Northern Spain And Portugal Campsite Recommendations

[Dottie]

I live in the Basque Country but hadn't done much camping here until the last couple of years with limitations on movements.
Many sites are underwhelming and expensive (French side included) but we found a few good ones. Generally, if the site is within walking distance of a beach, it's expensive and often noisy - beware around San Juan in June when kids finish school and go camping with their mates in big noisy groups.

In summer , crossing from San Sebastian can involve a 10km queue at the border at weekends. Late August is the worst as everyone heads back to northern Europe.

We might hit the coast on our way home (between Picos and San Sebastián)…any suggestions for a nice, quiet site….we’re happy to stay a few kms from the coast to get better sites.

 

[bob_summers]

We might hit the coast on our way home (between Picos and San Sebastián)…any suggestions for a nice, quiet site….we’re happy to stay a few kms from the coast to get better sites.

Are you talking right now? Everywhere will be quiet until Easter fortnight *IF* they're open.

We'll often nip up to campingleagi.com for a quiet weekend. Well looked-after site 1km up the (v.steep) hill from Lekeitio, a pretty wee fishing village with a couple of beaches, and Zumaia & Zarautz not far away for surfing etc (the Flysch geological formations are pretty cool, you'll recognise it if you're a Game of Thrones fan). The village of Mendexa is a 15min walk out the back of the campsite, it only has a couple of restaurants and nothing much else, and there's a kinda Go Ape park next door. There's a nice river walk down the hill along the Lea.

Haven't camped there yet this year (used the restaurant a couple of times but I believe it's open from March onwards. Out of season, not all facilities are available (pool, etc) and the restaurant may only be open evenings midweek.

We'll go up there to kick off the holidays if the weather plays along!

 

[Azteccamper]

Are you talking right now? Everywhere will be quiet until Easter fortnight *IF* they're open.

We'll often nip up to campingleagi.com for a quiet weekend. Well looked-after site 1km up the (v.steep) hill from Lekeitio, a pretty wee fishing village with a couple of beaches, and Zumaia & Zarautz not far away for surfing etc (the Flysch geological formations are pretty cool, you'll recognise it if you're a Game of Thrones fan). The village of Mendexa is a 15min walk out the back of the campsite, it only has a couple of restaurants and nothing much else, and there's a kinda Go Ape park next door. There's a nice river walk down the hill along the Lea.

Haven't camped there yet this year (used the restaurant a couple of times but I believe it's open from March onwards. Out of season, not all facilities are available (pool, etc) and the restaurant may only be open evenings midweek.

We'll go up there to kick off the holidays if the weather plays along!

Hi Bob.
what sort of weather can I expect middle of May to middle of June along the north of Spain coast and down the west coast of Portugal? Thanks.

 

[bob_summers]

Hi Bob.
what sort of weather can I expect middle of May to middle of June along the north of Spain coast and down the west coast of Portugal? Thanks.

Hi, well being a maritime climate you can't guarantee anything like you can down south - but late May and June are usually the best months of the year along with Sept/Oct. i just had a quick scroll through my camera roll for the last couple of years and there's plenty of photos with blue skies!

Mid summer can be opressively humid, or - rarely - a complete washout (three weeks non-stop rain in July 2010 haha I remember because I was tent camping in it!). We tend to try to get to the UK for a couple of weeks in August to escape the crowds here.

 

[Azteccamper]

Hi, well being a maritime climate you can't guarantee anything like you can down south - but late May and June are usually the best months of the year along with Sept/Oct. i just had a quick scroll through my camera roll for the last couple of years and there's plenty of photos with blue skies!

Mid summer can be opressively humid, or - rarely - a complete washout (three weeks non-stop rain in July 2010 haha I remember because I was tent camping in it!). We tend to try to get to the UK for a couple of weeks in August to escape the crowds here.

Thanks for that - Sounds good. Looking forward to our little tour now.
Back to planning a route to mix mountains, rivers and coastline.

 

[Azteccamper]

Getting our stuff ready for our tour of Portugal and northern Spain. So far we have bodyboards and wetsuits, SUP boards, hiking gear and our bikes. Trying to cover every possibility. Summer gear and wet weather gear.
Now it’s just a case of fitting it all in!
Am I overdoing it

 

[The Tall Luthier]

Getting our stuff ready for our tour of Portugal and northern Spain. So far we have bodyboards and wetsuits, SUP boards, hiking gear and our bikes. Trying to cover every possibility. Summer gear and wet weather gear.
Now it’s just a case of fitting it all in!
Am I overdoing it

Take loads of photos Aztec, we’re not leaving until June 1st but will be following your footsteps all the way to Porto.
If you want to Komoot any of your bike rides then don’t be shy.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Getting our stuff ready for our tour of Portugal and northern Spain. So far we have bodyboards and wetsuits, SUP boards, hiking gear and our bikes. Trying to cover every possibility. Summer gear and wet weather gear.
Now it’s just a case of fitting it all in!
Am I overdoing it

You forget the jet skis and wind surfers.....oh and maybe some food...

 

[fordyski100]

Getting our stuff ready for our tour of Portugal and northern Spain. So far we have bodyboards and wetsuits, SUP boards, hiking gear and our bikes. Trying to cover every possibility. Summer gear and wet weather gear.
Now it’s just a case of fitting it all in!
Am I overdoing it

Getting my stuff together for departure 22nd May and have decided i will have to leave SUP behind ! Bikes are a must but SUP is taking too much room in boot area this time round , so have decided this trip will be more about sightseeing and chilling out . Have a great trip @Azteccamper

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Getting my stuff together for departure 22nd May and have decided i will have to leave SUP behind ! Bikes are a must but SUP is taking too much room in boot area this time round , so have decided this trip will be more about sightseeing and chilling out . Have a great trip @Azteccamper

Inflate the SUP up and put it on the roof.

 

[Azteccamper]

I’ll be taking my roof bars and will fix them to roof once boards are pumped up or to carry bodyboards and anything nice and light. Probably won’t need bodyboards in the Picos
Still looking at route. Now thinking west from Bilbao and then south down the coast of Portugal. Taking in sea, sand, rivers and mountains along the way. Back up through Salamanca on way to Bilbao for return. Excited now.

 

[66tim99]

Hi, well being a maritime climate you can't guarantee anything like you can down south - but late May and June are usually the best months of the year along with Sept/Oct. i just had a quick scroll through my camera roll for the last couple of years and there's plenty of photos with blue skies!

Mid summer can be opressively humid, or - rarely - a complete washout (three weeks non-stop rain in July 2010 haha I remember because I was tent camping in it!). We tend to try to get to the UK for a couple of weeks in August to escape the crowds here.

Made me smile thinking of Spaniards coming to England in August to avoid the English

 

[fordyski100]

I’ll be taking my roof bars and will fix them to roof once boards are pumped up or to carry bodyboards and anything nice and light. Probably won’t need bodyboards in the Picos
Still looking at route. Now thinking west from Bilbao and then south down the coast of Portugal. Taking in sea, sand, rivers and mountains along the way. Back up through Salamanca on way to Bilbao for return. Excited now.

We are going to Potes (Picos Mountains) for 4 nights (only site i've booked), then ill probably move across towards Santiago de campostela , then down into Portugal but only as far as Porto , then up the Douro valley , back to spain , Salamanca ,(Possibly across to Zaragoza) maybe take in the MOTO GP (Catalunya) , Pyrenees and back to Bilbao.

 

[bob_summers]

Made me smile thinking of Spaniards coming to England in August to avoid the English

It's more the Spanish! If you've ever been here in San Sebastian in August you'll know what I mean - it's rammed. But it's domestic tourism, Madrileños with second homes, people from the interior seeking respite from the 40º heat.

We are going to Potes (Picos Mountains) for 4 nights (only site i've booked), then ill probably move across towards Santiago de campostela , then down into Portugal but only as far as Porto , then up the Douro valley , back to spain , Salamanca ,(Possibly across to Zaragoza) maybe take in the MOTO GP (Catalunya) , Pyrenees and back to Bilbao.

Potes is great if you haven't been there before - but the weather can be a mixed bag.
If you're a biker, the N-260 from Biescas to the Med is paradise!

 

[fordyski100]

It's more the Spanish! If you've ever been here in San Sebastian in August you'll know what I mean - it's rammed. But it's domestic tourism, Madrileños with second homes, people from the interior seeking respite from the 40º heat.


Potes is great if you haven't been there before - but the weather can be a mixed bag.
If you're a biker, the N-260 from Biescas to the Med is paradise!

I am , but i definitely haven't got room for the Motorbike as well!

 

[bob_summers]

I am , but i definitely haven't got room for the Motorbike as well!

worth a separate trip!

 

[Azteccamper]

Got off the ferry at Bilbao this morning, crossing a bit rough but managed to see lots of dolphins and what I think was a shark! Ferry about half-full, maybe a bit more (but very quiet). Took us what seemed like an age to go through passport control (probably about 90 mins) as everyone had to have their passports stamped! The lady seeing us through was at the end of her tether and her words were, “What are we going to do in the summer?”

On our first site now. Cracking spot in the country - https://campingelrobleverde.com/

 

[bob_summers]

Got off the ferry at Bilbao this morning, crossing a bit rough but managed to see lots of dolphins and what I think was a shark! Ferry about half-full, maybe a bit more (but very quiet). Took us what seemed like an age to go through passport control (probably about 90 mins) as everyone had to have their passports stamped! The lady seeing us through was at the end of her tether and her words were, “What are we going to do in the summer?”

On our first site now. Cracking spot in the country - https://campingelrobleverde.com/

Bilbao airport was bad enough before. Can’t wait to get my passport stamped to enter the place I’ve lived for 15 years

 

[fordyski100]

Got off the ferry at Bilbao this morning, crossing a bit rough but managed to see lots of dolphins and what I think was a shark! Ferry about half-full, maybe a bit more (but very quiet). Took us what seemed like an age to go through passport control (probably about 90 mins) as everyone had to have their passports stamped! The lady seeing us through was at the end of her tether and her words were, “What are we going to do in the summer?”

On our first site now. Cracking spot in the country - https://campingelrobleverde.com/

One week and counting now ........Have a great trip @Azteccamper

 

[Azteccamper]

One week and counting now ........Have a great trip @Azteccamper

Cheers @fordyski100 great trip so far. In Salamanca now before moving south into Portugal. Lovely site just outside city - camping Don Quijote if you’re using asci card - used at all our sites to date. Although wanted to go through mountains and kept off toll roads. Enjoy - don’t forget to wave

 

[fordyski100]

Cheers @fordyski100 great trip so far. In Salamanca now before moving south into Portugal. Lovely site just outside city - camping Don Quijote if you’re using asci card - used at all our sites to date. Although wanted to go through mountains and kept off toll roads. Enjoy - don’t forget to wave

Thanks for recommendation of Don Quijote , I’m planning on Salamanca at some point after Douro valley , so I’ll check it out
Starting in Potes (Camping Viorn) and off to NW Spain after that , then down to Porto , up Douro Valley , then Salamanca , but all weather dependent ……the beauty of flexibility
All recommendations greatly appreciated….and yes I’m an avid ACSI supporter , great value out of season .
See you on the road somewhere

 

[Azteccamper]

And don’t forget to fill up in Spain. 20c per litre taken off when you pay!!

Thanks for recommendation of Don Quijote , I’m planning on Salamanca at some point after Douro valley , so I’ll check it out
Starting in Potes (Camping Viorn) and off to NW Spain after that , then down to Porto , up Douro Valley , then Salamanca , but all weather dependent ……the beauty of flexibility
All recommendations greatly appreciated….and yes I’m an avid ACSI supporter , great value out of season .
See you on the road somewhere

 

[ThomasHJ]

We're just down the coast at San Sebastian, we're up and down that stretch of coast throughout Easter and summer (Pyrenees in August when the coastal sites are rammed) - La Paz is a good call mentioned above. Oyambre is good if you can find space amongst the Germans in the top field, it's right on the beach, and further along towards San Vicente there’s plenty of farmers charging 5€ a night to stay in a field overlooking the ocean. Trad campsites are expensive in peak season and basic for what they charge but its all about those views. Expect to pay 30€/night plus hookup in August!

Bob,

In your experience, is it possible to find sites without booking, in both the Pyrenees and paralel to the coast (but not on the coast, say 1 hour inland) in july and august? I'm talking small or mini camp sites, without much of anything, besides nature.

 

[bob_summers]

Sure, try camping Asolaze near Izaba, in the Navarra Pyrenees. It's a very "local" site so you'll find a lot of people (like me) go up after work on Friday, and leave on Sunday. It's often busy in Aug but never full. Basic site with excellent walking (Smuggler's Route to the French border, etc), and there are plenty of similar sites further into Aragon.

As you suspect, the sites right on the beach are rammed the first three weeks of August. It's honestly unpleasant. July should be fine though, and inland you can usually take your pick. TBH the only time I've been told, "Sorry, we're full" was Easter 2021 when we were only allowed to travel within the province - so everyone who'd normally go to the Med etc all ended up on the same few local sites!

Camping Asolaze: https://asolazecamping.com/
Camping Naranjo de Bulnes (Picos, Asturia) https://www.campingnaranjodebulnes.com/
Smugglers' route, Roncal Valley: https://vallederoncal.es/actividades-al-aire-libre/senderismo/camino-de-los-contrabandistas/

Tl;dr - there's always space, just avoid the beach sites. Have fun!

Bob,

In your experience, is it possible to find sites without booking, in both the Pyrenees and paralel to the coast (but not on the coast, say 1 hour inland) in july and august? I'm talking small or mini camp sites, without much of anything, besides nature.

 

[Dottie]

ive had 6 absolutely fabulous weeks in Portugal - what a lovely country! I have so many tales to tell and had planned all my sites in fear of what it was like in scotland last year! So far, I got 3 sites wrong but found others no bother.
Sadly I left the Serra Da Estrela this afternoon and was about to be stopped for all the wrong reasons on a very quiet mountain road. By luck, as I was attempting to reverse out of the situation, a car appeared round the corner and the van who’d driven across the road to block my way drove off! Long story short....i could see the van stopped on the road below me, so pulled in and waited.....i finally had to take my chance as there was no other traffic....a very slow road down....at every corner I was on the lookout for the van!
sad and I’m told it happens....otherwise a lovely trip where I’ve felt safe.
3 weeks to go ending up in Picos and San Sebastián before the dolphin-watching cruise back from Bilbao! Too many tales to tell...I was even on TV....!
I’ll maybe post my fav sites when I get back.
It would be so lovely to meet a forum member or two enroute.....the Dutch are out in force, as are the Germans....everyone’s been so lovely.
im missing not having my dog, but I meet countless dogs enroute...today I met 2 Estrela Mountain Dogs....beautiful...the first is Max (an Alsatian!)....he took me on my 11k walk!