The Rides
bikeIberia
provides you with a unique opportunity where you can experience
the best of Iberia. Our local and experienced guides will
enable you to see the essence of Portugal and Spain by road
or by trail. For those just wanting a shorter trip, we offer
the 'Iberian Samplers" -- road and off-road rides of
1 to 2days. For those wanting the full experience,
we recommend our "Iberian Adventures" -- trips
greater than 3 days.
Road touring routes use low-traffic country
roads with good tarmac wherever possible. For Mountain Biking,
we tend to use farmland, and double-track trails through
forests. Some trails do use medieval cobblestonned tracks,
especially when accessing castles on hilltops. Single tracks
are common in the mountainous areas.
The advanced biker
will always find challenges along the
way. We select routes according to
landscape and points of historical
interest. We never use same way out
and back -- our routes are always either
a loop or one-way. Because we are Iberians
and we know the area so well, it is
ALWAYS possible to adjust routes according
to each group's level of experience,
and participants will always have the
final word when choosing the level
of technical challenge.
Rating
We all know
what we can ride and still get back
home: length, type of terrain, and
trail surface. This experience is invaluable
when understanding our rating system.
Try to compare our descriptions with
your own experience, as we rate our
routes based on the experiences of
our previous participant's comments
and performance.
Ratings are always very subjective,
but we hope by providing a short description of the route
and an easy to difficult rating, you will be able to decide
which ride will be best for you.
Note: Please remember that we'll never force you
to ride, and BikeIberia's Support Vehicle will always be
there if you need them.
Road Rides
Iberian Samplers - 1 to 2 day rides
Megalithic
Ride
An easy
to moderate loop ride on backroads
through the area of oldest human inhabitation
on the Iberian Peninsula. Great opportunity
to discover megalithic monuments up
to 5000 years old situated in a beautiful
countryside.
Évora - 1 Day
Entry-level
1 day ride for those interested in
some safe and enjoyable biking while
discovering Évora and the Arraiolos
area.
Évora
- Arraiolos
2 days
ride, requiring some road cycling experience,
enabling participants to discover amazing
archeological sites en route to Arraiolos
and Évora.
Évora
- Estremoz
Moderate
2 days ride, requiring road cycling
experience, enabling participants to
discover the Marble Triangle towns
and area: Estremoz, Borba and Vila
Viçosa!
Évora - Monsaraz
Moderate 2 days
ride, requiring cycling experience,
enabling participants to discover the
medieval fortified village of Monsaraz
and River Guadiana valley.
Iberian Adventures - 3+ day rides
The
Alentejo Heritage and Wine Route
Discover central
Alentejo enchantments! Many interesting
heritage sites while discovering the
quality wines of Alentejo, all en route!
After UNESCO World Heritage town -
Évora, you will ride to Megalithic
Monuments' sites... finishing in Monsaraz!
Salamanca
- The Cherries Path
An incredible journey that
spans from Portugal into Spain. Enjoy the richness of the
countryside and finish up in beautiful city of Salamanca
Sagres:
Southwest Portugal - Coastal Route
This road tour, beginning/ending in the dramatically scenic
Sagres/ Aljezur area, offers a unique insight into the unspoiled
West Coast of the Algarve region. The Costa Vicentina is
a feast for the eyes, a landscape vibrant with natural beauty,
so little touched by the passing centuries that it seems
barely to have registered human presence at all.
Coastal SW Iberian Route
The SW coast of Portugal and Spain is particularly well preserved and is still being protected by the Nature Reserves of Arrábida, SW Alentejo and the Vicentina coasts. In the low hills the Algarve south coast we still find villages with a well-preserved culture, architecture and heritage, and Ria Formosa reserve. Entering in Spain is the Doñana National Park awaiting us.
Off-Road Rides
Iberian Samplers - 1 to 2 day rides
Lisboa
Amazing easy to moderate ride,
65% off-road, in Portugal's capital city center park, with
its incredible views of Lisboa, and amazing technical challenges
for those who enjoy venturing on them!
Sintra and Cascais
A moderate - moderate to difficult
ride, 65% off-road, with stunning views from Peninha Chapel
to Cabo da Roca, westernmost tip of European mainland and
Guincho beach. Arrival to Cascais.
Arrábida
The name Arrábida is
from Arabic meaning a place of prayer, and the wooded hillsides
are indeed a peaceful, secluded retreat. This moderate ride,
75% off-road, has an impressive arrival: 3 miles downhill
to a traditional fisherman's/smugglers' beach!
The Castle of Sesimbra
The wild beauty of the woods
and thickets of the Arrábida Mountains contrast strongly
with the intense blue of the sea. Coastal easy to moderate
- moderate ride, 95% off-road, towering sandstone cliffs.
Admire Dinosaur's footprints before arriving to Sesimbra
an ancient fishermen's town.
Megalithic Ride I
A moderate ride 80% off-road
ride through the area of oldest human habitation on the
Iberian Peninsula. Great opportunity to discover megalithic
monuments up to 5000 years old in a beautiful countryside.
Megalithic Ride II
Easy to moderate 100% off-road
ride visiting megalithic monuments and Roman ruins sites
hidden in an amazing typical Mediterranean landscape.
Évora to Monsaraz
There
have been always trails used by messengers,
warriors, farmers, and shepherds and
we will follow them between Évora
and Monsaraz!
Iberian Adventures - 3+ day
rides
