Tour of the Iberian pennisula. Need some advice.

[Gee]

Hullo peeps. My mammoth tour is well underway. Fife to Glasgow to Newcastle to Salisbury to Falmouth to Portsmouth to Newhaven then finally over the channel to Dieppe.
Been in France 1 week, slowly meandering down and currently in the Dordoyne. I'm thinking of crossing in to Spain over the Pyrenees at St Jean Pied Port? I'm in no hurry, so want to see the mountains.
I'm looking at doing an anti-clockwise route of the Iberian pennisula so along the northern Spain down the Portugese coast then hoping to stop for a month or so over Christmas in a cheapish campsite somewhere warmish.
I'm a solo traveller and after my Australia wildcamping roadtrip last winter, this will be my first in Spain and Portugal. Not really looking forward to Christmas as I've always spent it with family n friends before in a house.
Anyway is there anything on this route that you peeps can recommend I should see. I like towns/villages and nice scenery so someone mentioned the "Picos"? are worth seeing. Got my tomtom truck from fairytooth so plenty of aires on that.
Anymore tips gratefully recieved.
Are there free aires in Spain and Portugal as in France or is it more wildcamping in quiet, off the main road spots? I dont like anywhere to busy or packed in. Dont mind up to half a dozen neighbours though.
Got my W stickers on so if you see me pop in for a brew or a rouge if you catch me with my wine cellar open.....

 

[Deleted member 19733]

Hi Gee

We shall be leaving next week doing virtually the same direction as you. The Picos are fantastic but make your way to Cangas de Onis, the main car park is huge, free and services for motorhomes. Check in the town the Picos office for weather amd road conditions, if they are not suitable ( the snow line starts at 500 meters) it is worth leaving your van in the car park and taking the local bus up to the peak. Have fun and keep in touch.
Have a look in the blogs section for some oif our Lab reports of Spain and Portugal.

:have fun::camper::cheers::goodluck:

 

[vwalan]

i would say yes do the pecos .then back to the coast . get a mapamax map book off amazon before you go . or buy one in spain . but hug the coast all the way around . there are loads of good places . i do mean turn right down every road that leads to the sea . some you will have to come back on but thats how we very often travel. the north coast of galicia is very often on forestry tracks but some villages are only found by using them .arou nw of galecia is one of them fantastic place . also caion before arou nice carpark with water west side of town . but hug the coast and have fun
also below aveiro in portugal hug the coast . again forestry roads and tracks out to the sea , fantastic .
you will find taps ,fonts etc in most villages and lots in the forests . lovely drinking water .

 

[iampatman]

Hullo peeps. My mammoth tour is well underway. Fife to Glasgow to Newcastle to Salisbury to Falmouth to Portsmouth to Newhaven then finally over the channel to Dieppe.
Been in France 1 week, slowly meandering down and currently in the Dordoyne. I'm thinking of crossing in to Spain over the Pyrenees at St Jean Pied Port? I'm in no hurry, so want to see the mountains.
I'm looking at doing an anti-clockwise route of the Iberian pennisula so along the northern Spain down the Portugese coast then hoping to stop for a month or so over Christmas in a cheapish campsite somewhere warmish.
I'm a solo traveller and after my Australia wildcamping roadtrip last winter, this will be my first in Spain and Portugal. Not really looking forward to Christmas as I've always spent it with family n friends before in a house.
Anyway is there anything on this route that you peeps can recommend I should see. I like towns/villages and nice scenery so someone mentioned the "Picos"? are worth seeing. Got my tomtom truck from fairytooth so plenty of aires on that.
Anymore tips gratefully recieved.
Are there free aires in Spain and Portugal as in France or is it more wildcamping in quiet, off the main road spots? I dont like anywhere to busy or packed in. Dont mind up to half a dozen neighbours though.
Got my W stickers on so if you see me pop in for a brew or a rouge if you catch me with my wine cellar open.....

Hi there Gee,

We're doing exactly the same tour and we're probably just a couple of days in front of you, currently in San Sebastián. We're slowly driving across northern Spain and then taking vwalen's advice and hugging the Portuguese coast all the way down. Then we'll cut across to Seville, Granada and end up finally at Bolnuevo on the Costa Calida (the warm coast). We spent last Christmas there and had our lunch on the restaurant terrace in glorious warm sunshine. The campsite is on the beach,nice size pitches, spotless facilities and €11 a day for stays of 37 days or longer but it does get busy, last year over the Christmas period it was pretty much one out, one in and there were folk waiting in the car park for a space. There's a massive car park just up the road, sometimes the police don't bother, sometimes they move folk on. I suspect it depends on how busy the campsite is. We've scoured all the posts on here and have lots of potential stopping points on the way both in Spain and Portugal and we have the Camperstop book and all the Aires book for Spain and Portugal. We also took vwalen's advice and bought the Mapamax book which is very detailed at 1:400,000 scale. Keep in touch, it'd be good to meet for a brew although the rouge sounds good too.

Pat

 

[Gee]

Many thanks for the tips guys. I'll keep my eyes open for the Mapamax when I hit Spain. Currently in the aire at Lectoure 43.936388, 0.626160 Was heading for Condom but happened upon this lovely wee free aire with water n toilets right in the old part of town.
https://www.aire-service-camping-car-panoramique.fr/gers/32-lectoure
Visite virtuelle - Aire Service Camping Car Panoramique
Heading SW towards St Jean Pied Du Port. Though if I stumble upon a nice spot before then I'll probably stop.
Wouldn't mind finding a shower today or tomorrow. Been paying for showers at campsites, though many are now closed. I may try the sports centres as well.

 

[jacquigem]

We found the aire at capbreton having been recommended it by another poster . Fantastic location with beach just behind dunes . Takes 200 plus vans . It is 8 euros but for us good value with electric and wifi included

David and Jacqui