The Ancient Medieval Villages Guided

Road Bike | Guided | Historic

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This bicycle tour in Portugal starts in Marvão, a small medieval town on the top of the hill, surrounded by walls and with a majestic castle that defended this small town from the Spanish people many times. There you can admire a spectacular view and then cycling down along a medieval narrow road with ancient stone walls.

The overall difficulty level of this tour is 3, Intermediate (more precisely, level 3.1 between 1~5). It is recommended for “bikers” and “cyclists”. It is supposed that you are in good shape.

You will climb to a little chapel on the top of a hill where there is an amazing view over a beautiful medieval town and its rows of whitewashed houses. You will ride along narrow roads, either sided by cork trees or stone walls and now you will get to a beautiful town in Alentejo located in the cool mountains of the Natural Park of São Mamede, among dense olive groves and chestnut trees. The town is full of monuments, fountains and ancient houses. You will see medieval monuments, dozens of churches, enchanting alleys and some of the best Gothic porticos while you are biking in Portugal.

Then you will cycle to a typical border town with its castle, again surrounded by walls. It also has a star-shaped fort, several churches, a monumental Aqueduct, a unique pillory dating back to the 16th century and many interesting details.

The bicycle tour continues to the capital of marble, where you can visit the Museum of Marble and learn how this industry began. You will visit a town which is one of the most traditional wine regions in Portugal. You can visit a vineyard and taste the world famous Alentejo wine. On the next day you will visit a town which is famous for its rugs.

This PortugalBike Tour in Portugal ends in Évora, a wonderful walled town with many Roman vestiges, medieval churches and buildings, fountains, the aqueduct, charming streets, etc. Évora is a city classified as World Heritage by UNESCO.

From

Euro 2390

Guided

Tour

7

Days

Level 3 (3.1)

Intermediate

Distance

273km/170mi

Average

55km/34mi day

Trails

100% asphalt

Start | End

Marvão | Évora

Dates

Start-End

Availability

Booking

Price

Per Person

12 Nov – 18 Nov, 2017

Available

Euro 2390

26 Nov – 02 Dec, 2017

Available

Euro 2390

08 Apr – 14 Apr, 2018

Available

Euro 2980

06 May – 12 May, 2018

Available

Euro 3000

23 Sep – 29 Sep, 2018

Available

Euro 3040

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Minimum number of people: 2

Location: Alentejo

Price per person:

Single room supplement:

Price includes:
7-day road bike tour with a Guide | Superior quality bicycle rental | Transfers from and to Lisbon Airport | Accommodations (6 nights): 1 five-star Design Hotel, 1 Pousada (16th century Convent), 2 four-star Historic Hotels (one 12th century Convent and one 17th century Convent), 1 three-star charming Hotel within a fortress, one 18th century Manor House | Double bedroom occupancy | 6 Breakfasts | 6 Dinners (including our famous wines, our cheeses and lovely desserts) | 4 nourishing and energetic picnics | Daily energy-bars and water | Luggage transport from Hotel to Hotel | Documentation about PortugalBike Tour | Personal Accident Insurance and Liability Insurance | First-Aid assistance on location | Techno-Mechanical Assistance | Permanent Backup Vehicle | Visit to Pottery Workshop | Visit to a winery and wine tasting.

Please note:

Longer tour: You can join two PortugalBike Tours and have a 2-week program (10% discount on the second tour) | Groups: Discount for Groups of 4 or more people | E-bike rental: + Euro 100 | If you wish a different date, ask us for prices and availability.

DAY BY DAY

Day

1

Arrival

Welcome at Lisbon airport. 3-hour drive to Marvão. Briefing about the tour. Lodging in a cozy 3* Hotel in Marvão, the highest medieval village of Portugal.

Day

2

The beautiful village of Marvão and its castle

49km (30mi), 830m total climbing (2720ft), level 3 (3.1).
After breakfast we ride down from the medieval village of Marvão on the top and we ride into the Natural Park of São Mamede Hills. Here Nature and History embrace each other. It seems time has stopped! …Everything is quiet. We have our picnic at a place with a dazzling view over another medieval village. Dinner with the group. Lodging in a classic Manor House (Bed & Breakfast) that was built in the 17th century.

Day

3

The Natural Park landscape of S. Mamede Hills

75km (47mi), 1030m total climbing (3380ft), level 4 (3.9).
After breakfast we leave this medieval town and its castle, its churches and the Jewish quarters and we ride on into the Natural Park. We have our picnic and the day ends in a beautiful border town with its castle, walls and an aqueduct built in the 16th century. Dinner with the group. Lodging in a 4* Hotel that was built conserving the old architectonic structures of the convent.

Day

4

The capital of marble

60km (37mi), 1060m total climbing (3480ft), level 4 (3.7).
After breakfast we ride towards the capital of marble in Portugal. This is a quiet small town where even the sidewalks are made of marble. There is marble everywhere. We also visit a pottery workshop. Lodging in an impressive Convent built in 1182 by monks, recently converted in a 4* hotel, with its impressive private collection of eighteenth century Portuguese tile work.

Day

5

Cork trees, Olive trees and Vineyards

66km (41mi), 950m total climbing (3120ft), level 4 (3.6).
After breakfast we leave the Convent where we spent the night and we ride towards another beautiful and quiet town, land of marble and wine. We have our picnic on the way and we end our day in a small town, the land of the famous rugs. Visit to a tapestry workshop. Dinner with the group. Lodging in a 16th century convent converted into a Pousada where you find the perfect harmony between the traditional and modern concepts of Portuguese architecture.

Day

6

Towards Évora

23km (14mi), 250m total climbing (820ft), level 1 (1.0).
After breakfast we ride towards Évora, a city classified as World Heritage by UNESCO. We visit a winery and taste the wine and then we have the afternoon free to wander around in this historic city where we can find evidences of 2000 years of History. Dinner with the group. Lodging in a 5* Hotel with swimming-pool located in the historic center of Évora.

Day

7

Departure

After breakfast we leave to Lisbon airport (2-hour drive).

Total distance 276km (171mi) | Average 55km/day (34mi/day) | 100% asphalt

SEE CLIMBING PROFILE

TESTIMONIALS

What a great experience! Having previously completed bicycling tours in other countries we were very impressed with our experience with Portugal Bike. The tour was well-organized and well-supported. José and Cristina demonstrate an eye for detail, planning, and interest in their clients. They are wonderful ambassadors for their country! Prior to the trip all our questions were answered promptly and comprehensively. During the trip José and Cristina ably communicated information necessary for the ride as well as superior knowledge of the terrain, environment, history and culture of Portugal. Pre-ride orientation and daily briefings kept us apprised of what to expect, how to stay safe on the road, care for equipment, and language and cultural differences. The thoughtful itinerary kept us on quality roads with safe riding conditions and interesting stops at castles, ruins, marble quarries, cork trees, and scenery. Rest stops and picnic lunches were well timed and evenly spaced. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that traffic on the designed routes was very light and drivers were extremely, cautious, polite, and safety conscious. All accommodations were comfortable and well appointed. Arrangements varied from hotels, to boutique hotels, to convents and historical pousadas. Dining experiences provided fine examples of local cuisine and excellent Portuguese wine selection. The equipment was the best we’ve seen on an organized tour. The road bikes were extremely well tuned and in excellent condition. Helpful accessories included computers, rear mirrors, and seat bags. We found that we had unnecessarily packed bicycling equipment that we simply never needed. The transport van was large and comfortable. We will always look back on our tour with Portugal Bike with fondness and appreciation for José and Cristina as well as for Portugal, it’s welcoming people, culture and history. Thank you Portugal Bike for the warm, lasting memories of Portugal!

Bill Burke & Catalina Nocon, 64 & 62 – Sunriver OR, United States

My wife and I just returned from a wonderful vacation experience – The Ancient Medieval Villages tour. The attention to detail of owners Jose & Cristina provided a well thought out and problem-free trip. The trip documentation we received at the start was far superior to anything we’ve received from other companies and the tour went off like clockwork. Equipment, from rental bikes to vans, was first-rate and well maintained. Hotels and restaurants were quaint, historic, comfortable and we felt very pampered. Portugal is full of warm and friendly people, great food and outstanding wines. The cycling was spectacular, through rolling countrysides on mostly rural roads. We’re already starting to plan and look forward to our next trip with Cristina and Jose.

Bob Snead, 51 – Seatle WA, United States

These guys are good, really good!! Cristina and Jose created a wonderful week. A great route, with enough challenge, good hotels, good food, and of course, being in Alentejo some of the best wines in Europe. Let alone fantastic scenery. Our group has been cycling one week a year for the last 20 years, and this is a highly, picky bunch of successful people, used to the best; that there were no grumbles, and just a continuous repetition of ‘wow,’ shows how well it went. We have cycled in the USA, and in most countries in Western Europe, and we all agreed this was one of the best bike tours we have ever had.

Adam Singer, 63 – St Albans, United Kingdom

I’ve just reluctantly ended The Ancient Medieval Villages bike tour. José and Cristina (owners) were amazing hosts, guides and cheerleaders. The scenery, equipment, accommodations and food were amazing and interesting. I am already trying to choose which tour to take next. I’m also ready to ride despite a few sore muscles that I hope will balance the amount of wonderful food eaten. Both José and Cristina answered questions as if it was the first time asked… (after being in business twenty years I’m pretty sure none of us had an original question). In that regard, I would encourage anyone interested in Portugal Bike to skip the self guided tour option and get the benefit of the knowledge, small places and answers to obscure questions/answers that you would be otherwise missing. Simply put…. Amazing adventure with amazing people! Thank you Portugal Bike! They are very accommodating if you decide to bring your own equipment. I brought my own pedals clip-ins for the asphalt and flats for the cobblestones (two sided) – but I didn’t need to in retrospect. Skip bringing your own helmet. They have very clean equipment and helmets are hard to pack. Newsflash – this area of Portugal is not only amazingly beautiful, but also does not have laundromats. I’m glad I brought my riding shoes that I could also easily walk in. Don’t forget your riding gloves or swimsuit (yes I forgot my swimsuit). Thank you José and Cristina for a fabulous taste of your beautiful country.

Cindi Hunt, 56 – Oregon, United States

See detailed testimonials

TOUR GEAR

On this tour you can ride with one of these bicycles

SCOTT CR1 COMPETITION

ULTRA LIGHT AND FAST

The SCOTT CR1 20’s IMP Carbon frame offers the perfect balance of performance and comfort. Designed to save the rider from shock and vibration, the CR1 is the ideal choice for the enthusiast who wants to enjoy long rides but doesn’t want to feel beat up at the end of the day. Providing the perfect balance of stiffness and weight, Scott CR1 is so precise, elegant and advanced that you’ll have a tough time going back to anything less.

SCOTT SPORTSTER

COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE

Sporster 20 Solution emphasises comfort and convenience for touring and transportation. Equipped with a lockout fork and Syncros components, the Sportster is set up perfectly for your excursions with a more vertical and comfortable position.

BOSCH SYSTEM

E-BIKE

Now you don’t have any excuse for not participating on a Portugal Bike Tour! Don’t be afraid of not being able to keep up with the group. Now you can ride an e-bike without feeling too exhausted! The system works as if someone is pushing at your back! The more you pedal, the more electric assistance you have.

CANNONDALE TANDEM

TANDEM BIKE

Riding a Tandem bike is fun and is something that is not usual. People always smile to you and wave. Your partner (stoker) don’t need to know how to ride a bicycle. However we highly recommend to ride this kind of bicycle if you already are used with it at your home.