The Porto Run – Santander to Porto PO7

Santander to Porto & back in two weeks

Based on 14 nights self-drive independent tour in Portugal and Spain

An epic adventure! Bring your own car or motorbike to Santander (or fly down and rent) and cut a swathe right through the heart of Spain to Porto on the Atlantic coast before looping back through Galicia to the northern coast and the Picos de Europa mountains, this route is full of delightful contrasts.

On the way you’ll find plenty to explore as you cross and follow the Caminos de Santiago and trace part of Wellington’s route from his Peninsular Campaign. You’ll find magnificent cities of Burgos, Salamanca, Porto and Santiago and rural delights of the Douro Valley, the Asturian coast and the Picos de Europa mountains.

The full route takes at least fourteen days but you can do as little, or as much, as you like.

Tour Highlights:
Monumental cities, Burgos, Salamanca, Porto and Santiago
Glorious wines of the Duero & Douro
Camino de Santiago & Wellington’s footsteps
Spain’s verdant north-west coast
Breath-taking scenery; the meseta; the Douro Valley & the magnificent Picos de Europa
Superb regional gastronomy throughout

More about the borderlands

£1700 p/p

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Full details (PDF)

Day 1 & 2 – Burgos

Essential stop on the Camino de Santiago
Truly awesome cathedral, recently restored
The city of El Cid, Campeador
Bustling old town; lively bars & restaurants
Spain’s best lamb & delicious black pudding
Atapuerca & the Museum of Human Evolution

Accommodation options

Our suggestion

HBUR2 - 4-star Hotel / Parador

Palace at the heart of Burgos, walking distance of the cathedral

Premier choice

HBUR3 - 4-star Hotel / Parador

Palace hotel in central Burgos

Days 3 & 4 – Salamanca

Salamanca – truly monumental university ci
Toro, Rueda & Sierra de Salamanca wines
Delicious jamon from Guijuelo
Historic Tordesillas, Toro & Zamora
Cruise on the river in the Arribes del Duero
Sierra de Francia & villages of Las Batuecas

Accommodation options

Our suggestion

HSAL5 - 5-star Hotel / Parador

Historic convent hotel near Cathedral

Boutique city hotel

HSAL3 - Boutique-style, independent hotel

Charming boutique hotel in Salamanca

Authentic castle hotel

HTOP1 - 4-star Hotel / Parador

Castle amongst the vineyards of Salamanca

Day 5 & 6 – Douro Valley

Fabulous Douro scenery – take an unforgettable boat trip
World Heritage Douro vineyards, the World’s oldest!
Romantic Amarante on the River Tamega
Lamego – famous stairs of Nossa Senhora dos Remedios
Superb gastronomy in the atmospheric “adegas” taverns

Accommodation options

Our suggestion

HDOU2 - Boutique-style, independent hotel

Winery hotel with superb views and pool

Winery hotel

HDOU7 - 4-star Hotel / Parador

Charming quinta located in the Douro wine valley

Premier choice

HDOU5 - 5-star Hotel / Parador

5-star historic wine lodge on the banks of the Douro

Day 7 & 8 – Porto

Ribeira, Porto’s fascinating historic centre, a World Heritage site
Cross the impressive Dom Luis I iron bridge to the Port Wine Lodges
Art for all from finest museums to simple galleries
Walk the lanes, sail the river, live and breathe Porto
Ferry to Afurada and the golden beach of Estrela

Accommodation options

Our suggestion

HOPO1 - Family-run Posada / Guest house

Delightful guesthouse with garden in the heart of Porto

Modernista castle hotel

HOPO2 - 3-star Hotel / Parador

Elegant, baroque castle hotel in Porto

Premier choice

HOPO8 - 5-star Hotel / Parador

Luxurious 5-star Palace on the banks of the Douro

Day 9 & 10 – Santiago de Compostela, Galicia

Journey’s end, for centuries Europe’s most important pilgrim destination
World heritage city centred around the magnificent Cathedral, said to house the bones of St James
Guided walking tour, there’s so much to discover
Lively bar scene, great tapas and young Ribeiro wine, or if you prefer, a drop of Albariño.

Accommodation options

Our suggestion

HSAC6 - 3-star Hotel / Parador

Tradition, innovation and style in central Santiago

Premier choice

HSAC7 - 5-star Hotel / Parador

Historic hotel with views to Santiago Cathedral

Premier Heritage hotel

HCUS2 - 5-star Hotel / Parador

5 star historic parador in Santiago de Compostela

Day 11 & 12 – Western Asturias

Pretty fishing villages such as Cudillero & Luarca
Beautiful beaches & dramatic cliff-top coastal walks
Dinosaur coast & Jurassic museum
Oviedo, historic Asturian capital & Gijon by the sea
National Park of Somiedo – maybe you’ll see bears!
Visit a traditional Asturian cider house (sidrería)

Accommodation options

Our suggestion

HPDV1 - Boutique-style, independent hotel

Coastal hotel in picturesque fishing port

Boutique coastal hotel

HVIL1 - 3-star Hotel / Parador

Enchanting C18th Asturian Casona with Medieval Tower right on the coast

Days 13 & 14 – Western Cantabria

Historic seaside towns of San Vicente, Comillas or Santillana del Mar
Sandy beaches and craggy protected coves
Carmona, Barcena Mayor in the beautiful valleys
Prehistoric cave paintings at Altamira and many more
Wonderful walks along the coast or in the rolling hills

Accommodation options

Our suggestion

HSAN2 - 3-star Hotel / Parador

Historic town hotel with pool

Premier city hotel, Santander

HSAN4 - Boutique-style, independent hotel

Historic 4-star boutique in the heart of Santander

Premier choice

HCUS3 - 4-star Hotel / Parador

Historic Parador in the medieval town of Santillana del Mar

The itinerary includes the following:

Accommodation in our listed hotels – 2 sharing 1 std. double ensuite, B&B
Economy 4dr car hire
Regional guide books
Personal Travel App including highlights, weather forecast and restaurant suggestions for all areas en-route
Instructions to find all accommodation

Not included:

Flights – but we are able to advise
One-way car hire charges, where applicable (see your quote email)
The following car hire extras – these can be added at pick-up point
- extra driver
- child seats
- GPS
Garage parking where applicable (mostly city stops) – please ask us about parking charges

Getting there

Take a ferry to Santander or Bilbao or fly directly to almost anywhere in north-west Spain or Portugal.

The options to fly and drive are too many to list!

Fly directly to all these possible destinations and hire a car:
- Northern Spain:
  - Santander with Ryanair from: Stansted, Manchester, Dublin, Edinburgh or Birmingham
  - Bilbao with Easyjet from: Gatwick and Manchester; With Vueling from Gatwick; and with Aerlingus from Dublin.
- North-West Spain:
  - Asturias (Oviedo) From Gatwick with Vueling or B.A. or from Stansted with Ryanair.
  - Santiago from Gatwick with B.A. or Vueling; from Stansted With Ryanair; from Dublin with Aer Lingus or Ryanair
  - A Coruña from Gatwick with B.A. or Vueling
- Centre Spain: Madrid.
  - From Heathrow with B.A. or Iberia
  - From Gatwick with Easyjet or Iberia
  - From Stansted with Ryanair
  - From Manchester with Ryanair or Iberia
  - From Dublin with Aer lingus or Iberia
  - From Edinburgh with Easyjet
  - From Birmingham with Ryanair
- Northern Portugal: Porto
  - From Gatwick With Easyjet or TAP
  - From Stansted with Ryanair
  - From Luton with Easyjet
  - From Manchester with TAP, Ryanair or Easyjet
  - From Bristol with Easyjet
  - From Dublin with TAP or Ryanair
  - From Birmingham with Ryanair
- Or Lisbon
  - From Heathrow with B.A. or TAP
  - From Gatwick with Easyjet, B.A. or TAP
  - From Stansted with Ryanair
  - From Luton with Easyjet or Wizzair
  - From Manchester with TAP, Ryanair or Easyjet
  - From Bristol with Easyjet
  - From Dublin with TAP, Ryanair or Aerlingus
  - From Edinburgh with Easyjet or Ryanair

(Ask us about your options)

NB: Flights are not included

Ferry: if you wish to bring your own car, classic car or motorbike we can include the ferry crossings as part of the package

- UK-Spain Combined Timetable
- Ireland-Spain Combined Timetable

Getting around

If you choose to fly and drive, we will include a hire car as part of your package. Normally we include a 4 door economy class car but please let us know if you would like something different.

Hire cars must be dropped back to the country of origen.

AITO reviews

We changed this tour slightly by cutting out Porto and visiting the Picos de Europa instead. We saw such a variety of hotels, scenery and weather! We visited beautiful Spanish towns, scenic coastlines, beautiful countryside and amazing mountains. There was also a real mix of hotels - some better than others but none bad.

Client 2019

Porto was a great experience. Lots to see especially on the riverside. Would recommend the hop on hop off bus tour with combined river cruise and wine tasting.

-client 2019

Excellent. Road trip encompassing Valladolid, the Alto Douro, Porto, Western Galicia and Northern Galicia

Client 2019

Casas Cantabricas. Excellent choice of locations and hotels.

client 2019

Varied locations, lots to see and explore, hotels generally very good. Hire car and taxi services arranged in advance by tour operator, all worked well. We had a great time.

Client 2018

… providing a huge amount of detail about the journey and destinations, providing maps and tour guides, and also being available during the holiday when we had a query.

client 2018

An enjoyable relaxing introduction to Spain and Portugal, not having visited either country before.

Client 2018

Well planned out offering an excellent experience. Good food and lovely locations.

client 2018

We spent 10 days touring Northern Spain and Portugal – from Bilbao in Spain to Rotondo outside Evora in Portugal – on a motorbike and had a fantastic holiday! We loved it!

Client 2018

The accommodation was superb – from boutique modern city hotels to a baroque castle hotel and 11th Century monastery. Each time we thought it couldn’t get better – and it did! Each hotel was a fantastic surprise. Amazing places – in beautiful locations – that we would never have discovered ourselves. Thank you!

-client 2018

A driving tour of Northern Spain and Portugal over 16 days via Portsmouth-Santander Car Ferry. The hotels and holiday information were excellent and we enjoyed all the places we visited.

Client 2018

Very helpful on the phone in booking the tour which included a couple of days out to see friends in Porto. Endless patience when we wanted to make changes after booking. Well planned and well organised!

-client 2018

Well planned out offering an excellent experience. Good food and lovely locations.

Client 2018

Excellent.

Was better than expected. Well organised and very helpful support.

-client 2017