Hey guys my girlfriend Kaitlin and I are doing our first cycling tour starting in Portugal on September 1st! We're both very excited but also extremely new to bicycle touring. We're planning on starting in Lisboa and heading East along the Mediterranean and kind of seeing how far we get. We are planning on bringing a tent to maybe do some stealth camping along the way and keep the trip as cheap as possible. Do you think that its possible to find un-populated areas to camp for a night??
Also, we're bringing our rock climbing gear and hope to do lots of climbing along the way! If anyone has any tips or suggestions that would be great as we are both kind of nervous hah. Let me know!
Thanks, Pete
Here are a couple things that I wrote down after my ride last year.
http://jacksvelosafari.shutterfly.com/afterthefact
Have a great ride.
Awesome thanks. Sounds like it was a solid trip
That use to be an slogan for turist long ago. But this time is real. Free camping is not legal in spain, but if you stay just one night there's not problem usualy.
If you aks a police in spain I think he will send you to the next campsite, where you should pay.
So, if you stay by the sea will be difficult because those are the main tourist areas and campsites and hotels are the main business.
Wild live is not an isue in spain, excep mosquitos, that won't kill you but something you want to die.
What I do is fill my water bottle, take a small road and avoid parking next to a river, because of the mosquitoes, pinch the tent at night and get up at dawn.
the best times to ride in Spain during the summer are from sunrise until 11 PM. and a cople hours at the end of the day.
Do not light campfires. Forest fires are a major problem in Spain and people are paranoid about it. If you light a campfire don't be surprised in you get in trouble.
i go cilcing sometimes to the climbing areas, is hard us you may know.
Any thing you want to ask, don't hesitate.
I found your post useful because I will be cycling in Spain this fall. I try to camp as much as possible. I will be riding the Camino de Santiago then south from Santiago to Gibraltar. Any other useful information about cycling north to south in western Spain?
Thanks
Obinja
hello.
first at all, tell you that I never did the Camino de Santiago.
what people use to do is stay at the "albergues" cause they're realy cheap (sometimes you pay what you want).
the weather is very different at the atlantic shore to the mediteranean:
it's more rainy, more fresh. Fall is the second rainy season after spring.
Every topic about spain don't apply to the north area, not flamenco dancing, not superhot weather, but white wine, green landscape and cows grazing.
Don't know much about Leon, palencia, caceres... sorry
Don't worry. Have fun. Ride safely. Trust your instincts.
Be nice, don't rush and try to enjoy! Due the weather, probably the speed difference between the two of you and other aspects it can be a hard trip (emotional and psychical).
I had no problems with 'wildcamping' so far. Don't litter or make a mess, try to search for shadows and wake up early :).
Good luck!
Hey there, we have been cycling through Spain/Portugal for the last 2 months and we wild camp a fair bit. We do try to hide from view and not make noise, pitch late and leave early (ha, early in Spain is still 9am so don't worry too much).
It is hot here though, and the wind down southern Portugal can be pretty harsh, but you'll cope.
We sometimes take siesta during 1-3pm, it's usually when we have lunch anyway, but on the coast it's not too hot once your cycling, the wind resistance cools you down enough.
Get lots of sunscreen too, LIDL is selling it for less than 5 euros at the moment.
Enjoy!
I'm expecting no problems wild camping in France and Spain, I'm travelling midwinter and expect to have much of the planet to myself, using dusk and dawn to make and break camp. I'm partly on the Camino route and will probably get my credencial, and use the odd auberge. And I'm looking here as well for the odd night or two to defrost and dry my gear. My first big trip- I leave Friday and have a month. St Malo to Santander via Cape Finisterre, blogging from http://bigideasfromlittlehuan.wordpress.com/ Happy times.