Cycling Portugal's Atlantic Coast

7 Days & 6 Nights 4.4 Read 5 reviews

Immerse yourself in Portuguese life and culture on this self-guided holiday
Stroll along the ancient city streets of UNESCO listed Porto
Cycle along the canals of Aveiro, Portugal's 'Little Venice'
Pedal past brightly-coloured striped fisherman's chapel's
Ride through the immense green pine forests

This easy cycling tour follows trails along the azure coastline of the Atlantic in north central Portugal and discovers the natural beauty of this area; São Jacinto Dunes Natural Reserve, the vast lagoon of the Ria de Aveiro and immense pine forests. The route begins in Porto, a UNESCO World Heritage City and takes you down the coastline past beautiful beach resorts, small towns and villages and Portugal's "Little Venice," Aveiro. Immersion in the Portuguese culture and way of life is one of the many highlights you’ll experience. Porto spans the mouth of the serene Douro River and is a fabulous city to explore, with its Baroque churches, village-style plazas, soaring bell-towers, and narrow cobbled lanes. Stroll through the Ribeira district where local inhabitants mingle with the locals, or sit on the terrace of a traditional restaurant to see the sun setting over the Douro River; this is indeed a city of romance. Admire the small beachside chapel of Senhor da Pedra en route to Espinho, where you can pause and stroll through the sand dunes or along the beachfront promenade. If you are lucky you will see the fisherman hauling in their day’s catch. The lagoon of Ria de Aveiro is 45km long and full of wildlife, including many species of birds. A small local ferry takes you to Aveiro, the town of canals and small bridges and cycle into the village Praia da Mira where you can admire its brilliantly coloured fisherman’s chapel and large silken sandy beach. Riding from this village to Figuera da Foz you encounter an immense pine forest and the characterful Cape Mondego lighthouse built in 1917. As you pedal down the Atlantic Way you go through the Pinhal de Leiria, another pine forest planted here by a 15th century king so that the timber could be used for a shipping fleet involved in the discovery of the sea route to India. You final night’s hotel is located on a cliff-top where you can relax while watching the colourful sunset over the Atlantic Ocean. Your 7 day self-guided cycling tour in Portugal includes 5 nights in 3* hotels and one night in a a 4* hotel, 6 breakfasts, baggage transfers, transfers from Porto Airport to your hotel and from Sao Pedro de Moel to either Porto or Lisbon Airport, GPX tracks, (and loan of a GPS unit), maps, route notes, comprehensive information pack and orientation meeting. You may hire a bike as an optional extra.

Read All

What To Expect

Travel restrictions and resources, to and from any destination

This tour will immerse you in the culture and way of life of north central Portugal and also offers easy cycling along coastal routes and through immense sand dunes and pine forests. So if you enjoy cycling through typical villages and towns and areas teeming with wildlife and natural beauty, then this is the tour for you.

Tour Type:

Slower Adventures | Where walking and cycling meet easy-going exploring, our Slower Adventures are the perfect combination. Most days are filled with picturesque journeys with some free time to dive into the destination and experience the people, local food and culture as you go.

Activity:

Leisure Cycling | Leisure Cycling

This trip is suitable for:

Solo Travellers

Ideal if you have an interest in:

Foodie
Wine

Activity Level & Terrain

Most of the time you will be cycling on small roads or cycle paths, so it will be relatively easy to find your way.

This tour is suitable for people that are in good physical condition. It is graded as easy to moderate as it is mostly flat but there are some elevation gains on some of the latter end of the tour (Days 5 and 6). It is mostly along coastal routes, through sand dunes and pine forests, with a total distance of 236km/146 miles.

E-bikes can be requested if you would like a little extra boost during your cycling day. Please note we need plenty of time to confirm an e-bike upgrade due to limited availability.

Navigation

You will be provided with detailed route notes and maps to help you find your way. We also recommending using our smartphone app to follow the GPS tracks provided to make navigation even easier! The majority of the time you will be cycling on small roads or cycle paths, so it will be relatively easy to find your way.

Experience & Fitness

This tour is suitable for people that are in good physical condition. It is rated easy as it is mostly flat. There are some elevation gains, particularly on Days 5 and 6, but aside from that all the coastal routes are mainly level.

Accommodations

On your 7 day, 6 night self-guided cycling tour in Portugal you will stay 5 nights in 3* hotels and 1 night in a 4* hotel. Most have swimming pools and all are well-located in the village or town. Some overlook the Atlantic Ocean.

Alternate accommodation

During the high season, you might be booked into alternative accommodations which are not listed in the main daily description. If those listed are unavailable the alternative accommodation will be of the same or better standard than those described.

Single Rooms & Solo Cyclists

If you require single rooms within your party we would be happy to accommodate you although there is a single room supplement payable. Solo cyclists are also welcome for an additional charge.

Meals

7 Breakfasts are included. All the other nights you can eat dinner at your accommodations, or in the local town or village. For lunches, there are plenty of villages that you cycle through where you can buy goods for a packed lunch.

Included

6 Nights in 3* & 4* hotels
6 Breakfasts
Baggage transfers
Transfer from Porto airport to your first accommodation
Orientation meeting with our local representative
Information pack, route notes and maps
24/7 Emergency telephone support from our office

Excluded

Travel to Porto / Lisbon
Bike hire
Lunches, dinners, drinks & snacks
Personal equipment
Travel insurance (required)
Transfer from your final accommodation to Porto / Lisbon airport

Extras

Additional nights along the route
Bike hire
Private transfer (Onward Travel) from Coimbra to Porto Airport
Private transfer (Onward Travel) from Coimbra to Lisbon Airport

When To Go

This cycling tour is available to start any day of the week between April and November.

Weather and Climate

Generally you'll find that spring and autumn are the best times for cycling in Portugal, with the added bonus of less summer tourists. Portugal benefits from a mild Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and long, hot summers.

Getting to the Start

On arrival at Porto Airport a transfer is included to your hotel. Therefore you will need to provide us with your flight arrival details.

Porto Airport is served by many airlines, such as Easyjet, Ryanair, KLM and British Airways. If you prefer to fly into Lisbon, Porto is also accessible from Lisbon Airport. From Lisbon Airport take an airport shuttle bus to the Santa Apolonia Train Station and then a train to Porto which takes around two and a half hours.

Getting from the End

A transfer is provided from your last hotel to either Porto or Lisbon Airports. You will need to provide us with your departure flight details. Lisbon is also served by many airlines in the UK and from many other gateways in Europe.

Luggage Transfer

All baggage transfers are included. We request that you have only one piece of luggage per person and it should weigh only 20kg.

General Information

The distances and ascent/descents are approximations of the recommended routes. Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat and sun screen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking/cycling gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.

Equipment

You can choose between hybrid bikes or e-bikes (electronic bikes) on this tour. Bike hire detailed information.

Brand	own brand (bases KTM)
Bike Type	City,
Frame types	gents, ladies, unisex
Sizes	Unisex/ladies: 43, 46, 51, 56 Gents:46, 56, 60, 64
Front suspension	no
Stand	yes
Mud guards	yes
Luggage rack Rear/Front	yes
Paniers	Yes
Handle bar Bag/ map holder	Yes/integrated in the handle bar bag
Bottle holder/Water bottle	no
Computer meter	yes
Interchangeable pedals	yes
Front gear set	3
Back gear set	7
Brakes	Shimano V-breaks
Helmet included	No
Puncture repair kit	Yes
Spare inner tubes/ how many	Yes/1
Pump	Yes
Lock	Yes

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.

How far in advance do I need to book?

What equipment do I need?

What about meals?

How to baggage transfers work?

How do I find my way?

How fit will I need to be?

What will I need to bring?

Can I rent a bike?

What happens if I can’t cycle a stage?