Lisboa
A
bike ride is an excellent orientation to Lisbon and its
sites, as seen from vantage points shared by few others,
either Portuguese or foreign. You will see a variety of
homes as we begin our ride, through the large mansions of
Lisboa's "diplomatic quarter", Restelo, recent
high rise apartment houses and more the traditional Portuguese
lanes. Then, suddenly, is Monsanto Park, known aptly as
"Pulmão de Lisboa", Lisbon's lungs.
There's a two-mile
on-road warm-up climb through Restelo,
Lisboa's "diplomatic quarter,"
and then an off-road 10-12 miles through
the wooded hills of Monsanto Park.
The path is a mix of single-track,
gravel, and dirt roads, and they are
sometimes rocky and/or muddy. There
are views of Lisbon in all directions.
We'll follow the stone arches of the
early 18th century aqueduct, past old
quarry sites offering some (optional)
technical challenges. There are frequent
but short climbs and descents. We'll
circumnavigate the park, then descend
back on the road past Ajuda Palace,
Ajuda Gardens, Jerónimos Monastery,
the Presidential Palace, and down to
the Tejo River. There is flat cycling
waterside to the rest stop at Docas,a
trendy waterfront area, then back along
the waterfront past the Discoveries
monument and the Torre de Belém.
Price includes one day guided tour,
bike rental and guide.
Next
ride
