Algarve Cycling Short Break
- Enjoy a mix of inland and coastal cycling routes
- Pedal past limestone cliffs and wild beaches for refreshing dips
- Explore Ria Formosa Natural Park, a wild paradise
- Indulge in traditional and delicious Portuguese cuisine
- Explore the hidden inland villages of the “real” Algarve
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive in TaviraAfter arriving in Faro a transfer brings you to the lovely hillside village of Alte, famous for its white painted houses and fresh water springs.
Settle into your lovely accommodations and perhaps take a swim in the pool. Also take the time to amble into the pretty village of Alte.
Enjoy a pleasant stay at the Alte Hotel located near the village. There is an on-site tennis court, a panoramic rooftop terrace and a restaurant that serves regional cuisine. The rooms are spacious with all modern comforts.
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.
Revel in another day cycling in the inland area of the Algarve with great views all along the way! Youll ride down ancient and narrow roads where the landscape is dotted with carob and fig trees.
Then reach a large valley of cork-oak trees and enjoy a magnificent ride on a road close to the Arade Dam, before gently cruising down the valley to your destination for the day, the historic town of Silves. It is well worth planning to arrive here with plenty of time for exploration as a visit to the castle and the Moorish part of the town is a must.
This hotel overlooks the historic town of Silves and is surrounded by landscaped gardens. Relax on a sun lounger by the outdoor pool and enjoy the buffet breakfast on the open-air terrace. The restaurant serves local cuisine and the bar offers a variety of cocktails.
Ascent/Descent: 400m elevation gain
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.
Leave Silves and ride through a valley following the Odelouca rivulet. Youll cross a rural area and reach another traditional village, Odiaxere and from here ride south straight to the sea! You will reach the sea at “Meia Praia”, an incredible and long beach of fine golden sand all along the bay!
Cross a footbridge over the river “Bensafrim” before reaching the cosmopolitan city of Lagos. Explore the old city walls and the town’s waterfront, which is lined with elegant palm trees. As you walk through the narrow cobbled streets you can admire the terracotta pots of flowering bougainvillea and if you look up you may be able to spot beautiful appliqué tiles and intricately cast wrought iron balconies
Situated in the very centre of Lagos, this hotel is set out in the style of a small village and the rooms are located in nine separate buildings. Enjoy the pool, the spa, restaurants and bars.
Ascent/Descent: 400m elevation gain
Faro Boutique Hotel is located in the centre of the Algarve capital and has modern rooms equipped with private bathrooms, free Wi-Fi, air conditioning and some have seating areas as well as beautiful views of the city.
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!
Overlooking Baleeira Bay and its 5 islands this hotel is in an exquisite location and offers a high standard of service as well as stylish and elegant rooms.
Ascent/Descent: 800m elevation gain
Faro Boutique Hotel is located in the centre of the Algarve capital and has modern rooms equipped with private bathrooms, free Wi-Fi, air conditioning and some have seating areas as well as beautiful views of the city.
The tour finishes after breakfast. A transfer will take to Faro Airport for your onward journey.
This trip has a carbon score of 17kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our greenest trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 17kg is equivalent to 100 cans of coke. 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?This short break cycling tour is a wonderful opportunity to explore contrasting landscapes of the Algarve in 3 cycling days. Enjoy a mixture of wonderful inland and coastal scenery and explore the “real” Algarve and its traditional villages. On the coast, enjoy the rugged cliffs, wild beaches and azure waters of the Atlantic. It's the perfect combination of riding through pristine nature, whilst also enjoying the hustle bustle that comes with staying in beautiful historic towns.
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
As a guide, we would suggest that the minimum age of traveler this tour would be suitable for is: 16 Years
This tour is graded easy to moderate and includes daily distances ranging from 38km to 50km. This grade is perfect for occasional riders seeking to discover a region from the saddle. Shorter daily mileages allow time to stop and take in the scenery, visit museums or stop for a long lunch before arriving at your destination. You may be cycling on dedicated cycle paths or quiet country roads with very occasional stretches on busier roads. Terrain will be largely easy-going but may be rolling or include 1 or 2 short steeper ascents/descents. 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 85m and 190m.
On your 5 day self-guided cycling tour in Portugal you will stay in 3 and 4-star hotels. The hotels are well-located in the village or town, and your hotel in Tavira is equipped with a swimming pool.
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.You will be provided with detailed route notes and maps to help you find your way. We also recommend 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. 80% of the time you will be cycling on paved roads and 20% of the time on dirt roads (off-road).
- 4 Nights in 3 and 4-star hotels
- All breakfasts
- Baggage transfers
- Airport transfer from Faro to your first hotel
- Transfer from your last hotel to Faro airport
- Welcome briefing
- GPX tracks and access to our smartphone app
- 24/7 Emergency support for our local partner and our office
- Travel to /from Faro
- Dinners, lunches, snacks & drinks
- Bike rental
- Admissions or entrances
- Personal equipment
- Travel insurance (required)
- Additional nights before or after the tour
- Bike rental
- Return transfers from Lisbon Airport to the start, and from the end points
This cycling tour is available to start any day of the week all year round, except July and August (when it is too hot).
Time of Year
This trip is best enjoyed most of the year apart from July and August. Everyone is different, you may feel a little more comfortable in the cooler months. You can start on any date that suits your travel plans.
By Air: Faro is the closest airport and it is an approximate 30 minute drive from here to Tavira, 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 Tavira, it is a 2 hr and 40 minute drive.
All transfers to and from the airport to the first and last hotels are included in the price.
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. 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.
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 |
Our pre-departure information pack has detailed advice and a kit list on what to take. This includes cycling gear and lots of other useful bits and bobs.
It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable Travel Insurance which covers you for the activity, emergency evacuation and hospital care.
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.
Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard gear such as good, comfortable cycling, lightweight clothes, waterproofs and a day pack.
4 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.
All baggage transfers are included. We request that you have only one piece of luggage per person and it should weigh only 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.
Our pre-departure information pack has detailed advice and a kit list on what to take. This includes cycling gear and lots of other useful bits and bobs.
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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