Arrival at Faro airport. You take a taxi or Uber (not included) to your hotel. A member of the Algarve Cycling team will welcome you, explain everything about your tour and hand over your bicycles.

From your hotel, you first cycle through the old town of Tavira. Then, the route leads along a lagoon with many salt pans, which produce the famous "Flor de Sal". You pass the small fishing harbor of Santa Luzia, known for its octopus fishing. On a bike path, you reach the Pedras del Rei resort, which has a small train running through the dunes to the "Praia do Barril" beach, where there's also a beachside restaurant. Afterward, you cycle through the fertile "Barrocal" hinterland with its orchards and vineyards to Moncarapacho. From there, the road steadily climbs to the "São Miguel" hill, offering stunning views of the Atlantic coast. After a descent to Azinheiro, you enjoy a leisurely 23 km ride on a gently sloping route back to Tavira.

From the hotel, you ride down to the Gilão River and follow it for 5 km on flat terrain, perfect for warming up. Then, you enter the Serra "Alcaria do Cume," with its pristine nature featuring cork oaks, eucalyptus trees, and fields of rockrose and maquis. The area is remote and unspoiled. The route climbs steadily until reaching the village of Alcaria Cume after 26 km, where it descends steeply into the Ribeira Odeleite valley. A steep climb follows to the hilly plateau and the larger village of Cachopo, the highest point of the tour at 530 meters. The next section is a wide, well-paved road with gentle ups and downs through open terrain, marked by numerous large wind turbines. You then reach Barranco do Velho, a popular spot for local cyclists. From here, enjoy a fantastic descent through dense cork oak forests towards São Brás de Alportel, returning to civilization with stunning views of the Serra hills and coastal areas. The final section is mostly flat or gently rolling through rural areas with fallow fields and pastures. Look forward to a 2 km descent at "Bengado" shortly after Mesquita, leading down towards Sta. Catarina do Bispo.
 

Today, like yesterday, the route follows the Gilão River, but this time on the right bank. You'll cycle through the Barrocal region towards the Serra, passing lush meadows, orange and vegetable plantations, and vineyards. The path is gently uphill, becoming steeper after 12 km through the hilly Serra with its gnarled cork oaks. After a short descent and ascent through the Rio Algibre valley, you reach a hilltop at 17 km with a panoramic view. Descend to Santa Catarina and continue on a "sprint section"—flat for the first 4 km, then about 10% steep for the next 3 km.

After a relaxing descent to Moncarapacho, head to the sea and the largest fishing village in the Algarve, Olhão. This section is pleasant, with little traffic except for local farmers. In the colorful villages, numerous cafes ("Pastelarias") invite you to take a break and enjoy a "Bica" (espresso). Traffic increases in and around Olhão as you cross the town on a scenic path along the harbor, passing two Moorish-style market halls offering local produce and seafood. The final 28 km are not strenuous, with few inclines, leading through the Barrocal region to the sea at Pedras del Rei, and back to your hotel in Tavira via Santa Luzia.

The tour starts with a few kilometers on National Road 125 (EN 125) towards Vila Real de Santo António, before turning right towards the sea at km 10. On this side road, you reach the small village of Cacela Velha, perched on cliffs with a wonderful view of the "Ria Formosa" Nature Reserve. Returning to the EN125 for the next 8 km, you then turn right to the tourist town of Monte Gordo on the sea. The tour continues on a bike path to Vila Real de Santo António, along the Guadiana River, crossing the lagoon area of Castro Marim, a protected wetland with numerous water birds.

The route then climbs to the town of Castro Marim, passing between hills with fortress ruins. After this, the path ascends through a hilly, sparse landscape, passing the "Belamor" golf course and reaching the hamlet of Corte Antonio Martins, ascending from 40m to 170m above sea level over 4 km. From the summit, enjoy views of the Atlantic before descending to the hamlet of Solteiras. The final section is mostly flat to gently rolling, with a short stretch on the EN125, then along the Gilão River back to your hotel.

Today, like on Tour 2, the route first follows the Gilão River. The first 10 km are more or less flat, providing a good opportunity to warm up. After that, you will tackle a climb to a hilltop. The next 9 kilometers take you from 50 m above sea level to 370 m above sea level, with inclines ranging between 10% and 20%. This hilltop is also the highest point of today’s tour! As a reward, a 4 km descent into the valley of the "Rio Beliche" follows. This is an urban, hilly landscape with few inhabitants and little cultivated land. Mostly, you will see grazing areas with scattered beautiful pines, almond, and fig trees. Immediately after this descent, another climb to the next hilltop and another river valley follows. But then, for the most part, the route to Tavira is downhill. Only at km 50, 57, and 73, will you encounter 3 smaller climbs!

From the hotel, the route goes through the typical rural area to Santa Catarina, where you’ll see olive and carob trees. The carob fruits are used to make flour for delicious cakes found in pastelarias. From Santa Catarina, the "sprint section" described in Tour 3 begins. This time, there's an additional sprint on the São Brás bypass road, a well-paved road perfect for a fast ride, ending with a short but steep 12% climb to São Romão.

Then, the route descends to Amendoeira and heads up towards Barranco do Velho. Leaving the inhabited area, you enter the solitary hills of the Serra on a newly asphalted road with no traffic. A long, 12 km climb begins through dense forests of cork oaks, pines, and eucalyptus trees, offering beautiful views of the Serra. At the highest point of the tour (500m), it's worth detouring (about 70m) into Barranco do Velho for a meal at "Tia Bia" or a short café break.

Afterward, the route goes through a narrow, winding river valley to a hilltop, then along a plateau to a viewpoint with stunning coastal and Serra views. Enjoy the scenery before descending back into civilization. The route then goes through the rural Barrocal area to the sea and back to your hotel via Pedras del Rei and Santa Luzia.

Individual departure or extension.