Country guide
The best driving roads in Portugal
12 hand-picked driving roads in Portugal, every one mapped from real geometry and fact-checked, including 1 world icon.
The five to build a trip around
Our ranking, icons first, with the reasoning on the table. All 12 roads follow below.
-
1
16 mi32 minDouro Valley
Voted the world’s best driving road, through terraced vineyards above the Douro.
-
2
8 mi16 minPeneda-Gerês Forest Road (Mata da Albergaria)
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.
-
3
1,573 msummitEncumeada to Paul da Serra
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.
-
4
1,021 msummitSerra do Marão Road
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.
-
5
12 mi25 minSerra da Arrábida
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.
Portugal 9 roads
Peneda-Gerês Forest Road (Mata da Albergaria)8 mi · 16 min · 9 hairpinsView the roadbook ›
Spain
Morocco
Andorra