Campsite Suggestions for (Atlantic) Portugal and Spain

[Ayjay]

We're currently camped near Collioure in South of France close to the border with Spain. Neither of us particularly want anything to do with The Costas or The Algarve but quite fancy a taste of Portugal and / or Spain on the way home. Depending on responses / suggestions to this post, we were thinking of making the long jump from here to the Porto area (done Lisbon for work and don't want to go back) where we would stop for a few days before starting a slow drive home from there up to San Sebastián and then on to Bordeaux and maybe even Brittany and Normandy before heading home - we haven't really got any time constraints. So I guess my questions are is it worth doing that route and can anybody recommend campsites in Portugal and Spain, preferably on the coast and walking distance to a town/village for eats etc??? Places of historical interest (especially military) are always welcome.
Once we're across the border into France, we will be on familiar ground but we're both strangers to Northern Portugal and Northern Spain.
At the risk of seeming ungrateful, please do not respond with 'there are plenty of free aires available'.- only interested campsites with 'facilities'.
As always, thanks in advance for the help. Also, sorry for any typos but I wanted to get this done quickly before going out for the day - my 'holiday brain' doesn't really let me plan too much in advance

 

[Salty Spuds]

Currently in Cudillero on the north coast of Spain on Camping Amruleva
I found this campsite using the CampingCard ACSI app:L'Amuravela | ACSI
It’s a gem and the village is very nice, think Spanish Whitby.
The ACSI card is your friend if you don’t already have it.
Re Portugal, the Setubal region between Sagres and Lisbon is glorious. If you like literally miles of empty beaches, fresh seafood and cheap basic campsites, this is your lobster.
The stretch between Lisbon and Porto is much busier and commercial, but still has some worthwhile options, Aviero, Vila Nova Milfontes, Peniche.
There’s a book called Wild Portugal which has some useful information for off the beaten track touring.
Avoid the Algarve unless you crave an all day English breakfast and sky sports. Get west of Lagos and you’re fine.
The run up the Douro valley from Porto back into Spain is unforgettable and worth the effort.
The north coast of Spain is very weather dependent, it’s currently sunny and 24C here, but it normally pi55es down and can be grim, very Lake Districtish.
There’s very little in the way of recent war/military history in Spain and Portugal, plenty of medieval towers and forts, but both countries were neutral in ww2.
I’d have to look back through my notes for specific campsites and towns
On your way back, cross the Pyrenees at either Canfranc station or the Col d’Portalet.
Right, I’m off to the beach.

 

[Ayjay]

@Salty Spuds. thanks for all that - I'll have to look at some of those places on the map. Maybe I should have been more specific when I said military - I'm not surprised about the absence of WW2 stuff as they weren't in it. I was really thinking more Napoleonoic. Roman and Moorish stuff would be nice as well.

 

[ksm1701]

If you do end up near the Douro Valley, I can highly recommend taking the 'Linha do Douro' to see the valley by train. We caught it from Pinhāo to the terminus at Pocinho, had a brief mooch about (there's not much there) then caught the train back. The scenery is absolutely stunning both ways and is a great way to spend half a day.

We stayed in the grounds of a boutique hotel that was being renovated above the pretty town of Lamego a few miles away at Camping Lamego which has awesome views and is quite a small site with good facilities and a small bar onsite.

 

[Salty Spuds]

If you do end up near the Douro Valley, I can highly recommend taking the 'Linha do Douro' to see the valley by train. We caught it from Pinhāo to the terminus at Pocinho, had a brief mooch about (there's not much there) then caught the train back. The scenery is absolutely stunning both ways and is a great way to spend half a day.

We stayed in the grounds of a boutique hotel that was being renovated above the pretty town of Lamego a few miles away at Camping Lamego which has awesome views and is quite a small site with good facilities and a small bar onsite.

Also, there’s a scheme in Portugal where you can stay on a farm or vineyard etc for free as long as you purchase some produce or a tour. We stayed on a couple and the price varies between around £20-30/night. We got a couple of nice bottles of wine and a wine tasting on one site and a Port tasting on another included in the price. Can’t remember the name of the scheme off hand but it’s worth searching out.

 

[Qnapper]

Be aware that it´s busy here in Spain right now as weather is better than normal for time of the year. This means the "snow birds" and staying longer and the nice sites are full, many stating nothing until end of July. If you are happy to wide camp there are some lovely villages to park up walk round and enjoy (remember between 2 and 4 PM most places are closed) and if you want to really old Spain stay in the Leon/Salamanca/Toledo before crossing into Portugal. Places of historical interest military wise are few and for between, but you can visit Valley of the Fallen to see Franco's burial place from his death in November 1975.
Link: Valley of the Fallen - Wikipedia
What ever you do ENJOY

 

[Salty Spuds]

Be aware that it´s busy here in Spain right now as weather is better than normal for time of the year. This means the "snow birds" and staying longer and the nice sites are full, many stating nothing until end of July. If you are happy to wide camp there are some lovely villages to park up walk round and enjoy (remember between 2 and 4 PM most places are closed) and if you want to really old Spain stay in the Leon/Salamanca/Toledo before crossing into Portugal. Places of historical interest military wise are few and for between, but you can visit Valley of the Fallen to see Franco's burial place from his death in November 1975.
Link: Valley of the Fallen - Wikipedia
What ever you do ENJOY

Currently in the Picos de europa at camping redondo in Fuente De. Absolutely stunning and plenty of room.

 

[Ayjay]

Thanks for all the suggestions peeps but 'er indoors has persuaded me that we should bin the long drive to Portugal for now but return the next time after a bit more research.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Thanks for all the suggestions peeps but 'er indoors has persuaded me that we should bin the long drive to Portugal for now but return the next time after a bit more research.

Out of Italy/france/spain/portugal, Portugal is our favourite. Great food, nice people (they like Brits) very reasonable prices, plenty of history etc. just allow yourself plenty of time. We spend a week each way get to/from Dieppe.

 

[DXX]

Currently in the Picos de europa at camping redondo in Fuente De. Absolutely stunning and plenty of room.

Last time I was in the Picos de Europa (18 months ago) the roads were being widened ready for a ski resort development. Apparently permission had been granted despite it being a unique and well preserved wild life site.
Enjoy it before it’s trashed.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Last time I was in the Picos de Europa (18 months ago) the roads were being widened ready for a sky resort development. Apparently permission had been granted despite it being a unique and well preserved wild life site.
Enjoy it before it’s trashed.

There’s a lot of work being done on the road from Potes to Fuente De, is this what you’re talking about? What’s a “Sky resort”?

 

[DXX]

There’s a lot of work being done on the road from Potes to Fuente De, is this what you’re talking about? What’s a “Sky resort”?

Typo - Ski, yes the underpinning along the river gorge.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Typo - Ski, yes the underpinning along the river gorge.

No sign of any ski resort development in these parts. I’m assuming that it’ll never happen. The writing is on the wall for skiing as we know it, climate change is seeing to that. Low down resorts in the alps are closing faster than British pubs.

 

[Ayjay]

We were talking to a Swiss guy in Tournos the week before last (a paediatrician) who was saying that in the not too distant future he reckoned that the only good skiing available there would probably be restricted to the much higher resorts and would be the province of the very rich. I don’t know enough to know whether he was being alarmist or not though.

 

[DXX]

We were talking to a Swiss guy in Tournos the week before last (a paediatrician) who was saying that in the not too distant future he reckoned that the only good skiing available there would probably be restricted to the much higher resorts and would be the province of the very rich. I don’t know enough to know whether he was being alarmist or not though.

Surely not after 29 years of COP where worldwide governments get together for some back slapping and a group photo.
Last time I was in Switzerland it was fairly obvious that it’s a playground for the wealthier than average. The poor will still have a job spreading the artificial snow on the pistes.

 

[Salty Spuds]

We were talking to a Swiss guy in Tournos the week before last (a paediatrician) who was saying that in the not too distant future he reckoned that the only good skiing available there would probably be restricted to the much higher resorts and would be the province of the very rich. I don’t know enough to know whether he was being alarmist or not though.

Skiing is a numbers game. Without the footfall the hotels, restaurants, ski infrastructure, lifts, cable cars etc are unsustainable regardless of how rich the clientele is. A person can only sleep in one bed, ski down one slope, use one lift at a time, regardless of how wealthy they are. Prices will undoubtedly go up and then the whole structure will lose critical mass and implode. Resorts are already rebranding themselves as year round resorts with mountain biking, spas for summer and winter skiing. Skiing will gradually play a smaller part. Get it while you can.