Take the Slow Road: Spain and Portugal

The ultimate guide to the very best scenic and fun routes for camper vans and motorhomes around the mountains, coastlines and winding roads of beautiful Spain and Portugal. Forget hurrying. Forget putting your foot down and racing through sweeping bends. Forget the understeer (whatever that is). Forget the blur of a life lived too fast. This is a look at taking life slowly. It's about taking the time to enjoy journeys and places for their own sake. It's about stopping and putting the kettle on. Stopping to take a picture. Stopping to enjoy stopping. How are you going to do it? In a camper van or a motorhome, of course. In this book we define the best driving routes around Spain and Portugal for camper vans and motorhomes. We show you the coolest places to stay, what to see, what to do and explain why it's special. We meander around Spain and Portugal on the most breathtaking roads, chugging up mountain passes and pootling along the coast. We show you stuff that's fun, often free. We include the best drives for different kinds of drivers; for walkers, culture-buffs, sea-swimmers and sun-worshippers. We include the steepest, the bendiest, the most picturesque and most interesting. And you don't even have to own a camper van or motorhome - we'll tell you the many places you can rent one to take you on the journey. All of this is interspersed with beautiful photos, handy maps and quirky travel writing from the king of camper vans and motorhomes, Martin Dorey. So if all you want to do is flick through on a cold day and plan your next outing, you'll be transported (albeit slowly) to cobbled streets, beaches, mountains and winding roads that make you want to turn the key and go, go, go!

Martin Dorey is a writer, surfer and serial camper van owner. In 2011 he presented the BBC2 television programme 'One Man and his Camper Van'. He is the author of Take the Slow Road: England and Wales (2019), Take the Slow Road: Ireland (2020), Take the Slow Road: France (2021), The Camper Van Bible Second Edition (2023), Take the Slow Road: Spain and Portugal (2023), The Green Camping Book (2024) and Take the Slow Road: Scotland Second Edition (2024), amongst several others. @martindorey; www.martindorey.com

Introduction How to use this book Why Spain and Portugal for a slow road adventure? Your essential camping kit list Where to stay in Spain and Portugal How to get to Spain and Portugal Driving in Spain and Portugal Spain and Portugal for newbies Spain and Portugal highlights My top ten Spanish and Portuguese campsites SPAIN NORTHERN SPAIN 01 Santander to Cangas De Onís 02 Hondarribia to Pamplona 03 Vitoria-Gasteiz to Cintruénigo 04 San Sebastián to Sopelana 05 Cudillero to Navia 06 Vigo to Fisterra 07 A Coruña to Ribadeo CENTRAL SPAIN 08 Salamanca to Plasencia 09 Mérida to Italica 10 Pedraza To Madrid 11 Mota Del Cuervo to Tiruel EASTERN SPAIN 12 Pamplona to Ripoll 13 Portbou to Lloret De Mar 14 Barcelona 15 Ebro Delta to Zaragoza 16 Jávea to Cartagena SOUTHERN SPAIN 17 Águilas to Granada 18 Málaga to Arcos De La Frontera 19 Tarifa to Huelva (Via The Sherry Triangle) PORTUGAL 20 Vila Real to Faro 21 Sagres to Albufeira 22 Praia Da Arrifana to Tróia 23 Évora to Abrantes 24 Chaves to Viseu 25 Guarda to Porto 26 Espinho to Lisbon