Jewels Of Portugal
13 Days
total: 656km (408mi)
100% asphalt
level 4 (3.7)
daily average: 73km (45mi)
Day 1
Arrival
Welcome at Lisbon airport. 1h30m drive to Évora, the capital of Alentejo region, followed by a briefing about the tour.
Day 2
Day FREE
Free day visiting Évora, a city classified as World Heritage by UNESCO
Day 3
Towards the Convent within the cork-oak forest
The first cycling day of this beautiful and historic bicycle tour is relatively flat. However, prepare yourself for the last kilometer, just before you get to the next hotel, where you will find a climb of 8% of grade.
66km (41mi)
level 3 (3.3)
660m (2170ft)
Day 4
Marble, the white gold of Alentejo
When you leave the hotel you will continue to ride on the same climb of the day before. Don’t worry, it is only 1 mile more, and the grade is only 3% grade (average). After this, a long and smooth decent of 6 km and 4% grade is waiting for you. After this point and the next small climb the day is very rolling.
47km (29mi)
level 3 (2.8)
670m (2200ft)
Day 5
Experiencing Portuguese History
The ride of today is not difficult, but it is a long day on the bicycle (84km/52mi). The day is very rolling in general, but prepare yourself for the last kilometers with a climb of 3km and 3% of grade. It is not too much grade, but at this point you are already tired from the day.
84km (52mi)
level 4 (4.0)
1010m (3310ft)
Day 6
Cycling towards the border with Spain
Today it is a short day, but it is hilly. After km 22 there is a climb that is 3km long and 6% of grade. Try to do it before lunch time. Control your cadence and your breathing and you will get to the top of the climb. Then, just before you get to the next small town where you are going to stay, there will be some short climbs, but they are OK.
43km (27mi)
level 3 (2.9)
730m (2400ft)
Day 7
Leaving the border area to the center of Portugal
This is the longest day of the whole bike tour. Today you have 105km (65mi) to ride and to enjoy your bicycle. It was impossible to make this day shorter because there aren’t any places to stay in. However, as you can see on the Climbing Profile, the day is very rolling and it shows a downward tendency until kilometer 74, more or less. After this point the ride tends to be on a climbing way, kilometer after kilometer. But it is only after kilometer 89 that the climbs that are coming up really show us that they are there!
105km (65mi)
level 5 (4.5)
1280m (4200ft)
Day 8
The Sanctuary and the Limestone Caves
Day 8 of your program (the 6th day on your bicycle), and also the day before your rest day! The day of today is shorter, but you have a long climb in the middle. Don’t waste time, otherwise you will do this climb at noon and the heat will not help you. It is a climb that is 3km long with 6% of grade.
67km (42mi)
level 4 (3.8)
950m (3120ft)
Day 9
Day FREE
Free culture day visiting an impressive 14th century Monastery and several museums around it.
Day 10
Towards the most well-preserved medieval town
Again on the road with your bike, towards the Atlantic coast, at km 36. Meanwhile you will find some bike lanes. Please use them for your safety! Now that you are at sea level you have to do a climb. This climb is not easy, at least at the begining, and it is not short. At km 40 the climb starts with a grade of 10% during the first 300 meters (1000 feet) and then 8% on the rest of its lenght, that is only 1 mile. Then you have a long and very pleasant descent for 6km (-3% grade). Another short climb of 3km at km 52 with 3% grade and that is it for today, basically.
79km (49mi)
level 4 (3.8)
920m (3020ft)
Day 11
The Silver Coast and the peninsula
You have been riding on the Silver Coast, since you got to the Atlantic Coast, and today it is time to go more inland, again. The west coast of Portugal is not flat, as you can see on the Climbing Profile. So, today, you will have some ups and downs, more when you leave the coast. It will be a “piece of cake” for those that have made all the climbs until now!
81km (50mi)
level 4 (3.8)
860m (2820ft)
Day 12
The coast of Sintra-Cascais
The last day of Jewels Of Portugal bike tour. This day is very diverse, with more people, with more traffic, just because we are close to the capital of Portugal. You leave the hotel towards the coast, again, and the morfology is very rough, with several ups and downs.
Pay attention now: at km 26,5 you will reach a main road that is along the coast. Your track leads you to turn to the left side to take this road. On this road, some meters further this cross, you will have a steep climb with traffic. Pay attention to a kind of a bike-lane on the right side of this narrow climb. You have to take this bike-lane at the bottom/beginning of the climb, because if you see it when you are already doing the climb it is impossible to jump the fence/handrail of the bike-lane and you lose it. So, it is safer to use this short bike-lane made of wood that is on the right side of this short but steep climb. The climb and the bike-lane is only 400 meters long but with 10% grade.
At km 58 you will have another climb, this one is 5km long with 5% of grade (average). You are now in the Natural Park Of Sintra-Cascais.
84km (52mi)
level 4 (4.3)
1200m (3940ft)
Day 13
Departure
After breakfast we leave to Lisbon airport – 45min drive