Satellite view of the best driving roads in Portugal

Country guide

The best driving roads in Portugal

All 13 driving roads in Portugal on one interactive map, including 1 world icon, each with its route, climb and best seasons.

Roads131 world icon
Combined237 mi381 km of driving
High point1,990 m6,529 ft

The five to build a trip around

Our ranking, icons first, with the reasoning on the table. All 13 roads follow below.

  1. 1

    Douro Valley

    N222Portugal · World Icon

    Voted the world’s best driving road, through terraced vineyards above the Douro.

    16 mi32 min
  2. 2

    Peneda-Gerês Forest Road (Mata da Albergaria)

    N308-1Portugal

    A storied national road (N308-1) climbing through the ancient Mata da Albergaria oakwood in Peneda-Geres National Park to the Portela do Homem pass on the Spanish border.

    8 mi16 min
  3. 3

    Encumeada to Paul da Serra

    ER105Madeira

    The high mountain road climbing from the Encumeada pass onto Madeira’s Paul da Serra plateau, with the Lombo do Mouro hairpin and Bica da Cana viewpoint.

    1,573 msummit
  4. 4

    Serra do Marão Road

    EN 15Portugal

    Every journey into Trás-os-Montes once came over this mountain, until the A4 tunnel took the traffic and left the EN 15 to people like us.

    1,021 msummit
  5. 5

    Serra da Arrábida

    N-379-1Portugal

    The Estrada de Escarpa does exactly what the name promises: 14 km riding the Arrabida ridge high above Setubal and Sesimbra, the Atlantic nearly 390 m below.

    12 mi25 min

Portugal

10 roads

Satellite map of Peneda-Gerês Forest Road (Mata da Albergaria) Peneda-Gerês Forest Road (Mata da Albergaria)8 mi · 16 min · 9 hairpinsView the roadbook ›

Madeira

3 roads

Satellite map of Encumeada to Paul da Serra Encumeada to Paul da Serra5 mi · 11 min · 1,573 m summitView the roadbook ›

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Driving in Portugal: common questions

What is the best driving road in Portugal?
Peneda-Gerês Forest Road (Mata da Albergaria) is the place to start. A storied national road (N308-1) climbing through the ancient Mata da Albergaria oakwood in Peneda-Geres National Park to the Portela do Homem pass on the Spanish border.
How many great driving roads does Portugal have?
13 roads in our catalogue, including 1 world icon, 237 miles of driving in all, every one traced from OpenStreetMap.
When is the best time to drive in Portugal?
Most of the roads here are at their best in spring and autumn.
What is the highest road in Portugal?
Serra da Estrela is the highest, climbing to about 1,990 m (6,529 ft).