Individual arrival and check-in at the hotel. Personal welcome, travel briefing, handover and adjustment of the bikes according to your wishes by Algarve Cycling.

The next day transfer to Azinhal at the Spanish border, there on the bike and down to the border river Guadiana. On a beautiful riverside path, the tour leads along the impressive river and then into the "Serra do Caldeirão", the hardly inhabited and hilly hinterland of the Algarve. Through steep alleys of Odeleite, the last larger village on today's tour, up to a deep blue lake. Afterward, you drive through spacious pine plantations, fields with low shrubbery, broom, and rockrose bushes, and in spring a single sea of flowers. The air is aromatized by wild thyme, sage, and rosemary. Along the way or in the distance, small hamlets with whitewashed houses. A natural solitary area, pure nature! In the end, the small town of Vaqueiros, where we will spend the night today.

Today's tour is characterized by constant uphill and downhill. The landscape has changed. Spruce, almond, eucalyptus trees, and many types of bushes, especially medron bushes, line the path. You reach Cachopo, a quiet village with an unspoiled character. The village square with a cozy café and restaurant invites you to take a break. The trail then continues through dense spicy-scented spruce groves, over hilltops with magnificent views to the coastal area, towards Castelão. Then it goes deep down to the river "Ribeira de Odeleite", crossing an adventurous stone bridge and continuing through the river valley, shaded and rich in lush vegetation. Then uphill to the village of Parizes, along the "Rota da Cortiça", with many cork oaks to Barranco do Velho, the end of today's stage. The pension "Tia Bia", is a restaurant and very well known in the whole region for the excellent roast wild boar - Javali!

On a beautiful panoramic path on a range of hills, with spectacular views of the coastal area, we climb up to a quaint old windmill. The subsequent descent, left along the little stream Salir, ends on a high trail and continues in a steady uphill and downhill towards Salir and Benafim, typical places of the Algarve. Through the beautiful river valley of the "Ribeira de Alte," you cycle to the town of Alte, one of the most beautiful places in the Algarve. Passing a spring with a beautiful picnic area, you will go through the town on narrow cobblestone streets. Agricultural areas, with orange plantations and varied tree crops, now characterize the area. The tour continues to São Bartholomeu de Messines, where the accommodation is located in a beautifully renovated building from the 16th century.

Immediately after the start, we climb a hill with a magnificent view of the deep blue reservoir "Barragem do Funcho", which lies embedded in the green hills of the Serra. After a short relaxing descent through a beautiful valley, you reach a winding lakeside path lined with lush vegetation of broom, rockrose, and medron bushes. On this path, you follow the lake to the end of the dam wall, which you cross, and in a steep descent you reach the next, equally idyllically situated reservoir, the "Barragem do Arade". Again along the shore and then on single trails through wooded hilly terrain through the valley of the Ribeira de Odeluca. Through a shady valley, we reach the end of today's stage, the spa town of Caldas do Monchique. The town is nestled at the foot of the highest mountain in the Algarve, in a lush permanent green vegetation.

Right at the beginning of today's tour, you have to tackle the highest mountain of the Algarve, the Foia with 902 m.a.s.l.! Steep serpentine paths lead up to the summit. The reward is a breathtaking panoramic view of the coastal area and the Serra. Continue first in a short and then in a long great single trail descent down to the sea, to the largest oyster farm in the Algarve. At low tide well visible, are the nets with the oysters that protrude on stilts from the sea. A nice long path leads along the wide beach "Meia Praia" to Lagos. Over a bridge of the imposing marina, we reach the historical city. Passing the old city walls, the slave market, and the fort "Bandeira" we reach the gold coast, the "Costa d'Oiro" the most beautiful coastal section of the Algarve. The unique golden-yellow rock formations, with rock needles rising steeply from the sea, are typical for this dreamlike coastal section.

The tour begins with a detour to the Ponta da Piedade lighthouse. From there, on a hiking trail along the cliffs, the tour passes many beautiful bathing bays, up to Salema. It goes constantly easily up and down. The highest point of today's stage is at 80 m.a.s.l. at the black granite cliffs "Rocha Negra", from which one has a breathtaking view over the entire coastal area. After a short stretch inland and then again along the coast, but this time there are some steep climbs and descents to master. It leads to three bathing bays, framed by cliffs. At Sagres, you cross a steppe-like plateau that leads to Cabo de São Vicente, the most southwestern point of Europe. From there back on a beautiful coastal road to Sagres, the legendary place where the seafaring school was located, where the best sailors of Portugal were trained, who later discovered the oceans of the world. The town is located on a promontory at the tip of which is the extensive, carefully renovated fortress "Fortaleza de Sagres".

Individual departure or trip extension.