ACT Portugal

We loved ACT Italy trip so much, that we wanted to tackle anther route. Of course, the main motivation for Joris was to add another sticker to his collection 😉 This time we chose ACT Portugal. The description was very tempting and promising a great experience: roaring through Portugal’s diverse landscapes on a thrilling five-day, 1250km motorbike adventure, from the rugged mountains of Bragança to the sun-kissed shores of Tavira.

We set off from Belgium, with our Kamyk, and bikes on a trailer. We were a bit worried, as the good old T4 had a problem with suspension that we could not fix before the departure. Actually, when we hit a huge pothole in Paris, we thought the trip was over, but Kamyk proved again to be the best car ever.

Day 1: A Challenging Start

We kicked off our ACT Portugal adventure in Bragança, a quaint town nestled in the northern reaches of the country. We stayed overnight in a comfy hotel Exe São Lázaro, where we left the car and the trailer.

Day one was a baptism of fire, with a mix of challenging off-road sections, steep climbs, and tight corners. Despite the initial hurdles, the rewards were immense. Of course we had a navigation challenge, too, as OsmAnd was not really cooperating with Joris’s phone. This felt very familiar with what we experienced the previous year in Italy. As the day drew to a close, we arrived at Torre de Moncorvo, offering breathtaking views of the Douro Valley. We stayed there in Quintas do Valbom e Cuco, that we called “bed and breakfast without breakfast 😉 For dinner we went to the town, where we experienced something very unusual. All restaurants seemed to be closed, but one liked like was going to open soon – we checked and indeed, they would open in half an hour. When we arrived 30 mins later, a table with reserved table was waiting for us and by the time we sat comfortably, the food started to arrive. No menu, no questions asked (apart from what wine we want to drink). The food kept coming and was delicious. At some point we got a question – how we want our meat done. Meat? We were already full and apparently we were just past the starters. The meat was delicious, but way too much, so Agata did not finish her portion. The chef came out of the kitchen and pierced Agata with her look and packed the meat “for later”. The feast costed peanuts, compared to prices in “Western Europe” and was a one-in-a-lifetime experience. It also turned out that we were not the only bikers in our “B&B without B” – a group of French guys stayed there, too, so we spent an evening talking about what bikers talk about.

Day 2: Douro Valley Delights

Day two of ACT Portugal was a delightful blend of off-road and tarmac riding. We started our journey amidst the picturesque Douro Valley, famous for its world-class wines (personally tested and confirmed to be great!). The day was filled with exhilarating twists and turns. The route led very close to the Spanish border. We visited the historic town of Castelo Rodrigo with its ancient castle. We could not resist having a tiny beer on a cute terrace, soaking up the warm sun. The day concluded with at the Serra da Estrela mountains, with very unique rock formations. the camping we wanted to stay at was closed, so we descended to the nearest town, Manteigas. On the map it looked like it was just a stone throw away, but the road was so twisty, that it took us almost an hour to get there. We were glad we charged our batteries with the sun at lunchtime, as the temperature here in the mountains dropped dramatically. We found a stay in a cosy Hotel La Vila for a well deserved rest.

Day 3: Mountain Magic

Continuing our exploration of the Serra da Estrela and Serra da Gardunha mountains, day three was a pure joy for any off-road enthusiast. We tackled a variety of challenging terrain, from technical sections to fast-paced gravel roads. The day culminated with a visit to Alamal, where we enjoyed a relaxing evening by the Tejo River and admired the ancient Belver Castle. Here, at the Alamal River Club, we met other bikers – “Team Ruedi” from Switzerland (Husky 701 and KTM 690) and Peter form the UK (Gas Gas 690). We enjoyed a dinner with some beers, and again talked motorbikes and travels for long hours.

Day 4: From Mountains to Plains

Day four marked a significant transition as we left the mountainous north and entered the southern plains. The landscape transformed dramatically, as we ventured into the renowned Alentejo wine region, enjoying its unique off-road trails and stunning scenery. This day had also the toughest river crossing on the way. It was very deep, but we crossed without problems (except for Agata’s KTM firing a warning about ECU failure, that later on was diagnosed as a burned fuse responsible for ventilators). The day concluded with a ride around the Barragem do Alqueva lake, Europe’s largest artificial lake. At some point the track let up the bicycle downhill track – there was no time to think what were we doing there, nor to stop. Only when we arrived on the top we could take a breath and recognise the vastness of the lake. We crossed our paths multiple times with “Team Ruedi” today, so we also all stayed in Hotel de Moura.

Day 5: ACT Portugal Grand Finale

Our final day was a fitting end to this incredible ACT Portugal adventure. We tackled challenging off-road tracks, explored the otherworldly landscapes of Minas de São Domingos, and drove through the historic town of Mertola. As the day drew to a close, we passed the Algarve mountains, a final test of our skills and endurance. But to be honest, at some point we said it was enough beating for our bikes and we cut the track short. We were really longing for a beer after such a long and demanding day. The adventure culminated at the small village of Cacela Velha, where we enjoyed panoramic views of the ocean. And guess what – “Team Ruedi” was waiting for us at a terrace with cold beer. It was the perfect ending to an unforgettable ACT Portugal. We stayed for next two nights in Casa de Cacela, resting, before going up north.

Bonus: Porto

We wanted to visit Lisbon or Porto on our way back. We chose for the latter, as we have both been to Lisbon previously. We found a hotel in the centre that offered a garage for our bikes and went to explore the city, in our most preferred way – just strolling around and enjoying whatever comes our way.