Grand Atlantic Tour 3.14
Experience the ultimate in cycling holidays and explore the beauty of the Algarve and the Costa Vicentina on two wheels!
Overview
Cycle along the two most beautiful coasts of Europe!
Cycling tour (15 days / 14 nights / 11 tours) An unforgettable experience awaits you on these two unique stretches of coastline. The trip takes you along the varied south coast from east to west and in the southwest of Portugal, right through the nature reserve "Costa Vicentina" further north, along the breathtaking, lonely beaches and cliffs.
Description
Begin your journey in Vila Real de Santo António and finish near Lisbon, in Setúbal. Experience the breathtaking coastal region of the Algarve on an unforgettable bike tour. From the extensive sandy beaches and lagoons in the eastern Sotavento to the reddish, rugged cliffs and picturesque coves in the western Barlavento. Discover the unique variety of the coastal landscape during your bike tour, ranging from marsh areas and dune formations to the wild beauty of Costa Vicentina. Immerse yourself in a natural park covering an area of 75,000 hectares, which is a habitat for numerous species and is cherished by zoologists and botanists from around the world. This bike tour offers you the opportunity to experience the diverse natural beauty of the Algarve up close, away from the tourist centers and larger cities.
Itinerary
Individual arrival and check-in at the hotel in Faro. Personal welcome, travel briefing, handover, and adjustment of the bikes according to your wishes by Algarve Cycling.
By train to Vila Real de Santo António (included). Then on the bike, along the river Guadiana to the sea. Through pine forests, citrus and vine plantations past the historic town of Cacela Velha. Here begins the beautiful nature park called "Ria Formosa", a lagoon area with many sandbanks, islands, and waterways. Large mussel fields and salt basins, from which the famous "Flor de Sal" originates, alternate with each other. Through this area, you cycle on beautifully laid out cycle paths to Tavira. Tavira is a historical town that has kept its character over the centuries and where you can see the changing history and the economic development in the buildings.
With the sea breeze from the nearby Atlantic Ocean in your face, you cycle along beautiful cycle paths through the fishing villages of Santa Luzia and Pedras del Rei to Fuseta. During a rest at the harbor promenade, you can watch the fishermen working on their colorfully painted boats. The fishermen here are specialized in catching octopus. Afterward, we go to the largest, still active fishing port in Olhão. Right at the entrance to the town, there is a large information park about the region. It is worth discovering the old town, with many restaurants offering seafood specialties and the busy harbor. The next stop is the capital of the Algarve, Faro. Well-maintained, marked bike paths lead to the historic old town, which is surrounded by an old city wall. After a few turns of the pedals at the marina and past the beautifully maintained park "Manuel Bivar" you reach the hotel.
Shortly after they start again into the natural park "Ria Formosa". Through picturesque lagoons with many water birds, groups of flamingos, and storks, you cycle on narrow paths along the sea, past sophisticated villas, parks, and beautifully landscaped golf courses. Via the promenade of Quarteira, you reach one of the biggest marinas in Portugal, Vilamoura, with its many restaurants, which invite you to take a break. Crossing a small bridge, you will reach the wide white sandy beach of Falesia and roll along it until you reach Olhos de Água, where you will find your next accommodation.
Through the village of Albufeira, a former fishing village, now a vibrant tourist resort of the Algarve, you cycle to Galé. Continue along a long wooden plank path through the protected dune area "Salgados" to the village of Armação de Pêra. Worth seeing is the chapel "A Nossa Srª da Rocha", on a cliff that juts far out into the sea. From here on, the coastline changes. Steeply sloping reddish cliffs with small sandy bays now dominate the picture. Close to the cliffs and along the deep blue Atlantic you roll to the wide estuary delta of the Rio Arade. Very good bike paths lead along the delta to Portimão to the beautiful beach of "Praia da Rocha", situated directly below high cliffs.
Today begins with a ride to the small fishing town of Alvor. Winding alleys lead through the town and up to the wide estuary delta of the Rio Alvor, a risky marshland with channels and a mudflat-like lagoon landscape, a refuge for many water birds. Down to the sea, to the largest oyster farm in the Algarve, which is visible at low tide. Along the wide beach "Meia Praia" you reach Lagos. Crossing a bridge, we enter the marina and continue into the city, which is steeped in history. Along the palm-lined promenade, you reach the former slave market. Passing the "Bandeira" fort, we reach the "Costa d'Oro", the most beautiful section of the Algarve coastline, with golden-yellow, uniquely shaped rocks and rock spires rising steeply out of the sea. Passing the lighthouse "Ponte de Piedade" you cycle to Praia da Luz, today's destination, a quiet village by the sea with an old church.
Immediately after the start, the route continues over Burgau and a chain of hills, close to the cliffs, with a fantastic view of the deep blue Atlantic and the distant coast of Sagres. Crossing a secluded bay, we climb up to a hilltop from where we can see the small fishing village of Salema, situated on a sandy beach, beautifully framed by high cliffs. Afterward, the route goes up to the small village of Figueiras and continues across a barren steppe landscape, where megaliths can be seen in isolated places, testifying to a settlement several thousand years ago. Passing a small bay with a nice restaurant, we reach the village of Raposeira. Famous for the home of Henry the Navigator and a chapel built by him. We continue over a plateau to Sagres. The town is located on a promontory at the tip of which is the extensive, carefully renovated fortress of Sagres.
The place impresses with its wild rocky landscape with high cliffs. The history of Sagres has always been determined by its geographical location and its breathtaking landscape with the headland jutting into the sea.
From the hotel, we will first go to the most southwestern point of Europe, Cabo de São Vicente, with its lighthouse high above the cliffs. Continue over a hilltop to "Praia da Cordama" and then a steep path leads to the mostly deserted bay, "Praia Barriga". Both are framed by impressive, high cliffs. At low tide, you can even cycle along the sandy beach from Praia to Praia and save yourself the crossing of the hilltop. Afterward, on a steep, winding road, you will go up to the main road. On this road, you will cycle through an evergreen macchia-dominated landscape towards Carrapateira or Pedralva.
In front of the village, you turn off towards "Praia do Amado" to an incomparably beautiful bike route, which leads along cliffs, with fantastic views over the deep blue Atlantic and two sandy bays. Afterward, you will reach the main road again on which you will cycle for 2 km, and then come back to a natural road on which you can cycle to Aljezur. You will reach the town through a hill on which there are the ruins of an old Moorish castle. Then you will cycle through the narrow streets of the old town and across the river "Ribeira Aljezur". Today you cycle at the beginning over wide fields. Wild herbs grow everywhere, which together with the wildflowers, grasses, cork oaks, and eucalyptus groves give the countryside a wonderful scent. You will come to the town of Odeceixe, with beautiful whitewashed houses with red roofs, located above one of the most beautiful sandy beaches of the tour.
After the village of Odeceixe, we cross the river, which is also the border between the Algarve and the Alentejo. Crossing the typical Alentejo landscape, with large flat fields, cork oak, and pine groves, you cycle to the pretty village of Zambujeiro de Mar, with a beautiful circular village square high above the cliffs, offering a great view over the rocky coastline and the sea. The further drive takes you past the lighthouse "Sentinela do Cabo Sardão". The biggest surprise here is the white storks on rock nests. The section here is considered the only place in the world where the storks breed on reefs in the sea and are even native and can be seen all year round. Afterward, you will reach Vila Nova de Milfontes via a large bridge that crosses the wide "Ribeira Mira", which flows into the sea here. The pretty village is situated on the edge of a cliff above the river bank and the sea. Below the cliffs and on both sides of the river are beautiful bathing bays.
First, we head inland. The countryside alternates between cultivated and uncultivated fields. Lush vegetation is mostly found only along streams and rivers. Occasionally there are olive trees and cork oaks in the fields. After 15 km you come back to the rocky coast and to a ruined fortress, which was built in the 17th century to defend against pirates. Far out in the sea, you will see the "Ilha do Pessegueiro" where there is also a fortress that serves the same purpose. Immediately after, you will reach a fantastic viewpoint from which you can overlook the whole coastal area and the small fishing town of Porto Côvo. Afterward, you will cycle through this town and further on mostly directly along the shore to Sines. Along this route, there are always small beautiful sandy bays. Afterward, you will cycle a part on a bicycle path and further on a side road to your next accommodation.
Shortly after the start, you cycle past the large natural park "Lagoas de Santo André", a lagoon-dune belt with many water birds including storks and flamingos. A little later, near Melide, there is a small idyllic inland lake, located directly on the sea, which invites you to swim. After that, the area is characterized by rice fields, pine groves, and a flat fine sandy beach that reaches Tróia as well as individually standing colorfully painted houses. At the end of the rice fields, in Comporta, you can visit a small museum dedicated to the rice harvest and its processing. On a dead straight road, along the long sandy beach, which unfortunately is not visible because it is hidden by the dunes, you cycle through the dune landscape of the Tróia peninsula to the ferry terminal. By ferry (included) you cross the Sado estuary delta to Setubal. The Sado estuary is a huge nature reserve with a fertile wetland, large rice fields, and a nesting area for over 200 species of birds including storks. This area is also home to a large colony of dolphins, which can sometimes be seen during the crossing. In Setubal, you will drop off the bikes.
Individual departure or an extension to your holiday.
Availability
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DatesPrice per person
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2024/09/16 - 2024/10/15Single: 3350 € Double: 2350 €
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2024/10/16 - 2024/10/31Single: 2950 € Double: 2300 €
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2024/11/01 - 2024/11/30Single: 2750 € Double: 2200 €
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2024/12/01 - 2024/12/31Single: 2650 € Double: 2050 €
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2025/07/01 - 2025/09/15Single: 3900 € Double: 2650 €
Details
Services, included in price
- 14 nights with breakfast in 4*, 3* hotels and typical Portuguese guesthouses.
- Luggage transfer from accommodation to accommodation
- Welcome, info talk, bike handover, and adjustment
- Rail journey Faro -> Vila Real do Santo António
- Ferry ticket Troia to Setubal
- The train ride from Setubal -> Lisboa (Entre-campos)
- Detailed route description, with references to places of interest and interesting facts on the routes
- 11 carefully designed routes to download to your mobile phone or tablet
- Mobile phone holder
- Map with daily km and elevation profile
- Service hotline Mon-Fri 09:00 to 18:00, weekends and public holidays in case of emergency
Optional against surcharge
- Transfers Lisbon Airport <-> Hotel on request
- GPS device with all daily tours
- Room upgrade
- Half-board (on Portuguese public holidays and bridge days, there may be a surcharge that may apply)
- Single traveler supplement €120 (not applicable if more than one room is booked)
Extra / Person Rental bike
- Trekking bike: 280€
- MTB: 280€
- MTB+: 330€
- eTouring bike: 340€
- eTrekking bike: 380€
- eMTB: 380€
- Helmet: 10€
- Rack: possible on MTBs except MTB+
- Pannier: included (except MTBs)
- Included: Water bottle, Phone Holder, Air Pump, Lock, Repair kit, Spare tube
Bikes
eMTB-FS 29"
eTOURING plus
eMTB 29"
MTB plus 29"
MTB 29"
eTREKKING 29"
TREKKING 29"
eTOURING 28"
TOURING plus 29"
eGRAVEL
GRAVEL CARBON plus
GRAVEL G
GRAVEL S
eJUNIOR 26"
eJUNIOR 24"
Grand Atlantic Tour 3.14
Experience the ultimate in cycling holidays and explore the beauty of the Algarve and the Costa Vicentina on two wheels!
