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Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers  

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24 Reviews

4.6 out of 5

Reviews

constantly changing terrain and dramatic coastline

As an Exodus employee who has done only a handful of cycling trips, I found one of the real attractions of the Lisbon to Algarve Ride is the variety it offers, both in scenery and riding style. Over the course of the week, you’ll cycle a mix of quiet tarmac roads, coastal gravel tracks, purpose-built trails and the occasional sandy section, ensuring the terrain is constantly changing and engaging. Following sections of the spectacular fishermans trail, you’ll ride through rolling countryside, traditional villages, pine forests, dramatic cliff-top paths and some of Portugal’s most unspoilt beaches.

Most Inspirational Moment

One of the most meaningful moments of the trip is the visit to the Junior Jacques Distillery. More than just a tasting stop, it's an opportunity to meet the people preserving generations of local tradition and craftsmanship. Hearing their story and seeing how deeply connected they are to the land provides a genuine insight into rural Portuguese life that many visitors never experience. After days spent cycling through the region, it creates a powerful connection to the culture, people and landscapes you've been travelling through, making it a highlight that stays with many travellers long after the ride has ended.

Thoughts on Group Leader

João is the sort of leader who transforms a great cycling holiday into a truly memorable journey. What makes João such a special leader is his genuine love for Portugal and his passion for adventure. As someone who thrives on cycling, the outdoors and extreme sports, he has an incredible appreciation for the wild coastlines, hidden trails and untamed landscapes you'll experience on this trip.

Advice for Potential Travellers

My biggest piece of advice is not to underestimate this trip. While it's a Grade 3 ride rather than a high-mountain challenge, it's definitely not designed for beginner cyclists. IF you know the basics come along, and the Ebikes are the best I've seen !

Lisbon to Algarve Ride

This was a wonderful trip, and the scenery was spectacular! Ample opportunity to experience local cuisine.
We rode e-bikes but a few people had regular bikes. Regular bikes are fine for those looking for a physical challenge, but e-bikes made everything so much easier!
There is a significant amount of riding on unpaved trails, some of it quite challenging especially when encountering deeper sand. For those of us who are experienced with riding on unpaved and/or mountain bike trails, riding this terrain was actually quite fun! However this may be somewhat of a surprise for those used to more of a classic road biking experience.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader, Joao, was fantastic. He was enthusiastic and well-organized. Daily briefings ensured that we were well-informed, and knew what to expect every day.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you are determined to have a physical work-out, take a regular bike. If you would like a more relaxed ride with the flexibility to "go hard or go easy," an e-bike is the way to go!

Cycling Portugal II

spectacular weather, great scenery, very good group that bonded well

Thoughts on Group Leader

Joao was terrific! Very engaged and informative and great to be around.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This ride included perhaps 40-50% of off road cycling, riders need to be comfortable with that.

Amazing Bike Trip!

Great Cycling Trip incredible coastline, pastoral and mountain settings… wonderful guide, food, hotels…

Most Inspirational Moment

Arriving at the End of the World!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jao was the best group leader ever!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring Electrolytes!

Great off road taster in Portugal

Lovely trip. Rugged scenery.
Overall a lovely trip, but not your typical road cycle.

Most Inspirational Moment

When I was able to cycle in sand.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Excellent Group leader with huge amount of local knowledge. Joao has a brilliant sense of humour which helped to ensure we all enjoyed the trip. Powerpoint presentations debriefing the days and explaining the next day were excellent.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Although there are percentages of road/off-road published for this trip, cycling on the roads is a lot quicker so you spend proportionately more time off road than the percentages imply. This trip is therefore suitable for a competent cyclist who wants to try some off roading, but not for a road cyclist looking for a typical road trip. A good off-road cyclist will find this easy though. The bikes are heavy (but well maintained) so are a completely different experience to road bikes. There are some steep hills but these are limited and only one (on the last day) is of any real length, so don't be put off by these. You can always walk up the hills as it does not slow down the rest of the group. Because of the nature of the route, the group cycles closely together, so there are limited opportunities to "do your own thing" but there are frequent stops for coffee/lunch and view points. In fact some people might find there are too many stops as the group rarely cycles for longer than 20km without stopping. However, the stops are often strategically placed before a challenging section to allow cyclists to get their energy back. Lunch is impressive so well worth joining the kitty to have lunch included every day. They are a lot bigger lunches than the average UK cyclist would have and lunch stops are typically for an hour or so. Hotels and guesthouses are excellent throughout with many having swimming pools for a nice dip after cycling on a hot day.

Lisbon to Algarve Cycling

I thought this was a really enjoyable trip with a great group of people and an excellent leader. The accommodation was very comfortable, the food and drink was good and of good value. Joao was really friendly and helpful with a great sense of humour and very supportive. He gave us clear instructions every day and explained the terrain and the timetable for the day. Felipe was also really good in his support role. The countryside is beautiful, especially as you go further south.
I was unsure about some aspects of the trip so I hope the following will help others: I think that, if you are a competent road cyclist, then there is no great problem with the off road sections. You can go at a speed that is in your comfort zone. There seemed to be a greater proportion of off road than in the notes but some of this may be due to the much slower pace on this terrain. The bikes are quite heavy but well suited to the terrain.
I was apprehensive about cycling on sand, as were several others, but Joao’s explanation of the technique made it fun and everyone did it successfully. There was less of this surface than I expected.
The other question is should you hire an electric bike and I would say, if in doubt, hire one. I used it on 5 hills and I was pleased I did. You don’t have to use it all the time if you don’t want to. I tried sandy sections with and without the electrics and I found the electrics helped to keep going a little (on the lowest setting) which is the key to cycling through the sand.
As a road cyclist this was an interesting mix of road and off road; it might not suit someone who just wants to ride on tarmac.

Lisbon to Algarve Ride

We like having an enriched experience with the local trip leaders. Our bike trip is also a learning experience about the history and agriculture as well as enjoying local foods . We loved seeing the local markets and staying in small hotels as well as visiting the Medronho Distillery. Joan shared local history by stopping at key points to tell the history of Portugal and the significance of the architectural site or monument

Most Inspirational Moment

We enjoyed riding on the Fisherman's trail along the shoreline and stopping to see the beautiful beaches. the lunches were wonderful and Victor did an outstanding job of coordinating the local dishes to try while in Portugal.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Joao was an absolute outstanding leader. He took great care of everyone no matter their biking skill and made it fun for all. He was also a lot of fun to be around. Between he and Victor the shuttle driver they mad sure everything was taken care and everyone had a great time. They were always going far beyond what would be expected. As an example one of the bike rider's lost his phone. First Joao went back to look for it while Victor keep the rid going.

Stunning Algarve scenery and outstanding guide

We loved this trip and would definitely recommend it. The route (& hotels) start to improve markedly after the first couple of days, where there is a lot of riding on busy roads through some fairly industrial areas south of Lisbon. Hence 4 stars not 5. However, once you get to Sines and head towards the Algarve, the experience really takes off and the scenery becomes progressively more spectacular as you ride south. There is much more off road riding (mainly gravel trails) which we prefer and the standard of accomodation is excellent. The trip ends on a high at a superb hotel in Sagres (Hotel Memmo Baleeira) and some of the most stunningly beautiful coastal scenery in Europe. I do wonder whether the trip would be improved by starting further south eg Sines, then adding in some circular rides on the extra days that creates. We’d happily take the trip again if that was an option.

Most Inspirational Moment

Riding over the hills on gravel tracks under a perfect blue sky and descending to the sea in the Algarve

Thoughts on Group Leader

João was an outstanding group leader. We had met him on a previous Exodus trip a few years ago (Porto to Lisbon cycling, also highly recommended). Always going the extra mile to ensure his guests had the best possible experience, sorting out any issues with great efficiency and he was also a lot of fun. He found us tremendous local restaurants for lunch and dinner, sometimes in the most surprising places, so we ate very well. We had a wonderful team spirit on the trip and João was a very large part of it

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be aware that some days are fairly high mileage and the hills are big, especially in the south. We are veterans of many Exodus trips and felt this was definitely a 3+ rather than a 3. Book an e-bike if in any doubt. A few extra days in Lisbon before the trip starts is worth doing, lots to see and Exodus use a very good hotel.

Better Than I Could Have Imagined!

This trip was just about perfect. Our leader João was fantastic, both passionate about Portugal as well as highly organized. The scenery just got better every day. Food was great especially the coffee and pastry stops. I really enjoyed the dirt and gravel roads on this route, giving us access to the best views. So much fun! 10/10 for sure!

Most Inspirational Moment

All of the amazing ocean cliff views!

Thoughts on Group Leader

5 stars for João! He was organized, professional, caring, knowledgeable and fun.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for dirt and gravel roads. Nothing exceptionally technical but it depends on your experience and comfort level with off-road. These roads were my favorite part of the trip!

Excellent trip

Lovely cycling, great scenery, well-guided

Most Inspirational Moment

25% climb Aljezur

Thoughts on Group Leader

10/10 all round

Advice for Potential Travellers

Suitable for a range of cyclists - mixture of road/off-road, plenty of time