Itinerary

Picturesque rides between traditional Porto and romantic Lisbon

8 days / 7 nights | Self guided bike tours 

The Porto to Lisbon biking holiday is a delightful tour linking the two main towns of Portugal and visiting several main cultural spots of the country while cycling along nature and scenic coastal trails. Start with Porto, one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, classified as a Unesco World Heritage Property. Learn about Port Wine, the beverage and the associated culinary dimension of its own. Taste, smell, meet and bask in the sun as you cycle gently along this beautiful coast. Experience Aveiro, the Venice of Portugal, its canals and salt pans, the lively seaside city of Figueira da Foz, the famous Nazaré beach, and the walled village of Óbidos. Finally, Lisbon. On the right bank of the broad Tagus river estuary, the capital of Portugal graciously reclines over rolling hills. Exceptional natural light, which has long inspired writers, photographs and filmmakers, the brightly coloured buildings straddling the slopes, the striking ochre of the roofs, the tiling on so many facades and the narrow twisting alleys of the medieval districts bestow Lisbon with the peculiar atmosphere of a city perched somewhere between the European north and the Mediterranean south.

Highlights

• Two main cities of Portugal - Lisbon and Porto - in one trip
• Cycle a leisurely track along the seacoast with additional visits to attractions
• Accommodation at lively towns by the sea, some facing the beach
• Enjoy golden beaches and the sea, countryside and forests, lagoons, all in a single trip
• Ride through the protected Natural Park of the São Jacinto dunes
• Experience Aveiro, Figueira da Foz, Nazaré and Óbidos
• Daily Atlantic catches of unbeatable fish and shellfish
• Porto, famous for Port wine and a lively World Heritage city. Voted Best European City Destination in 2012, 2014 and 2017
• Towns rich in roman, baroque, and neoclassical architecture
• Lisbon, the capital of light, both traditional and cosmopolitan, of shopping and gourmet
• Transfer from the airport to the first accommodation and from the last accommodation to the airport, included
• Possibility of choosing between two distances in multiple cycling stages

Itinerary

Day 1: Porto – UNESCO World Heritage city, world-famous for Port Wine

You will be met upon arrival at Porto airport and taken to your hotel in the centre of Porto from where you can explore the city. Pick up your bicycles and ride down to the riverside, into the medieval quarter of the Ribeira. Porto is a World Heritage city, a historic jewel with more than 150 listed monuments. Cycle leisurely along the riverbank, past the famous Eiffel bridge and across to the Port Wine lodges that rise uphill from the southern bank of the river Douro. That evening, we suggest you enjoy dinner in one of the many fine restaurants for which Porto is famous.

Day 2: Porto to Furadouro – Unique landscapes facing the sea, surrounded by pine forests (Cycling 42 km / 26 miles)

Leave the hustle and bustle of the city for the peace and quiet of the Atlantic coast. Ride through the many small towns that nestle along the coast and, from time to time in and out woods of pines. The day ends in Furadouro, a hospitable town renowned for its excellent fish. Enjoy your meal!
Elevation gain of the tour: 213 m

Day 3: Furadouro to Aveiro – Art Nouveau and colorful Moliceiro boats at the Portuguese “Venice”  (Cycling 40 km / 25 miles)

If you have time, take a trip on a Moliceiro, the brightly coloured hand painted wooden boats used for gathering seaweed, along the canals for which Aveiro is named Portuguese Venice. Ashore, tickle your taste buds and join a workshop to make a typical Aveiro pastry. Do not fail to visit the salt pans and enjoy the wonderfully soothing properties of sea salt as you soak your feet in small tubs. Your bike tour for today is a pleasant ride through the Protected Natural Reserve of the São Jacinto dunes.
Elevation gain of the tour: 213 m

Day 4: Aveiro to Figueira da Foz – A unique blend between the cosmopolitanism inherited from the Belle Époque and extensive beaches of soft white sand (Cycling 35 km / 22 miles)

Leave enchanting Aveiro for Figueira da Foz, cycling along the canal and through green fields until you reach Mira where you will be dazzled by the golden effect of the sunshine on the sand, the sea, the vegetation, and the brightly contrasting colors of the landscape. Visit Praia de Mira fishing village with the typical colourful wooden houses they call palheiros. Treat yourself to one of the fresh fish gastronomic specialties for which Mira is famous. At this point, a shared transfer is included to Figueira da Foz, the ideal place to stop for the night.
Elevation gain of the tour: 94 m

Day 5:  Figueira da Foz to Nazaré  – Picturesque village and a small sea resort (Cycling 81 km / 50 miles)

This stage takes you along the Portuguese silver coast and through the Pinhal de Leiria, the great pine forest planted in the 15th century to supply the wood for the caravels on which the Portuguese discoverers sailed the seven seas. The trail follows a cycling path alongside the Estrada Atlântica (Atlantic Road) that will cross São Pedro de Moel and take you to Nazaré. Famous for surfing, the splendid beach is bordered to the north by steep rocks and to the south by a small stream. Try fishing off the rocks near the lighthouse where the cliffs attract several species of tasty fish, especially sea bass and bream. For those who love more extreme activities, depending on the season, you can enjoy one of the greatest "sanctuaries" of international surfing, with gigantic waves that attract thousands of brave surfers every year.
Elevation gain of the tour: 529 m

Day 6: Nazaré to Óbidos – Charming, small, fortified town with narrow streets and white-washed houses (Cycling 48 km / 30 miles)

Nazaré, possibly the most famous fishing town in Portugal, also famous for its beautiful beach, is unique in many ways. Its atmosphere of times gone by, contentment and long-standing traditions make it a special place to visit. The narrow, gaily painted wooden fishing boats with their high, curved bows, are reminiscent of the Phoenecians who first visited the area. Another unique tradition are the seven-layered skirts that the fisherwomen still wear, their wooden clogs and predominantly black headscarves. At the top of the high cliff overlooking the beach, a small village marks the birthplace of Nazaré and the legend of a knight saved by the Virgin Mary. The view out to sea is breathtaking. Óbidos, your destination of the day, is a charming, small, fortified town that makes one think of a medieval film set. The town has been carefully preserved and its inhabitants take pride in maintaining the architectural style from ages past, its monuments, narrow winding streets and white-washed houses with windows and terraces full of flowers. The walls covered with 18th century blue tiles inside the southern gate that acts as the main entrance are especially impressive.
Elevation gain of the tour: 590 m

Day 7: Lisbon – The stunning capital city of Portugal, and one of the most charismatic and vibrant cities of Europe

After checking out from your hotel in Óbidos, return your bikes at the hotel. A transfer will take you to your hotel in Lisbon where, after checking in, you will have plenty of free time to explore the city. Lisbon is a romantic city open to the sea that has always shaped its destiny.
Start with two landmark monuments near each other on banks of the Tagus: the Belem Tower and the Jeronimos Monastery. Both World Heritage Sites are noted for the beauty of the Manueline architecture. Alfama, Lisbon's oldest quarter, is not to be missed. Sprawling over the southeastern slope of the hill crowned by São Jorge Castle, the picturesque neighborhood is composed of a maze of
narrow streets, winding alleyways, and steep flights of steps. Bairro Alto, a picturesque working-class quarter dating from the 16th century, has traditionally been the bohemian haunt of artists and writers. Its streets are quiet during the day but at night they are transformed by the city’s vibrant nightlife. Behind the colorful and graffiti-covered façades you will find a variety of traditional and international restaurants, tourist-packed Fado Houses, and a multitude of bars and shops that stay open until late at night.

Day 8: Lisbon

Transfer to the Lisbon airport (Portugal) from where you will depart.
End of the tour.

Please note: All cycling distances stated above are approximate only.