The Trafalgar Tour
There is a place, across the sea, which ticks all the boxes. Smooth, flowing tarmac. Varied, inspiring landscapes. Remote, time-warp towns. Lightly trafficked roads. And finally, cheap beer.
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We are, of course, talking about the Iberian Peninsula – Spain and Portugal’s little corner of Europe. And, six years after we first set up this whole Pub2Pub thing, it’s time to head there for a proper exploration for the first time. Because after all, that smooth, empty tarmac isn’t going to drive itself…
Now, we could just make this a road trip for road tripping’s sake, and simply cross the water and spend a few weeks blatting around the place. But road trips are always better with a goal, be that a visit to the Eagle’s Nest, or down a pint at the end of the world. And for this one, we’ve came up with a corker.
And you’ve probably already guessed what it is, given we’re calling this one the ‘Trafalgar Tour’.
Yep, we’re getting all nautical this time around. We’re going to be kicking off the drive in Portsmouth, in the shadow of HMS Victory, Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar. From there, we’ll board the cruise-ferry to Bilbao, and make our way west along the coast, taking in the sky-piercing Picos de Europa mountains, and the crags of Asturias, as we work our way out west.
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But there’s only so far west you can go before running out of land, and so at A Coruna, in the shadow of the Estrella brewery, we’ll be swinging left and heading down south into Portugal. All the way south through Portugal, in fact. We’ll be passing through big hitters like Porto, Lisbon and the Algarve, before swinging back into Spain to drop by Seville and Cadiz, from where the French fleet sailed to meet Nelson before the battle of Trafalgar.
And that means we must be close to our goal – the windswept Cape of Trafalgar. We’ll be getting there on the 220th anniversary of the battle, and from there, it’s a short hop across the bottom of Europe to Gibraltar, and it’s curious, more-British-than-Britain vibe.
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But Gibraltar is only a little over halfway through our lap of the Peninsula. Ahead there still lies Spain’s high and empty interior, through which we’ll be taking the scenic route back to the north coast – on empty, enjoyable roads, just for a change.
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So, we’ve got ourselves the goal of getting to Trafalgar in time, and we’ve got some fantastic roads on which to do so. But what else can you expect from the drive? Plenty, that’s what. If you’ve already been on a Pub2Pub trip and seen the effort we put into each and every itinerary, you’ll know what to expect. But to whet your appetite, we’re talking the out-there headlands of Galacia. The up-there peaks of the Picos de Europa. The rambling alleyways of Lisbon, and the timeless tavernas of Cadiz. There’s the giant squid museum near Oviedo, and the Fernando Alonso museum there, too. There are several galleons to tour along the coast, and HMS victory at the trips starting point as well. You’ll have the rock of Gibraltar to climb, and the wines of Rias Biaxas to taste. There’s the fresher-than-fresh seafood which you’ll find right around the coast, and the clearer-than-clear vistas which you’ll remember from the interior. And there’s much more besides – think of this little list as your first taste of a hefty serving of sensory tapas.
So, that’s what to expect from the trip – now it’s time for the details.
Firstly, the dates – the provisional plan is to leave the UK from Portsmouth on Thursday 09th October, after getting acquainted with the good ship Victory. We’ll be getting back to Portsmouth on Sunday 25th October, which means we’re looking at 18 nights away – our longest duration yet. However, the distance we'll be covering on the continent will come in at around 2,000 miles, so the daily averages will be a little less than our other grand tours, such as the Eagle Rally, and Beer Italia. And the Trafalgar Run won't be our most expensive tour either – the cost for a car and up to two people is a most reasonable £2,650. This includes the return cruise-ferry crossing from Portsmouth to Bilbao, hotels, buffet breakfasts and on-the-road support from the Pub2Pub crew. Loan of a 2-way radio to chat to your fellow road trippers is also included, as is a trip sticker pack, full Google navigation support and all the camaraderie and new friendships you’ve came to expect from our trips.
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Tempted? The Trafalgar Tour is open to all classic cars, sports cars and grand tourers. If you’d like to put your name down for a place on the trip, or if you have any further questions, get in touch by email at ben@pub2pubadventures.com , and we’ll take it from there…
