I'd second that recommendation to do the Camino. I also did it in 2004, but started in Perpignan, crossed the Pyrennes at Somport and turned west at Jaca. It's a beautiful route following medieval churches and villages for much if not most of the way.

However, getting to Portugal from Santiago de Compostelle was tough going in places - namely Pontevedra.

Santiago to Sanxenxo

Sanxenxo to Caminha - Portugal

A visit to Sanxenxo is definitely recommended.

@Jim - Lagos is all yours buddy - you can have my pitch, no worries...

for folk music go to COIMBRA to listen to the famous portuguese FADO music. it is a beautiful old university town - the oxford or cambridge of portugal.get friendly witha bunch of students at bars or where they live in the REPUBLICAS.You could check out Republica Bota Baixo ( on top of hill ), take a bottle of homemade Bagacoa ( local firewater ) and see if anyone remembers english cyclist Jim from 2000, and ask if they have abed for the nite.there is also campsite in Coimbra,about 2 or 3 km from centre,easy bike ride away.
If you want a beautiful peaceful nearby village in hills, head for a place called GOIS ,about 30km eastish of coimbra.
jim.

Hi,Jim in Finland here.I have spent 2 yrs cycling thru Port/Spain and morrocco. south portugal is obviously warmer than the north so you may get some rain in april coming down from north, but it will be warmer than Hastings and it could be well over 20c or more by late April. As u head south the weather shud get drier.The north is Green Portugal as it gets more rain than the baking summer plains of Alentejo. Portugal is a wonderful country to cycle, the scenery is for me varied and beautiful, there are quite a few campsites, and wild camping is possible if u have experience.It is still fairly cheap by europe standards and you may still find a double room for €20. For campsite info go to www.roteiro-campista.pt which u shud find very useful. campsites are generally half price between oct to end of march or april, but if you use this guide you will prob still find places for less than €10 for 2 people and a tent. the guy who did not like the municiple campsite in Lagos - I can see some of his point, but we have always enjoyed staying there, you are 5 to 20 mins walk away from some amazing beaches, close to the centre, the place has its own coffee shop and you wont get a sleep place for 2 people and a tent for €6 ( winter price - maybe double in summer ) anywhere else.Also the restauarant right next door is very cheap and has many locals eating there.
For the end of a long days cycle in Portugal you can buy a perfectly good bottle wine in a supermarket from € 1 and away from touristy fashoinable areas you can still find 3 course meals for €5 including half litre of wine each.
Youth hostels in Portugal tend to charge € 8 to 10 each,but in Porto and Lisbon 13 to 15.In Porto you can find double rooms in basic but nice hostals.2 min walk from main train stn, just head up the hill.
PORTUGAL DOES HAVE SOME AWFUL DRIVERS SO BE CAREFUL,THEY OVERTAKE ON BLIND CORNERS AND HILLTOPS.YOU WILL NEED TO THINK FOR THEM AS WELL.THAT SAID I NEVER HAD AN ACCIDENT OR NEAR MISS THERE.
On coming from France and Spain - have you thoguht about fllowing the Pilgrims road the " camino santaigo ". you can google it. It would be a good way to travel acrross the top of northern spain and into Mihno province of Portugal. Its a christian catholice pilgrimage but YOU DONT HAVE TO BE CHRISTIAN OR CATHOLIC TO DO IT.Many people do the camino also for sport / fun / meet great people / cheap beds etc.
The most popular French Route starts in the small french village of St.Jean Pied de Port ( near Biaritzz / Bayonne ) in the French Pyrennes and from there goes UPHILL ALL THE WAY 27KM to the abbey village of Roncevallas in Spain.the french call it Ronceveux i think. From there it is about 750km to santiago Compostela via Pamplona, Logrono, Burgos, Leon, Astorga and into Galicia and Santiago.
To do this you need to sign up and get your free pilgrim passport.This allows you access to the very cheap ( € 5 to 10 pp ) pilgrims refuge hostels along the route, so long as you walk , cycle or travel by horse ( no drivers ). The hostels are no further than 20km apart. Most cyclists do the french route in 7 or 10 days but take longer as there is much to see. each night you get to meet a nice bunch of people, use the kitchen and launry facilites etc.In the last Spanish province of galica the refuges are on a donation basis, so esentailly free if you are broke.
you can find lots of up to date camino and refuge info at the cofratenity of st james site,just google it if interested.If you do get to Santiago I would recommend doing the last few days onto the end of the world at Finnistere, from where you can follow the Rias baixas ( kind of like norwegain fjords but not really ) coastline down into Portugal.There is a lovely youth hostel in the portugues border town of Vila Nova Ceveira.
as an extra recommendation to try to inspire you to do the camino I will add that you will also pass through some of Spains finest wine producing area - 1st Navarra, then into Rioja, Ribeiro Duero ( Burgos ) and onto galicia with its famous white Ribeiros, perfect with you squid or octopus ;-)
hope some of this has been useful for you, sorry I waffled on but it's minus 20 here in finland right now and i dont have much else to do.
please dont hesitate to get in touch if i can help anymore.
may the air always be in your tyres and the wind on your back,
best wishes,
jim fullwood.

I did this route in September 2004.

It was harder going in the north, with busier roads, bad signposting, and the campsites were a little harder to find.

The north was friendlier, but the south better looking.

Other than that, there's a "coastal plain" for much of the way that gives a steady day's riding and a cool breeze.

I would recommend the Algarve above the rest of Portugal that I saw, with the exception of the municipal campsite in Lagos.

Aljezur to Lagos

Lagos to Olhao

Bon Voyage

Rob