Thursday 3 May 2018: Loulé - Sanlúcar de Guadiana (Spain): 104 km - 20ºC mixed sky

Drive to Spain where the first thing we did was to put gasoline in our camper (it's about 25 cts per liter cheaper than in Portugal). We stopped in Villablanca to visit the old wind mills, then to Sanlúcar de Guadiana. Walk to the little harbour, a caña at the snack-bar Chiringuito Guadiana (2,20 €), then back through the upper village streets. There will be the annual Romeria (always on the first weekend of May). Parking and overnight at the aire for campers (with fresh drinking water and dump, all free of charge) N 37º28'10" W 7º27'50"

Friday 4 May 2018: Sanlúcar de Guadiana (Spain) - Barrancos - Parque Natureza Noudar (Portugal): 151 km - 27ºC sunny

Volker got some good bread from a hidden bakery and we enjoyed a relaxed breakfast. Drive up to the fort Forte do * and visit inside (2,50€ pax). This fort was reconstructed to his last stage but it shows some parts like they were before restoration. Drive to the Puebla de Guzmán where we bought meat and  cheese at El Jamón. Then through Rosal de la Frontera and, whoop,  ack to Portugal! We stopped at Barrancos and had lunch at the restaurant Miradouro (simple but good, 37 €). A short walk through town and then drive to the Parque de Natureza de Noudar. After getting some information at the Monte da Coitadinha, which also includes two farmhouses turned into accomodation places and a restaurant, we drove to the Castelo de Noudar (free of charge, closed on Mondays, opening hours from 10-17:30 April-October, 10-16:30 October-March). N38º10´37" W7º3'40"

Saturday 5 May 2018: Parque Natureza de Noudar: (Portugal): 26ºC sunny

We took off in the morning to two walks (total 8,7 km 300m elevation gain). Wonderful landscape with beautiful flowers and rivers. After lunch we just relaxed. No programme for this afternoon! Overnight stay at the same place down from the Noudar Fort.

Sunday 6 May 2018: Parque Natureza de Noudar - Barrancos: 24 km - 27ºC sunny in the morning, thunderstorms in the afternoon

Rented a all terrain buggy (20 €/hour for non-guests of the hotel). We first drove to the Torre da Vigia then the other way round to the river Murdega and back, accross all type of roads and non-roads. Drive to Barrancos. Parked above the cute village park and started the walk "Da Serra Colorada ao Cerro do Calvário" for about 7 km, passing by former customs and also border control buildings to Spain. Back home, we managed to have lunch outside (grilled solomillo de cerdo) just before the thunderstorms reached Barrancos. N38º8'17" W6º58'42".

Monday 7 May 2018: Barrancos -  Pomarão (alt. 10 m): 121 km - 28ºC and hot in the morning, then in Spain thunderstorms, in Portugal sunny and hot again

Volker did the other part of the walk, Julia joined him for the last 5 km. After a shower we drove to Rosal de la Frontera, but just took petrol, because it was raining dogs and cats! Drive to Pomarão passing through São Domingos where we bought some groceries. Then we settled along the Guadiana River next to the old shipyard that was used for the São Domingos mines. Like the other campers we used our awning and had a late lunch outside. N37º33'22" W7º31'35".

Tuesday 8 May 2018: Pomarão - Loulé:

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