RV Roadtrip – Spain to Portugal

Route from Spain to Portugal.

Route from Spain to Portugal.

With our quest to get to Portugal nearly within reach we pointed the Hymer towards Isla Cristina, our last stop in Spain before crossing the border. After rushing across Spain we decided it would be worthwhile to spend 2 nights at this campsite right on the ocean. (Well the ocean was just across the road technically.)

More of the bulls of Spain along our route.

More of the bulls of Spain along our route.

The camping at Isla Cristina was quite crowded with people from colder climates settling in for the winter season. The pitches and roads were quite sandy and we were a little concerned about getting stuck but after some recon on the few available spots we settled in without any problems.

The beach and surf at Isla Cristina.

The beach and surf at Isla Cristina.

Next on the agenda, check out the beach.  After all, that’s what we came here for! I have a running commentary with my friend Tory about finding ‘the place’. Wherever we travel, in the back of my mind I’m looking for a spot that has it all; cheap beer, good wine, surf, climbing, mellow vibe, easy provisioning, good weather. The place would have all of the above or at least a good portion with the remainder in close proximity. Vietnam during good weather certainly fits that criteria. Lots of sleepy villages in Europe I’m sure fit it as well. Now Isla Cristina ranks pretty high on the list as well.

Boardwalk stop, stunning views.

Boardwalk stop, stunning views.

We missed a golden opportunity to SUP here. I’m sure at the time I had a very good excuse to not break out the boards.  On our first walk down the beach there was a whole crew out enjoying the waves. We might have thought the water was too cold? Not sure. Guess I’m getting soft in my old age!

Nevermind the giant glow in the sky, the boardwalk was wonderful.

Nevermind the giant glow in the sky, the boardwalk was wonderful.

The actual town of Isla Cristina was about a kilometer from the camping. We were a little surprised to find it a rather run down affair. One would think the tourist potential and dollars would have spruced the place up a bit. Regardless, there were several large markets with everything you could need at very affordable Spanish prices. We bought really good Spanish Tempranillo for around 2 Euro a bottle for example.

Entering Portugal at long last.

Entering Portugal at long last.

After the respite at Isla Cristina we were ready to cross into Portugal. We were about to discover one of the really cool features on the Portuguese toll roads. After crossing the border you stop, roll up to the machine, slide your credit card and the machine takes a picture of your license plate.  From then on the cameras record your tolls and you never stop to pay an agent or machine. So much more efficient than the French and Spanish systems!

The wide open road in Portugal.

The wide open road in Portugal.

If you’ve been following our RV trip so far, you will have noted our distinct lack of camping chairs. (Or maybe you didn’t notice?  We did as we had to stay in the camping car rather than sitting outside enjoying the wonderful weather.) We kept chasing the ever vanishing camp chairs at various Decathlon stores as we moved south, always a day late it seemed.  We did find some very sturdy fishing chairs but they were stupidly expensive and not really what we wanted.

The Faro detour.

The Faro detour.

With very little optimism, we located a Decathlon store in Faro, Portugal. It was off our path but really our only hope before we ended up in Lagos at our mega resort destination. I was not psyched on this little detour. But good chauffeur that I am, we left the wonderful motorway for the narrow and rather industrial streets of Faro. 

Anyone in the market for a ruin? Good wine country!

Anyone in the market for a ruin? Good wine country!

After searching countless Decathlon stores as we began this adventure, hopes were not exactly high but we were now determined to buy something, even if it was an overpriced fishing chair. Here we had an extremely good turn of fortune as there were not only camping chairs, there were actually 3 different options to choose from!

The team is tired of looking for chairs. Still, the show must go on.

The team is tired of looking for chairs. Still, the show must go on.

 

In a move that still agitates the OCD in me, Shani chose a chair that in no way shape or form matches my chair. Voting for ergonomics over style, we now have two mismatched camping chairs like some sort of hillbillies that piece together their porch chairs from whatever tossed aside items they might come across. Embarrassing.

A fully integrated rig parked opposite us in Portugal. Nice matching chairs!

A fully integrated rig parked opposite us in Portugal. Nice matching chairs!

Having finally nabbed our white whale, mismatched as they may be, we were ready to land at Turiscampo, a mega resort just outside of Lagos. This place was pretty epic with large pitches and great amenities it is definitely a place you could settle into for the winter season. 

Yep, the beach here is pretty epic!

Yep, the beach here is pretty epic!

A short walk to the south gets you into the small, picturesque village of Luz, right on the ocean. The views here are pretty stunning and we found a cafe with epic views and had some fries and drinks. Luz has a small Spar grocery store that had an inordinate amount of British goods, one can assume catering to the seasonal crowd. (The place we had drinks was also a British pub)

Drinks and a million dollar view, who could ask for anything more?

Drinks and a million dollar view, who could ask for anything more?

Having finally made it to Portugal, it was really a shame to not spend more time exploring and heading across the coast. That wasn’t in the cards this go around but we’ll be back for more exploring another time. The little bit of coast we did see was pretty amazing, the people were friendly and the prices for everything were really affordable. It’s quite possible ‘the place’ is somewhere in Portugal, time will tell!

Incredible, we'll be back!

Incredible, we’ll be back!

And just like that it was time to turn around and head back into Spain, hit up Gibraltar, the French Riviera, Venice and then down into Croatia for a few months to relax and unwind and reset our Schengen visa time. Stay tuned as the motor home road trip motors north again seeing the sites and living the dream!

Sebastian patrolling the scene.

Sebastian patrolling the scene.

 

Thought we’d leave you with a few more photos of this stunning town in Portugal:

Luz, Portugal

Sebastian is definitely tired of the photo shoot!

 

 

 

 

5 comments on “RV Roadtrip – Spain to Portugal”

  1. Dad says:

    Awesome! What a great adventure. Love you guys.

  2. Scott says:

    Wow…that Portugal town looks fantastic!

    I’m looking forward to the next post where you guys finally break out the SUPs!

    1. Shani says:

      Portugal was amazing. Wish we could’ve spent more time there. Once it warms up a bit we will definitely break the SUPs out. We were moving too fast through Spain and Portugal to use them….but definitely regretting that now.

  3. Raylee says:

    I have heard that Portugal is really nice and a good place to retire……not for you guys yet!!
    After all the hype about the chairs, where are the pics?
    Good decision Shani. Ergonomics are more important than looks :0)

    1. Shani says:

      Haha, we would need to spend more time there before we decide that! Hope to head back there at some point for more exploring. Haha, we will find a picture to post soon. Todd didn’t mention how nicely his chair matches with the camping table and stools too…but not mine!

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