This ride is a tour through several beautiful parks on the border of Portugal with Spain. We leave from the campsite and drive south through the Parque Natural da Serra de São Mamede, a beautiful greenery with an exceptionally beautiful view on the higher parts.

You will stay at Camping Beirã-Marvão in Alentejo Portugal, this campsite is on the border with Spain and is run by Dutch people.

The campsite, the starting point, is located in the Portuguese Nature Park Serra de São Mamede, the still undiscovered part of the so unexpectedly beautiful North Alentejo in Portugal. But at the same time also within the De Taag International Nature Park.

The first stop is already after about 10 kilometers in the town of Marvão (RP3), where we stop to visit the beautiful sights. As you approach the town there are several small parking places, from where you can walk to the village on foot. Marvão is also called the eagle's nest and lies at an altitude of 856 meters on a granite wall, on one of the peaks of the Serra de São de Mamede. Marvão is completely walled and lies in the Alto Alentejo near the Spanish border, which was once guarded from the village. The imposing fortress walls of Marvão are made of granite and fit perfectly into the landscape to merge with the rocky ridge.

Marvão is full of radiant white houses and is an ideal place to enjoy an extraordinary panorama of the plain and the mountains. Just outside the village is Castelo de Marvão, it used to be a strategic detention fortress, focused on the border, only 13 km away. It also formed an effective retreat and an extraordinary point of observation and surveillance, as it is clearly the second most important route of penetration of the armies of the neighboring country, from Valencia de Alcântara, into a vast area of the Alto Alentejo that flows from Badajoz to the Tagus. A beautiful castle from where you have a beautiful view over the vast area.

After this nice stop we will really enjoy the ride, we take the N359, a nice wide 2-lane road to Portagem (RP6), this is also a very nice village to stop for a while. In the river Sever a beautiful, natural swimming pool has been created with a dam, where you can relax and enjoy the fresh clean water, nearby are picnic tables and several restaurants.

Shortly after Portagem we turn left and take the M521, which winds wonderfully through the beautiful Nature Park, after about 7 kilometers you will come to a roundabout where you turn right and continue on the M522, after about 2½ kilometers you drive straight on the M1044-2 on, this is a nice narrow road among the orchards, note the quality of the road surface is slightly less good here, but the surroundings are all the better. You drive through a rugged area with the occasional typical Portuguese white house or farmhouse, many trees in the beautiful fresh and green hills.

In Alegrete we stop at RP8 to visit the Castelo do Alegrete, here you have a spectacular view. In the "historic center" it is also very nice, with a blue and white church.

We now drive the last kilometers in the southern part of the Serra de São Mamede Natural Park towards the border with Spain, this part is fairly flat, stretched out with green meadows and orchards. Everything is fenced in, so it is not accessible more than ever.

In Spain the weather is wide with many orchards and vineyards. We continue to swing nicely to the Villar del Rey dam (RP20) where the Sierra de San Pedro enter. This is almost uninhabited area with many trees. Many special birds breed in this area and with a bit of luck you will be able to spot Spanish Imperial eagles, monk vultures, black storks, kestrels and golden eagles.

After a nice drive you will arrive in Alburquerque (RP23), a nice town with a square with restaurants and a castle on the mountain on the outskirts of the city. This castle "Castillo de Luna" is definitely worth the walk up, because you have a beautiful view over the city and the surrounding area.

We leave Alburquerque and drive on the EX-110 via San Vicente de Alcántara and Valencia de Alcántara back to Portugal. The last part of the drive to the campsite we drive through the Serra de São Mamede Natural Park.

This beautiful tour is worth 5 ***** stars, the roads are beautiful and of good quality with enough curves to enjoy. The nature is varied and beautiful and you drive through almost uninhabited area so there is also little traffic on the way. This ride is easy to drive even for less experienced drivers.