Peaks & Summits | Spain & Portugal GT Tour '26
Wednesday 2nd September | Arrive at Plymouth: Meet up for the ferry for the 22 hour crossing to Santander in 4-berth Club cabins. For those looking for a bit more space and relaxation during the crossing, we have managed to secure some Deluxe cabins with 2 single beds for the inbound crossing. If you wish to upgrade please get in touch (£150 S.T.A.)
Thursday 3rd September | 2 hour drive 200km: Disembark the boat in Santander. We will be using the coastal scenic motorway to reach Oviedo in plenty of time to take the opportunity to visit the Fernando Alonso museum. This is a chance to see his collection of F1 cars in his home town, before checking into the city centre 5* Barceló Oviedo Cervantes ahead of the first group dinner.
Friday 4th September | 6 hour drive 460km: The journey south begins on some virgin roads west of Oviedo, that lead us down to an area we haven’t used in a couple of years, and never in this direction before, through the Ubiñas natural parque. Following an afternoon on the stunning roads of the Galicia mountains we cross the border into Portugal to check in for the first of the tours 2 night stays at the beautiful Vidago Palace! A proud member of the leading hotels of the world group, this old royal residence is always a favourite amongst the GTTourz drivers and co-drivers! Following après drive drinks on the beautiful veranda over looking the cars, you will enjoy a fabulous 4 course group dinner in the hotel’s stunning ballroom .
Saturday 5th September | 4 hour drive 210km: As we will be returning to the hotel tonight, it’s a day to enjoy a lightweight car on this loop around northern Portugal, even leaving your partner at the hotel if they wish, to enjoy the services in the Spa. However the loop does include the now legendary lesser-known Porsche test route that is always a favourite on this tour, so they may wish to join you. This 30km section of road is a real test for any GT car, not just a Porsche! We will be adding to the route today, with some new tarmac to experience. The location of the hotel means you can cut the day short at a few points, and head back to the hotel via the Porsche route after a great morning on the road. On returning to the hotel you will have the first of 2 free nights to relax and do as you wish for dinner in the evening.
Sunday 6th September | 4.5 hour drive 260km: Today the journey continues south to reach Portugal’s answer to the Stelvio pass. But before we reach the Estrela you will have chance for both you and the car to enjoy the scenic N222, which initially runs along the shoreline of the Douro river, where we will enjoy a beautiful lunch stop, before we climb up the grape-lined slopes of this famous wine region. The N222 has been voted ‘The Best Road in the World’ by Avis, this is debatable of course, but the 22kms that separate Pinhão and Peso da Régua are absolutely amazing! The 93 bends and frequently changing viewpoints make it a great warm-up for the roads to come in the Estrela National Parque.
Once we reach the parque itself, we have planned a route with great roads that offer stunning views of the Estrela (weather permitting) on route to the beautiful Casa de Sao Lourenco. This 5* paradise is perched on the side of the Stelvio-like pass overlooking Manteigas, which will be your home for the next two nights. As we are staying in the national parque, there are also options for a late night pass over the mountain at sunset for those keen to recreate some of the footage seen on Joe’s video, CLICK HERE. Today’s route certainly ticks all the boxes for us and definitely has all the ingredients to make it a truly fabulous day behind the wheel of your car!
Monday 7th September | 5 hour drive 260km: As you will be at the hotel for two nights, today is the day for those early birds amongst the group that want to capture a sunrise over the Estrela peaks before breakfast. The official 5 hour planned route today includes, what we believe, to be the best roads to enjoy around the parque ,before venturing south onto some of the fabulous sweeping roads from our Ruta Del Sol tour in 2025! A day for drivers to really enjoy their cars in a true driving paradise.
Tuesday 8th September | 6.5 hour drive 460km: The longest day of the tour heading back north, to reach Leon for our final 2 nights stay of the tour, is a real mix of roads, including some sections of quiet Portuguese motorway before hitting the N221 which flirts with the Spanish border, and is a close relation of the N222, which is certainly in our view more than equal to its more famous cousin!
Lunch will be at one of our old favourite restaurants near Braganca, which is well worth the stopover for an extended lunch, as we will have the second free evening of the tour in the historic city of Leon.
Wednesday 9th September | 4.5 hour drive 310km: The penultimate day of driving is a beautiful loop that heads across to the edges of the Galicia mountains, offering a great mix of both open and tighter technical sections of road through this part of Spain! Alternatively, if you wish to have a day off from behind the wheel before your final day of driving back to the ferry tomorrow, you can have a lie-in and explore the city’s famous gothic cathedral, before a final group dinner in the hotel.
Thursday 10th September | 4.5 hour drive 280km: The drive back to Santander to catch the ferry will get underway at 8:30am, ensuring we have enough time to reach the ferry for check-in by 3:00pm at the latest. Our final route we have planned through the heart of the Picos de Europa is not to be missed, and ends just 50km from Santander, so it’s well worth getting up early for, as there will be plenty of time to relax on the 22-hour crossing back to Plymouth. Once onboard the boat, we can relax and enjoy a few beers and chat over the week’s tour with some new and old friends, ahead of a final group dinner in the Pont-Aven’s main à la carte restaurant Le Flora (INCLUDED in your package).
Friday 11th September: Time to say your final farewells over breakfast before disembarking at 11:15am to head for home!
Please note: Routes and timings are just a guide and are subject to change.
