August 12: N2 Takes My Breath Away

Woohoo! What a ride! Today’s adventure on the N2 in Portugal was well worth going over 1,000 miles out of the way for. After two days of taking main roads in the searing heat, I was chortling with joy as fellow adventurer Gary Medin and I swooped around one glorious mountain curve after another, passing stunning valleys, vineyards, rivers, and farms on our way south from Chaves.

Heading out this morning, Gary and I stopped at the sticker covered kilometer marker 0 as well as one of the larger iconic yellow markers for photo opportunities before heading towards Vila Real. There seemed to be almost a celebratory mood amongst the other motorists we met here as well as on the road – cars honked, motorcyclists waved, and everyone pulled over to capture images of the stunning views.

From the very beginning, this route through the rural heartland of Portugal provided one visual treat after another. Heading through the first few small villages, I could see the road snaking back and forth among the houses and farms in front of me while trees formed a canopy of shade above me.

As we headed further south the valley to our right opened to provide a vast sweeping view of dozens of beautifully terraced and manicured vineyards on the sides of the sloped foothills with villages clustered at the base and the Marao mountain range rising above them all. The lush green vines neatly plotted and trimmed in such intricate patterns on every cleft and hill simply took my breath away.

North of Lamego Gary and I took a detour on route 222 to follow the Douro River as it snaked along to the west before turning around and continuing south. After we passed the 100-kilometer marker on N2, the landscape became less mountainous and green and was replaced by amber rolling hills, beautiful in their own right.

I have to say that this road captivated my heart, and I would recommend it to anyone, biker or not. For me, I did find it helpful in this case to have a traveling partner as it was sometimes difficult to keep track of which direction the road went, particularly in villages with many roundabouts and forks in the road. In addition to having the benefit of two heads – and navigation apps—it was also fun to ride with such a great friend. What an incredible adventure!