Authentic Algarve By Bike
- Cycling to Cape St Vicente, the southwestern-most point of continental Europe
- Wandering through the warren of cobbled streets of Tavira
- Taking in the birding paradise of the Ria Formosa Natural Park
- Pedalling past the limestone cliffs of Ponta da Piedade
- Taking a refreshing dip in the azure Atlantic Ocean or in your hotel’s pool
- Immersion in the wild nature and hidden inland villages of the “real” Algarve
- Enjoying an evening at the waterfront marina in the cosmopolitan town of Lagos
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive at Faro Airport. Transfer to TaviraArrive in Faro for and our local partner will pick you up and transfer (45 mins) you to your hotel in the beautiful town of Tavira
If you have some free time on the first day, make sure to have a stroll around the city. Located right on the southern coast of Portugal, Tavira is a very pretty town with hilltop castle ruins, an ancient bridge, and other historic buildings and like most of the cities in the region, Tavira has a mix of Roman, Arabic, and Christian heritage.
Depending on your arrival time, use your free time to discover its charming cobblestone streets, beautiful churches, and interesting things to see and do.
Situated in the centre of the historic Algarve town of Tavira, Vila Galé Tavira has Arab-inspired décor and offers spacious rooms and comfortable suites.
On this first day, you will ride east to discover the unknown baroque Algarve and then ride onward to admire the beautiful Ria Formosa in all its splendor. Considered as one of the “Seven Natural Wonders of Portugal”, Ria Formosa is a protected natural park since 1987. It can be described as a large lagoon on the Algarve coastline, that extends from Faro to a few kilometers west of Vila Real de Santo Antonio.
It is famous for its islands, glorious beaches, and rich wildlife. On the way, you will cross small villages and ride along the old roads and rural paths that will take will take you on a journey of colors and typicalAlgarvian smells. First, you will cycle among orange, almond, and carob trees, and then, with the sea on the horizon, and the Ria at your side you will immerse yourself in an immensity of landscapes embraced by the breeze of the sea.
Ascent/descent - 125m/150m
Situated in the centre of the historic Algarve town of Tavira, Vila Galé Tavira has Arab-inspired décor and offers spacious rooms and comfortable suites.
After a great and filling breakfast, start today's journey in Tavira and ride along the incredible Ria Formosa, one of the most beautiful natural parks in the country. As mentioned before, this is an absolute paradise for birdwatchers and part of the Natura 2000 Network. During this day, the views will be the highlight of the tour and provide for some epic sights.
When you get close to the town of Olhão, you will head inland and ride past small villages and once more cross vast areas of orange trees. Take a deep breath, pick up ripe fruit and sit down between the orange and greenfields. The day will finish at a lovely rural hotel in Vale das Gralhas, where you will be staying for the night.
Ascent/Descent - 275m/195m
Located in the most beautiful natural scenery that the Algarve has to offer, Quinta dos Poetas brings together the best that can be expected of a rural Portuguese hotel: A warm and familiar environment, tranquility, comfort, proximity to the beach and excellent gastronomy.
On this day, you will head north and roll through the small up's and down's of the hills, close to the Algarve mountain range. It will be a challenging day that will be well worth the effort as there will be incredible breathtaking sceneries to observe.
Along the way, visit the town of São Brás de Alportel, which was once the biggest cork-producing centre in Portugal. A great selection of roads and trails will take you through amazing green Algarvean fields, rich with Mediterranean flora and fauna where you can invigorate your mind and soul with the pure, natural air. Finally, arrive at the typical village of Querença where you will spend the night in a quiet and peaceful hotel.
Ascent/Descent - 515m/365m
The Monte dos Avós is a typical country house, with a strong connection to the roots and traditions of the region. This county house is typically Algarvian and is full of history. The original building was built in the 1950’s. You will find comfortable rooms, with ensuite facilities and also the opportunity to relax in the gardens of by the swimming pool.
Another challenging day presents itself, where the hills will once again be there, but only to make it all the more rewarding in the end.
Start your ride in Querença and ride along the ancient and narrow roads which are surrounded by a landscape dominated by carob and fig trees. While on the way, visit the lovely hillside village of Alte, which is famous for its white-painted houses and fresh water springs. The presence of water all year round adds a certain unique charm to the village. Close to the end of today's ride, you can stop by the Barragem do Funcho. This is a lovely dam which is connected to the Arade River.
Ascent/Descent - 580m/680m
Vale Fuzeiros is a delightful Nature Guest House, carefully designed for Nature Lovers, located between the village of S. Bartolomeu de Messines and the medieval town of Silves. The house is inside a beautiful small farm, with stunning landscape views and an almost unique variety of the most unique native species of trees, flowers and aromatic herbs.
Leave Vale Fuzeiros on asphalt through winding roads surrounded by nature, which will eventually bring you to the stunning dam of Arade.
From here, you will follow the Arade River until you arrive at the historic Moorish town of Silves. Your ride will continue along the Odelouca River, where we recommend that you enjoy the rural areas and typical villages like Odiáxere that you will find along the way. Eventually, you will arrive at the sea at an incredibly long beach by the bay filled with golden sand called "Meia Praia" and then in the city of Lagos, one of the oldest towns in the Algarve. Save some time to walk around downtown and dine out.
Ascent/Descent - 250m/375m
Located in the very centre of Lagos, near the marina and the old town, this modern, yet traditional property is sure to relax you and is the perfect spot to begin your adventure.
This is quite a challenging day of cycling as there are a few hills to negotiate as the terrain changes. Approaching the rugged cliff-lined coast around Sagres and Cape St Vincent you will follow amazing trails along the coastline to Ponta da Piedade where you'll find fantastic scenes of cliffs, caves and rocks, with an amazing mixture of colours; white, ochre, brown and red!
The route continues west and passes through quaint little coastal villages. Once you arrive in Sagres, you have the option of checking into your hotel and then cycling six extra kilometres to the edge of Europe, Cape St Vincent. This is the south western most point of continental Europe and a fitting farewell to this wonderful cycling adventure!
Ascent/Descent - 580m/565m
Overlooking Baleeira Bay and its 5 islands this hotel is in an exquisite location and you will experience a high standard of service here as well as warm, stylish and elegant rooms.
The tour finishes after breakfast. A transfer will take to Faro Airport for your onward journey.
This trip has a carbon score of 12kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 12kg is equivalent to 5 small bouquets of flowers (grown in the Netherlands). Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information about how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?During this tour, you will see the Algarve at its finest. In other words you will be away from the beach crowds and experiencing the “real” Algarve, its hidden and delightful inland and fishing villages, plus beautiful towns such as Silves and Tavira and the Ria Formosa, a Natural Park. This trip is suitable for relatively fit regular cyclists seeking an active holiday.
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.
Leisure Cycling | Leisure Cycling
Solo Travellers, Families with Teens
The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years
This cycling tour is graded moderate and includes daily distances between 38-65km. Individual days may vary in terms of difficulty, i.e. some bike rides may be slightly more difficult or easier than the overall grade. Some of the ascents and descents are steep and can be a little exposed to the elements, you should have a degree of experience, technical knowledge and fitness for this trip.
This cycling tour for relatively fit regular cyclists seeking an active holiday who enjoy being on their bike for 3-6 hours per day. You'll spend much of the day on the saddle experiencing a region and discovering its variety over longer daily distances. The terrain will be varied, and usually rolling with some longer or steeper ascents/descents on quiet country roads with the occasional short stretch on busier roads through towns.
On your 8 day, 7 night self-guided cycling tour in Portugal you will stay 4 nights in 4* hotels and 3 nights in 3* hotels. All the hotels have swimming pools and all are well-located in the village or town.
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.
You will receive a digital information booklet approximately 1 month prior to your arrival, including a description of the route, points of interest and local recommendations. For navigation, you will need to use the Macs Adventure Smartphone App which has maps and GPS tracks. Simply download the GPS tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone with the assurance that navigation will be simple, and you can’t get lost. You will find more information on downloading the app in your Macs Adventure Account.
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. 80% of the time you will be cycling on paved roads and 20% of the time on dirt roads (off-road).
- 7 Nights in 3* and 4* hotels (4 nights in 4* hotels and 3 nights in 3* hotels)
- 7 Breakfasts
- Baggage transfers
- A transfer from Faro Airport to your first hotel
- A transfer from the last hotel to Faro Airport
- Orientation meeting
- Detailed information pack, route notes, local maps, and GPX tracks
- Organisational assistance and backup from our team
- 24/7 Emergency support
- Travel to / from Faro
- Dinners and lunches
- Bike rental (Standard Hybrid or E bike)
- Admissions or entrances
- Drinks and snacks
- Personal equipment
- Travel insurance
- Bike rental (Standard Hybrid or E bike)
- Additional nights before or after the tour
- Return transfers from Lisbon Airport
This cycling tour is available to start any day of the week all year round, except July (when it is too hot).
Getting to Faro
By Air: Faro is the closest airport and it is approximately a 1 hour drive to Vila Real De Santo Antonio, the location of your first hotel on the tour. Faro is serviced by at least one carrier from almost every regional airport in the UK. Direct flights from outside of London tend to be with the low-cost carriers or charter flights. Flight time from London is approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes.
This tour is also accessible from Lisbon which is also served by many airlines in the UK. From here to the starting point of the tour in Vila Real Santo de Antonio, it is a 4-hour drive. You can book transfers from Lisbon to the start of the route at a supplemental cost.
Getting from Faro
From Sagres, the location of your last hotel on the tour the journey to Faro Airport takes approximately 1.5 hours and to Lisbon 3.5 hours.
Daily door to door baggage transfers is included in the price of your trip. We ask you to keep your baggage to a maximum of 1 bag per person (maximum weight 20kg).
The distances and ascent/descents are approximations of the recommended routes.
Hybrid bikes are available to hire on this tour.
Minimum age for
Bike Hire
Brand |
Giant/FOCUS / Sensia (e-bikes) |
Bike Type |
Hybrid |
Frame types |
gents, ladies |
Sizes |
S, M, L |
Front suspension |
Yes |
Stand |
No |
Mud guards |
Yes |
Luggage rack Rear/Front |
Yes (optional) |
Paniers |
Yes (optional) |
Handle bar Bag/ map holder |
Yes (optional) |
Bottle holder/Water bottle |
Yes |
Computer meter |
GPS |
Interchangeable pedals |
Yes |
Front gear set |
3 (48,38,28) |
Back gear set |
8 (34,11) |
Brakes |
Hidraulic Disc |
Helmet included |
Yes |
Puncture repair kit |
Yes |
Spare inner tubes/ how many |
Yes/4 |
Pump |
Yes |
Lock |
Yes |
Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat and sunscreen. 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.
It is strongly recommended that you secure adequate Travel Insurance.
We suggest you book as far in advance as possible. We will always try and accommodate late bookings but realistically you need to book at least 6 weeks prior to departure.
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.
We can arrange for your bags to be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask you limit your luggage to 1 bag per person and a maximum weight of 20kg.
You will be provided with detailed route notes and maps to help you find your way. You will also be provided with a GPS unit loaded with the GPX tracks and you will be shown how to use it at your orientation meeting. 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. 80% of the time you will be cycling on paved roads and 20% of the time on dirt roads (off-road).
This tour is suitable for people that are in very good physical condition. It is rated moderate as there are definitely quite a lot of elevation gains. These gains are mostly when you are cycling inland and on the coast it is much flatter, so the elevation gains each day vary significantly, but will be anywhere between 300 and 1000m. We therefore highly recommend that you practice some uphill cycling in the weeks or months before departure.
Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard gear such as good, comfortable cycling, lightweight clothes, waterproofs and a day pack.
This trip is best enjoyed any time of the year as everyone is different, but you may feel a little more comfortable in the cooler months. You can start on any date that suits your travel plans and you will find up to date availability on our website.
Bike hire is available as an optional extra. Good quality Giant Hybrid (or similar) 27-gear bikes may be rented. When you are picked up at the airport the bikes will also be delivered to you at the same time and upon arrival at the hotel, you’ll have an orientation meeting and bike fitting.
Full details about the bike will be in your information pack. All rentals include pedals (flat or SPD), lock, tool-kit, pump, inner tubes, helmet, handle-bar bag and also a rear bag if needed.
Please note that if you do want to rent a bike you need to provide us with your height so that we can make sure that the bike is going to be a good fit.
Public transport and taxis are available, if you are in need of support our local partner will be more than happy to help.
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