience. The countryside was spectacular, full of mountains and endless winding roads. It was a biker’s dream.

We steered clear of the bigger cities so we could make the most of the landscape and avoid any heavy traffic. This meant we rode through many small villages, all of which were well worth a visit. Friendly locals would greet us, often suggesting places to check out in the area. However, some of these villages’ bumpy, cobbled streets were not quite so pleasant!

From Arganil, we took numerous tours through the Serra da Estrela and Serra de Alvelos. We particularly enjoyed the Sky Road from Góis to Foz Giraldo and our trip to Portugal’s highest mountain, the Torre (1,993m) in the Serra da Estrela.

Naturally, we also took the time to visit the Roman ruins of Conímbriga – one of Portugal’s largest Roman excavations. We marvelled at the delightful mosaics and water features that have been preserved for hundreds of years. This place really was well worth a visit.

Mondim de Basto

After another four weeks or thereabouts, it was time to change base again. This time, we opted for Mondim de Basto, situated in the Serra do Alvão region. From here, we visited Rio Douro (a famous port-producing region), Serra do Barroso and the Parque Natural do Alvão. The towns of Amarante, Guimarães and Lamego were also really pretty. We then took a short trip to Porto, where we met Uschi’s friend Helga and visited the local Harley dealer.

Finding the dealer in Porto proved something of a challenge, as I always make a point of travelling without a sat nav. As we rode through the city, I often changed my planned route mid-ride because I reached a road of poor condition or discovered what looked to be a more interesting journey on the map. This method of riding led to the discovery of many a hidden gem that we would have otherwise ridden straight past. We arrived at the local Harley dealer to find a small but perfectly formed shop. We had a chat with the sales manager, Alexandra Sousaand, and concluded our visit with an obligatory photo.

As our time in Portugal was beginning to come to an end, we chose to conclude our visit by exploring the country’s only national park. Our journey through the Nacional Parque da Peneda-Gerês was breathtaking, with very little traffic, thrilling curves and stunning vistas. We visited the picturesque village of Pitões das Júnias and the Barragem de Paradela reservoir, before taking a long, narrow, winding road towards the Spanish border.

As we rode, the odd goat, sheep or cow crossed our path. However, it wasn’t until we came face to face with the region’s famous Barrosã longhorn cows that the wildlife made us feel somewhat ill at ease. We found a group lying in the middle of the road ahead, refusing to budge as we inched closer. Despite their giant, intimidating horns, it turned out that they were perfectly placid. It was only when we got so close that their tails swished our faces that they even summoned the effort to stand up. Apparently they’re not so calm when they have calves, though!

The roads in this region of Portugal were spectacular to ride, and we particularly enjoyed the journey from Braga to Chaves along the N103. This was a wide road winding up the mountains above the Cávado River. From it, we had a delightful view of the many blue reservoirs and the Serra do Gerês mountains were indescribable. It was absolutely a must-ride road if you visit the area – you simply must experience it for yourself. As this area also borders Spain, there were a number of castles to discover too, such as Lindoso, Montalegre and Chaves.

The route through the Serra do Marvão from Amarante to Peso da Régua was also worthwhile, as was the road leading from Mondim de Basto to the Monte Farinha mountain (Pass Alto de Senhora da Graça). When we arrived at the mountain’s summit, the view was spectacular. Nowhere else was it possible to see the northern Portuguese countryside quite like we could from there.

Adeus, Portugal!

Our decision to tour the lesser-known areas of Portugal was certainly the right one. We were bowled over by the friendliness of the locals and the affordability of food and drink.

Hand on heart, I can say that the regions that we visited were veritable paradises for bikers; rarely in southern Europe do you find such great deserted, winding roads. The Harley was simply perfect for exploring the area and it became a great talking point as it was so easy to strike up conversations with the locals. Plus, we never struggled to find a parking space for it!

 

Words and photos: Rolf Kummer, Rulaman Chapter , Germany

To read more about Rolf and Uschi’s adventures, visit harley-rolf.de or facebook.com/uschi.rolf.motorrad.reisen