Touring in a van from the north of Germany to Portugal has been fascinating, difficult, and adventurous. I selected my route alongside the Atlantic Ocean shoreline, the blue ocean guiding me like a trusted compass. I’ve finished this street journey thrice in complete by now and have explored quite a few unbelievable spots and stops.
Every journey alongside this path confirmed me a range of landscapes, from the rugged cliffs of Northern France to the countless seashores of Galicia and Portugal. One focus of my journeys has been discovering wonderful waves to surf. This led me to some unbelievable locations with parking spots proper behind the dunes, a couple of strolling steps away from essentially the most lovely and peaceable seashores.
Diving into not solely the Atlantic Ocean virtually day-after-day, however into a special tradition and delicacies with each different cease has been such an exquisite expertise. I might eat conventional French pastries, strive tapas in Spain and scrumptious recent seafood in Portugal. Every day supplied not only a change in surroundings, however an entire new world of experiences, adventures and tales. This text options a few of my favourite locations that I’ve visited, both alone or with my good friend or boyfriend on the street.
Word: Every of the thrice I did this street journey I used to be accompanied by both a good friend or my boyfriend. Some elements I additionally explored on my own. On this article I’ll change between referring to solely myself and the folks accompanying me on the street. I wrote an article about my first time road-tripping within the van.
France: Fairy Tales, Crashing Waves and Croissants
I’ll begin by speaking about the very best locations I visited in France.
Mont Saint-Michel
Mont Saint-Michel made me really feel like a princess in a Disney Film, which is sort of spectacular when you could have been on the street for a couple of week with a complete depend of 1 bathe. Alternatively, it supposedly impressed the fortress of Rapunzel’s dad and mom within the film Tangled, so I shouldn’t be too shocked.
One of the vital placing options of Mont Saint-Michel is its gorgeous location. It’s a lovely medieval abbey on a rocky island. On low tide you may entry Mont Saint-Michel by foot nevertheless with the excessive tide the Mont turns into surrounded by water, creating an imposing island rising from the ocean.
We arrived within the afternoon in a parking spot “Parking du Bec d’Andaine” which is situated half-hour north of Mont Saint-Michel. The car parking zone is crowded in the course of the day, crammed with vacationers and teams of college youngsters that stroll to the fortress on foot over the Wadden Sea.
With the setting solar, it quiets down and presents an excellent spot for an in a single day keep. For us it was excellent to see the fortress from afar within the setting solar. I cherished seeing the fortress from afar earlier than visiting the island itself. To go to the fortress you may stroll from the parking spot to the island when the tide is low. Make certain to verify the tide schedules earlier than your go to, because the tides can have an effect on entry to the Mont.
What we did as a substitute was drive thirty minutes to the designated parking lot by the island (12€ for a day) and take the free shuttle bus to the fortress.
You stroll throughout a bridge to the island. Seeing the Fortress from the coast had been so picturesque however exploring the slender, cobbled streets that wind up in the direction of the abbey on our personal was unbelievable. Strolling by the Medieval Village made us really feel transported again in time.
We explored the Abbey and realized a bit about its historical past whereas admiring not solely the structure of the place however the marvellous view as effectively. The Abbey’s terrace presents a spectacular panoramic view of the encompassing bay. We might watch the teams of vacationers stroll over the disappearing Wadden Sea at low tide. Whether or not it’s the historic streets, the breath-taking views, or the distinctive tide phenomena, this island is really enchanting. It undoubtedly introduced us a little bit of magic.
La Rochelle
La Rochelle was one of many few cities we visited. It’s recognized for its historic ports and delightful outdated city. We loved the distinction to our nature spots. For us it was the right metropolis to spend a day in. It presents so many alternatives to buy, discover tradition and take a look at native delicacies. We parked someplace on the town and began strolling and not using a plan.
First, we noticed La Rochelle’s outdated harbor (Vieux Port), which the town is legendary for. It’s characterised by its medieval towers guarding the doorway – the Saint-Nicolas Tower, the Chain Tower, and the Lantern Tower. These towers are iconic symbols of the town’s wealthy maritime historical past. They turned extra spectacular once we noticed them lit up at evening. We strolled by the charming streets of the city, stopping for postcards, espresso and ice cream.
La Rochelle is famend for its well-preserved outdated city which is gorgeous to stroll by. On one sq. folks had been dancing beneath pink umbrellas hung up within the sky. It has numerous cute cafes and eating places. We particularly loved wanting by all of the little outlets crammed with souvenirs, decorations, video games, posters, and different cute objects.
Within the night, in any case our procuring, we discovered ourselves in a small however crowded alley the place a band performed within the streets. It felt like a small celebration, everybody singing and dancing within the streets. When the clock struck midnight we drove to a spot a bit additional out city the place we may park the van and sleep at evening.
Seashores and Biarritz within the Southwest of France
The Southwest of France is residence to a few of the most lovely and unspoiled seashores in France. There may be the Grande Plage in Biarritz or the distant seashores of the Landes area, the place you may sunbathe or people-watch. It’s equally as well-liked for its surf spots, which is among the principal causes I took my time exploring this area.
For surf fans notably the Atlantic coast round Biarritz and Hossegor, is a must-visit. These spots are well-known for his or her surf tradition and host a number of worldwide browsing competitions. The waves right here cater to all ranges, from newcomers to execs.
Even in case you’ve by no means stood on a surfboard, that is your time to strive. My favourite spots embrace Soulac-sur-Mer, Plage Surveillée du Gurp, Cap de L’homy and the Plage des Océanides in Capbreton. I cherished the unbelievable seashores and waves but additionally the chance to park so near the ocean. At some you may park proper behind the dunes or beneath excessive pine bushes, that are attribute of this area. The shoreline is dotted with expansive sandy seashores, and small seaside cities which gave me a way of peacefulness. Perhaps as a result of the seashores weren’t overrun by vacationers.
In summer time the seashores are packed and it’s will get too sizzling for my private choice. I discovered autumn and spring to be the right time to discover the Southwest of France. It isn’t as crowded as in however the climate remains to be largely sunny. Even in mid September we may nonetheless sunbathe and surf in bikinis as a substitute of wetsuits.
In conclusion, the Atlantic coast within the south west of France is an incredible vacation spot to get pleasure from a shocking pure surroundings, scrumptious meals, and a vibrant surf scene. I particularly advocate visiting Cap De L’homy. It’s a bit much less crowded vacation spot for these in search of peace, serene seashores and pure landscapes and is right for browsing, sunbathing, swimming, and having fun with magical sunsets.
In case you’re on the lookout for extra of a metropolis ambiance, you need to go to Biarritz. Biarritz seems like a small seashore metropolis. I cherished strolling across the streets, exploring the smaller outlets for jewellery, surf garments, data and souvenirs. My good friend and I purchased postcards. We wrote them whereas sitting in a cute cafe and having fun with a giant brunch – a distinction to our standard van life breakfast.
Town’s many eating places and bistros have a variety of various meals choices. We strolled by the native meals courtroom, Halles de Biarritz, and purchased small treats – croissants, macarons and quiche. We ate them in entrance of the picturesque harbor. The extensive blue ocean creates a gorgeous coastal surroundings.
SPAIN: Limitless Nature and Limitless Smiles
Galicia
Galicia is my all time favourite street journey vacation spot. Each time I drive from Portugal to Germany (or from Germany to Portugal) I ensure to spend a couple of days alongside this unbelievable shoreline within the northwest of Spain. It presents many various hidden nature spots proper by unbelievable seashores. Many of the instances you may park proper by the seashore too.
I’ve woken as much as serene sunrises, seen breathtaking sunsets, surfed empty line-ups and explored lovely nature. Every thing proper subsequent to my parked van. Galicia actually is a paradise for all seashore and nature lovers.
You could find sand seashores hidden between rugged coastlines, tasty seafood and welcoming folks, to not overlook concerning the breathtaking evening sky. I really like exploring Galicia and may’t wait to be again quickly, to surf, to sunbathe, to discover its nature.
Bilbao and Sopelana
Sopelana remains to be one in all my favourite stops. We initially stayed right here to take a day journey to Bilbao however stayed longer for the wonderful surf and unbelievable views. I’m not an enormous fan of huge cities and staying in a van in a metropolis is reasonably inconvenient, that’s why we felt so fortunate to discover a car parking zone in Sopelana, proper by the seashore. We drove into Bilbao someday to discover it and in any other case loved the calm and beachy ambiance of Sopelana.
Once we drove to Bilbao, we parked someplace within the outskirts and took the metro into city. Our first cease was, in fact, the well-known Guggenheim Museum. We admired the spectacular structure of the Museum in addition to the 2 statues outdoors. Pet is the world’s largest flower sculpture. A everlasting set up created by the American artist Jeff Koons. In distinction to the attractive flower association you could find Maman, the monumental metal spider that’s virtually 9 meters tall.
Though the admission costs are cheap, we determined to spend our restricted time within the sunny streets of Bilbao. We wandered by the outdated city’s charming streets.
The guts and soul of Bilbao, the Casco Viejo, presents a stark distinction to the modernity of the Guggenheim. Within the Outdated City we walked by its seven unique streets (Las Siete Calles) and found charming boutiques, conventional Basque taverns (pintxos bars), and historic landmarks just like the Santiago Cathedral and the Plaza Nueva. It was an effective way to expertise the town’s conventional tradition and delicacies.
At Plaza Nueva we tried some pintxos (native tapas) which had been scrumptious. You may get them on the many bars and taverns which might be in every single place within the metropolis. One other place to strive pintxos is the Mercado de la Ribera the place you may also purchase recent native merchandise like cheese, wine or fish. We loved strolling by Bilbao, absorbing its vigorous ambiance and roaming round Casco Viejo.
I really feel like we acquired to see a few of the greatest elements of Bilbao within the quick time that we visited. Nevertheless, there’s a number of locations that we didn’t get to see. On my record for subsequent time is Cafe Iruna for the good meals and delightful historic tiled partitions inside.
In distinction to the busy metropolis we had been grateful for the calm atmosphere of Sopelana. The car parking zone is on the cliffs proper by the seashore. We had an incredible panoramic view of the blue ocean and surfers. In the course of the day the seashore and parking are packed so it’s a must to be fortunate with discovering a spot however within the night it quiets down a bit.
We felt protected and met a number of different like-minded vacationers. We spent our time laying on the seashore, having fun with the sunshine, browsing, and skating a skate bowl on the cliffs.
I can advocate staying in Sopelana and visiting Bilbao in case you’re on the lookout for the right mixture of metropolis and seashore.
Portugal: Small Fishing Cities, Ceramic Tiles and Waves
Porto, Portugal
Porto has an simple appeal. I fall in love with this metropolis a bit extra each time I go to. It’s famend for its colourful structure, world-famous port wine, and a vigorous culinary scene. I don’t advocate driving into the town with a van or motorhome. The streets are busy and slender and a few on-line critiques counsel that parking a van on the town just isn’t protected.
As an alternative, I wish to park at one of many tenting websites within the district of Madalena, that are fairly well-liked even within the off-season. I do know that after a busy time exploring the town I can return to a protected campsite. There’s a bus connection into the town heart, I nevertheless choose to take an Uber or Bolt which takes me on to the Jardim do Morro. T
he small hill presents breathtaking views of the cityscape and offers a gorgeous first impression of Porto. From there you may cross the Dom Luís I Bridge into the Ribeira District. The bridge is a logo of the town’s industrial heritage. The Ribeira District, with its slender, cobbled streets, colourful homes, and vigorous squares overlooking the Douro River, is quintessentially Porto.
I like to recommend simply strolling by and taking within the metropolis’s vibrant ambiance. It’s my favourite technique to discover any metropolis.
Be ready to stroll numerous stairs. The world is bustling with conventional eating places, cafes, and bars the place you may strive native delicacies. I like to recommend doing a Port wine tasting and attempting the Francesinha sandwich in addition to a Pastel de Nata.
If you wish to see some extra sights you may go to the São Bento Railway Station for its azulejos (ceramic tiles), the Clérigos Tower as the town’s most iconic landmark or the Livraria Lello, which is ranked among the many most lovely bookstores on this planet. Undoubtedly stroll alongside the riverbank to soak up the gorgeous views of the town.
Nazaré, Portugal
Nazaré, is a picturesque seaside city in Portugal, famend for its majestic sea cliffs, expansive sandy seashores, and vibrant cultural heritage. Though the city has a quaint appeal and scrumptious seafood, that wasn’t what initially drew me to it. As an alternative I visited Nazaré for its world-famous large waves. The underwater Nazaré Canyon creates record-breaking swells that appeal to surfers from across the globe.
The large wave season is between October and March in which you’ll see waves that common about 15 meters (50 ft) excessive and if the circumstances are distinctive even as much as 24 meters (80 ft). Watching surfers navigate the monstrous waves is a such a particular expertise that’s each exhilarating and humbling. It’s unbelievable to see.
When the waves are large and an occasion is on, there are large crowds of individuals watching. You’ll be able to watch the spectacle from the seashore, Praia do Norte, nevertheless the very best place to look at is on Sítio da Nazaré. It’s by the lighthouse – Fort of São Miguel Arcanjo, which you’ll go to the inside of all year long. It homes a small exhibition devoted to the surf tradition in Nazaré and the historical past of huge wave browsing.
I discovered it very attention-grabbing to dive a bit deeper into the background of the Nazaré large wave browsing. To summarize, Nazaré is certainly value seeing. The seashores are lovely and it’s a captivating city to walk by. In case you’re on the lookout for a little bit of thrill be sure to time your go to in accordance with the swell. That method you get to expertise the colossal waves at Praia do Norte.
Ericeira, Portugal
Ericeira is definitely my favourite vacation spot, most likely as a result of I’ve spent essentially the most period of time right here. It’s recognized for being one of many few World Browsing Reserves, a testomony to its distinctive waves and surf tradition. It attracts surfers and vacationers from all all over the world. Regardless, I discover that it doesn’t lose its conventional Portuguese appeal.
It’s proper by the ocean with quite a few lovely seashores and a vibrant social life on the town. The outdated city is a labyrinth of cobbled streets, conventional white homes with blue trim, and quaint squares. Wandering by, you’ll uncover distinctive outlets, cafes, and seafood eating places that serve recent seafood dishes.
At Praia dos Pescadores, or Fisherman’s Seaside, you may generally watch native fishermen launching their boats, sustaining the village’s lengthy standing maritime traditions. Praia dos Pescadores is simply one of many many unbelievable seashores all alongside the shoreline. There are a number of well-known surf spots, together with Ribeira d’Ilhas and Coxos. Whether or not you’re a seasoned surfer or a newbie, the various surf spots provide circumstances for all ranges.
Even in case you are not into browsing there are lots of different actions to strive. You’ll be able to skate, apply Yoga, strive bouldering or climbing. Particularly in summer time there’s a vigorous celebration scene to get pleasure from. It’s additionally a implausible place for a metropolis stroll, a nature stroll, sunbathing, or just soaking within the vibrant ambiance and delightful views of the Atlantic.
One word: When you can keep at quite a few wonderful hostels and resorts, it’s a bit much less straightforward when looking for an in a single day parking spot with a van. I like to recommend the campsite on the town or discovering a parking spot a bit additional alongside the shoreline.
Nevertheless, Ericeira is certainly value visiting. It’s such a captivating seaside village with distinctive sights and actions. Whether or not you’re drawn in by the waves, the attract of conventional Portuguese village life, or the straightforward pleasure of exploring a gorgeous coastal panorama, Ericeira is a memorable escape.
3000 km and a Pocket filled with Seashells Later: A Conclusion
I’ve traveled up and down the coast with my van thrice now. I do know the final time wasn’t truly the final time as I’m already planning my subsequent street journey. I really like coming again to those locations and exploring new ones. Each time is one other distinctive expertise filled with adventures. I gather moments and recollections in addition to pockets filled with seashells and sunshine.
My journeys from Germany to the shores of Portugal depart me in awe of the range and richness of the Atlantic Coast. Every vacation spot, with its personal historical past, tradition, and nature, has proven me such distinctive magnificence. From the majestic silhouette of Mont-Saint-Michel, to the countless seashores within the South of France, to the fantastic thing about Galicia; from the cultural vibrancy of Bilbao and Sopelana, to the appeal of Porto; and eventually, the exhilarating waves of Nazaré and the surfer paradise of Ericeira.
This street journey alongside the Atlantic Coast is greater than only a journey; it’s an invite to find the tales etched into the landscapes and cities of the shoreline. I hope my tales can encourage you to embark by yourself street journey journey, whether or not it’s the historic cities, the blue of the ocean, the beautiful cuisines, or the fun of browsing that pulls you.
See you on the street.