Guide
Driving an Iberian Motorhome Loop: A 6-Week Itinerary
Written by the operator at Alentejo Park
·Updated November 2024
Six weeks is enough time to drive a complete Iberian loop without rushing. The route below starts and ends at the French border, loops through northern Spain to Portugal, runs the length of the Portuguese coast, crosses into southern Spain, and returns via the Mediterranean. Total distance: approximately 4,500km.
Week 1: France to northern Spain
Cross the Pyrenees at Irún or Pamplona. San Sebastián is worth two nights if you have any interest in food. Bilbao has the Guggenheim. The Camino de Santiago starts at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port — even a non-pilgrim day walk into Spain is worth the detour. Drive the Galician coast slowly.
Week 2–3: Portugal north to south
Enter Portugal via Viana do Castelo. Drive the Lima valley south to Porto. Give Porto three nights. Continue through the Douro wine valley. Coimbra, Óbidos, and Sintra are the tourist stops on the way south; Évora in the Alentejo is the underrated one. Drop into the Algarve at the end of week three.
Week 4: The Algarve
Start in the east at Castro Marim — Alentejo Park is here if you want a night on a working farm. Drive west to Sagres. Take two nights at Cape São Vicente. Return east on the A22.
Week 5–6: Southern Spain
Cross at Vila Real de Santo António into Ayamonte. Seville takes two nights minimum. Cádiz is underrated. The Costa del Sol is crowded in summer but manageable from the east. Granada for the Alhambra. Return via the coast road to France.
Looking for a place to stop in the eastern Algarve?
Alentejo Park is 5 minutes from the A22 junction at Castro Marim. Twelve pitches, full hookup, free dump station for guests. →