The Best of Portugal
It
is true that Portugal is a small country but few nations
can claim such diverse natural beauty and such historical
richness, well conserved and easily accessed - by mountain
bikes! The trails of Portugal - through mountains and plains,
cities and villages, and along dramatic sea cliffs - are
what mountain bikers dream of, and will lead us to what
is hidden from most travelers, including the average urban
Portuguese.
The region the tour crosses presents
great conditions for both mountain biking
and traveling. You will discover a bucolic
and scenic landscape, with fields covered
in beautiful flowers of every color in
spring and whitewashed hilltop houses!
On the way, you will find chapels, megalithic
monuments, roman ruins and castles, all
providing good reference points for keeping
our bearings!
The Alentejo is a very well-preserved
area — not only the landscape, heritage
and architecture, but its culture and
ancient knowledge, and we will take you
the best places to experience it at its
best. Alentejo is a must with its Turismo
rural houses, traditional food featuring
fish and meat meals (of renowned quality
in typical tascas) and the local
wine and atmosphere makes all the difference.
Price includes: 9 days, 8
nights accommodation with breakfast, 6 dinners w/ wine or
beer, 6picnics, guide, daily itinerary details, back-up
vehicle w/ luggage shuttling and transfers from/to Lisboa.
Day-by-day details
Day
1
We will be in
the airport to pick you and your bike
and transfer you to your accommodation
in Lisboa. Welcome Dinner
(D)
Day 2
Sintra/Cascais
- Natural Park
Ride from Sintra on sloping hills and
the great Mediterranean forest trails
towards Guincho beach. Visit Pena Palace,
amazing eclectic style from the 19th
century, and the Moorish Castle —
a great place for a warm-up! Arriving
in Guincho, you can finish here, or
ride along the coast into the heart
of Cascais, once a fishing village,
now a sophisticated tourist town!
(35 k/22 m)
(B) (L)
Day 3
Marvão
I - Cave Paintings
Optional rides or sightseeing and shopping
in Marvão
Marvão is built amidst granite
boulders well in the east of Portugal,
near the border with Spain. Once there,
we will criss-cross the Spanish-Portuguese
border by ancient smuggling routes
(no passports needed!). We will ride
to a site with cave paintings 3000
years old.
(35 k/22 m)
(B) (L) (D)
Day 4
Marvão
II - Natural Park
We will start riding right from the
medieval fortified town center of Marvão,
descending the cobblestoned ancient
trail! We will be seeing Marvão
sitting on the top of the hill from
different and surprising angles, ending
the day with visit to an ancient Roman
settlement.
(35 k/22 m)
(B) (L) (D)
Day 5
Évora
I - Megalithic Ride
We will be in the area of the oldest
human habitation on the Iberian Peninsula,
and signs are everywhere. After visiting
the three major megalithic monuments,
3000 to 5000 years old, we shall ride
to Évora, reaching the main
square, Praça do Giraldo, where
every street converges.
(45 k/28 m)
(B) (L) (D)
Day 6
Monsaraz - Vineyards Ride
Monsaraz is another unforgettable medieval fortified village,
with slate-paved narrow streets. Ride ancient trails, extensive
vineyards and the grounds of Monsaraz through olive trees
hundreds of years old, before entering the property of the
winery, where the wine tasting will surely please you.
You may decide to visit Évora and do some sightseeing/shopping
in Évora. Do not miss the Bones Chapel, the Roman
temple, or the famous tile-lined cloisters of Évora
University.
(30 k/19 m)
(B) (L)
Day 7
Traveling Southwest
and sightseeing - Rest Day
En route to the Atlantic in the southwest,
we will stop in Beja for a visit and lunch.
Portugal and the sea have a close relationship,
and it is now time to discover the
beautiful shore of southwest Europe.
(B) (D)
Day 8
Carrapateira/Sagres - Nature Reserve
Sagres is place of historical importance to the Portuguese.
As we bike along the coast north of Sagres, we will explore
the least-visited, and most beautiful part of the Portuguese
Algarve - towering sea cliffs and difficult to access beaches.
Pine trees and the sea breezes lead us to a deserted expanse
of gorgeous beach after crossing impressive sand dunes!Then,
our Farewell Dinner.
(35 k/22 m)
(B) (L) (D)
Day 9- Last Day
Transfers to Lisbon or Faro Airports
and departure
We will be happy to drive you and your
bike to the airport at a previously
arranged schedule.
(B)
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