Cycling Portugal's Atlantic Coast - Premium Adventure

Discover sunny beaches, medieval villages and the freshest seafood as you take to two wheels along the Atlantic coast of Portugal

Blessed with sun-kissed beaches, colourful fishing villages and scenic routes, the Atlantic coast of Portugal offers fantastic cycling opportunities. Your premium adventure starts in Porto, a Unesco World Heritage city, with the route following relatively easy flat or undulating cycling trails through a variety of landscapes. Riding along the Silver Coast – a beautiful stretch of Atlantic coastline between Lisbon and Porto – you’ll stop in different medieval walled villages and towns for full immersion into the relaxed Portuguese way of life.

Notable highlights include a memorable ride through the dunes of the São Jacinto Natural Reserve, fascinating port wine cellar tours and an overnight stay in the fortified village of Óbidos. After a week cycling along some of the most outstanding coastlines in Portugal, a full day is dedicated to exploring Lisbon, with a guided experience to soak up one of the most enchanting capital cities in the world.

Did you know you can travel by train to this trip? Find out more here

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips that improve life for the people and places we visit, and look after the planet we explore. Find out more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here, and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People: How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

• As much as possible, we use hotels that are locally owned and employ local staff.
• Cycling tours actively encourages the group to chat with the locals to discover what life is like in this part of Portugal and purchase local produce, gifts and crafts.

Places: How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

• This trip uses established cycling routes that have been created with the conservation of local landscapes in mind.
• Our philosophy is to show you authentic Portugal in the most sustainable way possible, helping to conserve rural lifestyle and contributing to the overall sustainable development of the area.
• We are dedicated to promoting authentic experiences and supporting the enjoyment of Portugal’s natural and cultural heritage while simultaneously encouraging their protection through raising awareness of environmental issues.
• We only work with small groups of travellers and promote the maintenance of a social, economic, and environmental system that meets the needs of the current generation, without compromising the resources of future generations. Furthermore, local people (be it from restaurants, accommodations or residents) teach us how to care for and protect these destinations, knowledge that is useful not only in this context but globally.

Planet: How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

• When meals are provided, ingredients used are locally sourced wherever possible. When meals are not provided, our local guides will recommend and encourage clients to visit local restaurants and cafés to try specialties from the area.
• Cycling trips have very little detrimental impact on the environment. Rides on this trip are point to point, hence transport is barely needed during the week, further reducing our carbon footprint.
• We encourage people to bring a reusable water bottle and drink tap water on this trip.
• Our partners take active steps to ensure our groups have a minimal environmental impact, such as sticking to established trails, not leaving rubbish behind and not removing any plants. Our operator also aims to minimise environmental damage by using eco engines on vehicles.
• After the 2017 fires, reforestation and protection projects were implemented in the Centre of Portugal. Municipalities are still developing the best ways to protect and reforest these affected areas, and we believe we have an important role in spreading this information to tourists. These reforestation and protection projects are based on “firefighting trees”, native trees such as chestnut and cork oak trees, as opposed to the eucalyptus that was previously planted. We aim to allow each client to help in these reforestation efforts, as an effective and useful way of increasing awareness of the importance of native species in maintaining the local ecosystem.

Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

• Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish behind in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same.
• Plastic waste reduction: Please bring your own re-usable water bottle on this trip; filtered water will be provided where tap water is not drinkable.
• Take the train: Consider taking the train to this trip. Not only will it significantly reduce the carbon footprint of your holiday vs. flying, it also extends your adventure! Read more about which train journeys we can book, or how to book your own, here.

Visa

Portugal

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Portugal. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/portugal
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/portugal
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/portugal/entry-requirements
• USA:  www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Portugal.html

Vaccination

Portugal

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus and rabies. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Eating and Drinking

Eight breakfasts, six picnic lunches, two wine tastings and two dinners are included.

A typical hotel breakfast consists of toast/bread with jam or honey, cheese, ham, coffee, tea, milk, orange juice, fruit, cake and yoghurt. Eggs are usually available and there are frequently other cooked options; the breakfasts on this trip are always plentiful and set us up for a day of cycling.

Portuguese people are very proud of their cuisine, and the deliciously fresh seafood is a real highlight. You will find fresh fish on most menus, usually sardines, sea bream, hake, sea bass and sole, cooked in a variety of ways.

Bacalhau (cured codfish) is a national dish, although it can vary depending on the region – there are up to 365 recipes to cook it. Caldo verde (green soup) is made with potatoes, olive oil and salt, sometimes with garlic and onion, and is typical in the northern region of Portugal.

For meat lovers, the barrosã meat (steak) is often served grilled and roasted. Francesinha is an iconic dish originating from Porto and involves layers of different meats (usually beef, ham, grilled pork, linguiça [smoke-cured pork sausage] and sausage), between two slices of bread, covered by melted cheese and immersed in a spicy tomato sauce, often topped with a fried egg and surrounded by chips. It is not for the faint-hearted.

To drink, you will find plenty of the local Sagres and Superbock beer. Vinho verde is available from the supermarket and directly from the producers. It is a young, medium-strength white wine with an almost carbonated quality. Port needs no introduction and a glass (or two) of the fortified wine will generally follow a hearty Portuguese meal.

There is an incredible range of desserts available and if you have a sweet tooth, it will be possible to try a different one each day. Local favourites include bolo de bolacha (cookie cake), leite creme (cream eggs and sugar), pão de lo (sponge cake made with lots of eggs), arroz doce (a traditional rice pudding) and the famous pastel de nata, which you will find at most cafes on your route.

Weather

Porto and Lisbon have a temperate maritime climate with a strong Mediterranean influence. The climate here is long, warm summers and mild winters, with most rain falling in winter, but possible in all months. Seasons are marked, with pleasant temperatures in the spring, summer and autumn. Heatwaves can increase temperatures between mid-June and September.

Coastal areas of Portugal can be quite windy, but we are fortunate this tends to be from north to south; which gives us an extra push while cycling.

Is this trip for you?

This trip is rated Activity Level 2 (Leisurely/Moderate) and classified as Road.

Please see our website for more important information on classification and grading. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please do not hesitate to call us.

• Average daily distance: 31mi (50km)
• Number of days cycling: Five

We mainly use cycle paths and quiet roads and occasionally cross or ride along busier roads. The first two rides are shorter and easier, through mainly flat terrain. Day 5 has a slightly longer ride and one challenging hill – worth it for the exquisite views over the Atlantic Ocean. On Day 6, after a short transfer, the ride starts on cycle paths by the ocean with a slow pace and plenty of possible stops, ending in the well-known fishing village of Nazaré.

A support vehicle (with limited seats) will follow the group for approximately 25 percent of the cycling (at points known to be more challenging). For the rest of the time, the support driver will undertake other tasks to ensure the group’s comfort and safety, for example, going ahead of the group to deliver luggage to the next hotel prior to the group’s arrival.

This tour will require a good level of fitness but was designed so you can take time to enjoy this special part of Portugal, combining magnificent rides with good food and outstanding landscapes.

Part of this tour includes occasional steep but short ascents – if you have limited cycling experience, we encourage you to request an electric bike before departure (available for a supplement) to improve your experience and ensure the trip is led at a comfortable pace for the group.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.