Since I was coming from Spain, I chose to cross into Portugal here — and it turned out to be the right decision. The road passes through the Peneda-Gerês National Park area.

An incredibly beautiful road — if you’re lucky with the weather: smooth curves, open space, fresh air, and a feeling of complete freedom. Completely deserted — perhaps that’s why you start to feel like part of the landscape, almost the only human presence in this vast space.

No border officials — except for the eagles, calmly crossing back and forth. Mountains, open horizons… a silence you don’t want to break.

In Tourém, I stopped only for a cup of coffee, but marked this point for myself as the beginning of the northern Portuguese route through Peneda-Gerês National Park. From there, the road gradually unfolds: the secluded Mosteiro de Santa Maria das Júnias, hidden among greenery and water; small villages like Ponteira and Moscoso, where life flows slowly and almost imperceptibly for the outside world.

From here, the route can continue in different directions. One option is to head west toward Castro Laboreiro, gradually descending through Guimarães and Braga. This is a more “cultural” route, where nature blends with history and architecture, and the sense of old Portugal becomes more present.

Another option is to head south, through Vila Real toward the Douro Valley and further into Lamego. This route is more wine-oriented, gentler in terrain, with a gradual transition from mountains to valleys and terraced landscapes.

In theory, part of the route can also be done through Spain, which adds variety and another perspective on the region. However, there is a practical detail: if you are renting a car, you must check in advance whether the rental company allows cross-border travel. An alternative is to cross on foot, leaving the car on the Portuguese side, but this significantly limits how far you can travel into Spain.

As for the season, this is not a route where timing can be ignored. I was there in October: beautiful and atmospheric, but with a lot of fog and rain. In the mountains, this becomes very noticeable — visibility drops, roads are narrow, and lighting is poor. It is still doable, but not really a relaxed drive. The most comfortable periods are late spring or early autumn, when it is warm but without the summer heat, and the roads are much easier to read.