I toured southern Portugal for two weeks back in Oct-Nov 2000. It might also apply to northern Portugal. I started in Lisbon and went south along the coast more or less to a lighthouse/fort that is the most western point in Portugal. Then more or less flooowed the coast east to Lagos Portugal and into Spain. Then headed back to Lisbon through the interior or Portugal. In general the roads were OK. One though had the worst potholes I've ever seen. Broke the Blackburn lowrider rack mount. Had to use a piece of fence wire and pliers to fix it. Lot of chip seal roads. But not really bad. Not much traffic on most of the roads I was on. Right around Lisbon there was much more traffic on the roads. But that is the capital of the country and the most populous city in the country. Still not bad compared to most US cities. No problems with drivers. No problems finding food, lodging.
The three things I remember most about Portugal are 1. cork trees with their cork bark stripped off. 2. Port wine. Delicious. And 3. the trash along the roads and in the ditches. I have never seen as much trash on roadsides. And I've been in most parts of the US. Plastic water bottles everywhere. Trash everywhere. The most memorable of the trash was at some catholic roadside pulloff in the hills near a town. You could see the town from atop this hill. It had a religious statue here. And trash everywhere. I think people used this place as their local dump. Or everyone for miles around drove here to throw out their water bottles and other trash in their car. It was memorable.