The Pleasure of a Motorcycle Vacation

The first thing to consider when planning a motorcycle trip is good company; naturally, one should not travel alone for safety reasons. Once the group is assembled, the trip is planned. In this case, the initial plan was to travel through Portugal from Coruña to Faro. Subsequently, the route was shortened to cover a shorter distance through northern Portugal—about 900 kilometers in three days along Portugal's winding roads.

And of course, an important topic is the type of motorcycle to use to carry all the equipment safely and comfortably. In this case, we used the new Honda Africa Twin CRF 1100 L.

With its efficient 102-horsepower engine, multiple electronic aids for superior comfort and high safety, plus the DCT (automatic/sequential) transmission system and large-capacity aluminum side cases and rear trunk to store our luggage.

With all this equipment, loaded cases, and a full fuel tank, three friends and I began the route. The first part aimed to reach Braganza in Portugal to spend the first night. The chosen place was the rural hotel Abel, an ideal and economical base for sleeping and dining on the country's typical codfish.

In the morning, just six kilometers away, we entered the beautiful city of Braganza with a mandatory visit to the castle before continuing our route to Guimaraes, stopping in Chaves where we had lunch on the banks of the Támega River and visited the Santo Estévao Castle before arriving to stay overnight in Guimaraes.

This medieval city, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, is where Portugal's first king, Alfonso Henriques, was born. Here you must visit the narrow streets of the old town, Largo da Oliveira square with its Gothic Church of Our Lady of Oliveira, or the arcades of the Council Palace before heading to Guimaraes Castle from the 10th century at the top of the city, offering spectacular views of the entire city. On Penha Mountain is a sanctuary of the same name that can be reached by funicular with truly striking panoramic views.

From Guimaraes, we headed towards Aveiro, a spectacular coastal city known for its beaches, passing through Braga before heading back to Spain along the coast until reaching Tuy's border and then continuing until returning to Coruña.

The entire route totaled 855 kilometers with fuel consumption that never exceeded five liters on our Honda. It was carried out on national and regional roads full of curves, beautiful landscapes, and very peaceful villages.

We cannot recommend enough a similar route for any group of motorcyclists looking to take a summer trip on their machines.