Route / Plan

Always good to have a plan. Sometimes best not to stick to it too rigidly, but you gotta start somewhere. Here's a starter for 10: -

Day 1 – Sun. 01/05/16 - Swindon > Plymouth ~165 miles (3 hours)

Plymouth to Santander boat sails at 15:45 so we leave Swindon at 09:00 via Bristol / Dunkeswell to visit older son at Uni / Parachuting.

Day 2 – Mon. 02/05/16 (Bank Holiday) – Santander > San Vicente de la Barquera A8 > Unquera N621

> Buelles N-621 > La Hermida N621 > Potes > La Vega > Vejo > Portilla de la Reina
> Riano ~105 miles (4 hours)

Boat arrives in Santander at 12:15 – Road cuts through Picos Mountains

Day 3 – Tue. 03/05/16 – Riano > Retuerto N625 > Casielles > Canga de Onis > Oviedo > Ribadeo ~195

miles (<7 hours)

Camp by the sea somewhere.

Day 4 – Wed. 04/05/16 – Ribadeo > Lugo > Santiago de Compostela > Vigo ~180 miles (5 hours)

Check-out pilgrimage destination and try to cover some distance.

Day 5 – Thu. 05/05/16 – Vigo > Moncao (P) > Braga > Porto > Vila Nova de Gaia ~105 miles (4 hours)

Camp outside of Porto by the beach and get the bus into town for drinks.

Day 6 – Fri. 06/05/16 – Vila Nova de Gaia > Peso da Regua N222 > Pinhao > Macedo de Cavaleiros

> Braganca ~190 miles (<6 hours)

Road runs along first part of Douro Valley before heading North towards Spain

This is where we run out of time so may need to do 2 days in one if we haven't already made-up time:

Day 7 – Sat. 07/05/16 – Braganca > Ponferrada (E) > Villablino ~150 miles (4 hours)

Day 7! – Sat. 07/05/16 –Villablino > Vanes > Aguilar de Campoo ~145 miles (3.5 hours)


Get back into the Picos Mountains for an easy run back to the port.

Day 8 – Sun. 08/05/16 – Aguilar de Campoo > Corconte > Santander ~75 miles (2.5 hours)

Boat leaves at 17:15 so we head-out slowly and stop for lunch en-route.

Day 9 – Mon. 09/05/16 – Portsmouth > Swindon ~80 miles (2 hours)

Boat arrives at 20:45 so we ride straight home.