Best route to the bottom of Spain please

gypo

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We are sailing to Bilbao qt the end of the week and intending to travel to the bottom of Spain then possibly back up through Portugal.
We have only ever gone as far down as Valencia before now so if anyone can suggest a nice route please that would be good.
Thanks
D
 
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I’ve used this before, see lots of rural Spain
 
gypo said:
Thanks, is this a route that you have taken?
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Yes, I’ve basically driven all the three routes shown, if you’re looking to make good time and avoid busy roads the Salamanca route is best. Personally I’d avoid Madrid, but it is shorter. For a slow enjoyable journey then my suggestion is exactly that, if you want to just get to the south quickly it’s not the one for you, but if your not in a hurry and want to see more it’s good. I used to use Moonrakers route a lot, but I was in a truck headed for Morocco in those days and that’s all about keeping the thing moving as quickly as possible.
 
I feel that any route you take will be a good experience depending upon your preference for historic and scenery. Today we drove from Toledo to Segovia, both impressive UNESCO heritage sites, but opted for the slower CL-601 climbing to 1800m over the mountain for the scenery and fun drive. It's good to mix it up. 🙂
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Boris7 said:
Yes, I’ve basically driven all the three routes shown, if you’re looking to make good time and avoid busy roads the Salamanca route is best. Personally I’d avoid Madrid, but it is shorter. For a slow enjoyable journey then my suggestion is exactly that, if you want to just get to the south quickly it’s not the one for you, but if your not in a hurry and want to see more it’s good. I used to use Moonrakers route a lot, but I was in a truck headed for Morocco in those days and that’s all about keeping the thing moving as quickly as possible.
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Thank you, no we aren’t in a rush so hoping to have a nice relaxing drive
 
Salamanca route for me as we like stopping in Seville which has a motorhome aire in close proximity (30min walk, 10min cycle) to the cosmopolitan city centre. Ideal for areas west of Gibraltar. We prefer Seville to Valencia as a major city stopover for a few nights. Valencia is more "Spanish" compared to cosmopolitan Seville (in our opinion rightly or wrongly). Never stopped at Madrid so cannot comment as to its appeal. Granada is a bit awkward as a motorhome stopover and for us Seville has far more going for it unless skiing is your thing (Sierra Nevada)

If heading to Malaga though then it has to be the Madrid and Granada route.

If heading for Benidorm and the south eastern med down to Mojacar then the Zaragoza and Valencia route.

Fact is once you are on the Spanish plateau the landscape is a bit barren whichever way you go. My view is the Salamanca route has the more historically interesting towns (Valadolid, Salamanca, Caceres). Towns on the other routes can be a bit more working and industrial if you get my drift.
 
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My first trip to Fuengirola was Burgos, Madrid, Jaen (overnight 460 miles); Granada, Malaga, Fuengirola (143 miles) That was in the car and that first day was a bit of a killer, with snow ploughs standing by at alternate motorway exits. It is the Route of the Mediterranean!

I returned by Cordoba, Merida, Cacares, Trujillo (overnight - 250 miles with site-seeing breaks); Montfrague (definitely worth seeing), Placencia, Salamanca, Oviedo (interesting tunnels through the mountains), Suances (overnight 400 miles); Santander.

In the van we went Haro, Logrono, Soria (TomTom directed me off the smooth dual carriagewy N111 onto a track through the forest: common sense prevailed), Medinacelli (overnight - 200 miles.) As mentioned Medinacelli has the triple arch which is Spain's emblem for historic sites: it was cold and very windy, being high up. N204, N320 to Cuenca (very interesting city with an aire on a hill at the top of the old town: the traffic lights half-way up do control the main road but I thought they only applied to a minor route joining. Fortunately all we met in the narrow section was a scooterist!), Castillo de Garcimunoz (overnight - 180 miles. Very quiet village with aire adjacent to the castle, overlooking the plains: BASIC facilities!) E903 Chinchilla de MonteAragon (overnight - 70 miles; Very good aire nestling below hilltop village); Murcia (overnight - 100 miles including detour AND driving round the centre of the city several times because I entered incorrect coordinates for the huge aire at IKEA).

We bimbled along the coast to Velez-Malaga (overnight in marina - slightly complex entrance barrier).

Venta de Zafarraya (interesting climb with unexpected "top"), Priego de Cordoba (overnight - 80 miles). Cordoba, Herrera del Duque, Oropesa (overnight - 250 miles: aire beside road with weighbridge opposite and services sunk into edge of pavement); N502 to my favourite view above Cuevas del Valle, Avila (interesting walled city), N403, SG351 to the wonderful Castle de Coca and the surrounding forest, Cuellar, Penafiel (overnight - 170 miles. Campsite: narrowest castle in Spain overlooking wonderful ancient town square which doubles as a bull ring and auditorium - info in TIC); Torquemada (overnight - 40 miles: aire adjacent to church, close to ancient bridge); Fromista (Canal de Castilla, Camino de Santiago), Aguila de Campoo, Reinosa, Cabarceno (overnight - 130 miles: aire at zoo); [along the coast then upto Espinosa de los Monteros; peaceful aire by stream & river]; Bilbao (50 miles).

This may give you some ideas for quick, medium or slow trips. As ever, your choice. Enjoy!
 
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