Set out on the Estrada Nacional 2 adventure.

ESTRADA NACIONAL 2 (EN2 or N2) doesn't have to be a race. You must, within your availability, choose the time you will need. So you can decide where to sleep, where to eat and what to visit within your budget and your needs. 

Let's explore the Portugal rural interior, which much is said to be forgotten. 

Nowadays, despite deserving much more care than it is given, it is paved in its entirety. In some areas, extra attention is needed in order not to miss the EN2 . 

Starting in the mountains of Trás-os-Montes, we follow the famous vineyards of the Douro region, crossing the Beiras region, the Dão vineyards, the famous Schist villages area, the long plains of Alentejo, the Barrocal Algarvio where already you can almost smell the sea on the beaches in the south of the country. Special attention to navigation, in the central area of ​​the country, between Santa Comba Dão and Penacova. The old route of the EN2 coincides with the route of the current IP3. This is a poorly signposted area, where following the exact route can be confusing if we are not paying attention. 

What is the best time to travel along Estrada Nacional 2 ? 

Any one of course, but the best ones will be April/May and September/October. Due to the cooler weather that is normally felt. If you have the opportunity to do it more than once, do it at different times of the year and see the differences. The most striking difference is the landscape, not forgetting that walking through Alentejo lands at 40º at midday is not very advisable. 

How long does it take to travel along National Route 2?

Perhaps the most questioned by those who decide to go on this adventure. 

The answer is even more difficult, as it depends on the time you have available or the budget, we think these will be the 2 factors with more weight. 

Between 4 to 5 days will be a good average. There are plenty of things to do, visit or explore along the entire EN2. You can choose a route with more travel days and explore much more. Of course, you can also take advantage of a weekend to do the reconnaissance of the route and thus gain an appetite for the next longer journey.

A good way to start planning the trip is to divide the 738.5 km by the number of days you have available and calculate the daily average of km. Assuming that it is 4 days, it would give an average of 185 km's per day. Don't forget to add the Km's from house to Chaves and after Faro to house. 

Here are some suggestions: 

1 day- Chaves - Faro; 

2 days- Chaves - Vila de Rei - Faro; 

3 days- Chaves - Penacova - Mora - Faro; 

4 days- Chaves - Viseu - Vila de Rei - Alcáçovas - Faro; 

5 days- Chaves - Castro Daire - Gois - Ponte Sor - Ferreira do Alentejo - Faro; 

6 days- Chaves - Castro Daire - Vila Nova Poiares - Sardoal - Montemor-o-Novo - Castro Verde - Faro; 

7 days- Chaves - Lamego - Santa Comba Dão - Gois - Abrantes - Montemor-o-Novo - Aljustrel - Faro; 

10 days- Chaves - Santa Marta de Penaguião - Castro Daire - Santa Comba Dão - Gois - Sertã - Ponte Sor - Montemor-o-Novo - Ferreira do Alentejo - Almodôvar - Faro; 

15 days- Chaves - Vila Pouca Aguiar - Peso da Régua - Castro Daire - Tondela - Penacova - Gois - Pedrogão Pequeno - Vila de Rei - Montargil - Montemor-o-Novo - Santiago do Escoural - Ferreira do Alentejo - Castro Verde - São Bras of Alportel - Faro. 

Or else, go without planning, the good people along the EN2 don't let anyone sleep in the street or go hungry. 

A "good friend" to plan this trip is the "Roteiro EN2". A Guide with over 500 pages full of useful information that you can get here. 

You can also consult the "Eat and drink", "To sleep" and "To visit" tabs. 

And who doesn't like discounts or offers? In the "Vouchers" tab you can see the various advantages of the Comunidade EN2 Partners along the entire road. Send an email to comunidadeen2@gmail.com and ask for all or just those that interest you, free of charge. 

Wishes for an excellent trip/adventure!!! And above all have fun!!