Jewels Of Portugal Self-Guided

Road Bike | Self-Guided | Historic and Landscape

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This bicycle trip in Portugal is longer than the others, however it is not a difficult bike tour and everyone can do it: you can see the altitude gain per day and the climbing profiles.

This program includes 3 non-cycling days; it was intentionally designed that way to give you some time off the bicycle to visit an impressive 14th century Monastery classified as World Heritage by UNESCO , to visit Évora – a city classified as World Heritage by UNESCO and to visit Marvão – a medieval town on the top of the hill.

The overall difficulty level of this tour is 3, Intermediate (more precisely, level 3.4 between 1~5). It is recommended for enthusiast bikers and cyclists. It is supposed that you are in good shape.

Portugal is a small country, but very diverse. You can find many evidences of the many peoples that were here in the past and also the influence of our Discovery Journeys (15th and 16th centuries) that showed the world new worlds. Everything is mingled in our culture, our architecture, our landscape, our gastronomy, etc. In Portugal everything is near. You start riding in the morning and you admire the landscape; you ride some km and you can admire a completely different scenery!

On this 13-day bicycle trip in Portugal you will ride along beautiful and quiet roads, you will visit many typical small towns and villages of Portugal, you will experience the atmosphere of kings and queens, you will have a close contact with our History and you will admire the vast landscapes inland and along our long coast. There would be other wonderful places to visit in Portugal, but it would not be as pleasant on a bicycle. We designed this bicycle tour in Portugal selecting interesting places and roads, avoiding crowds and traffic. Cycling in Portugal is safe.

This tour includes the visit to several places listed on the UNESCO’s World Heritage, such as the town of Évora, 12th century Monastery of Alcobaça and 14th century Monastery of Batalha. You will also learn about cork, marble and wine in Portugal. This bicycle tour finishes in Óbidos, the most well-preserved medieval town in Portugal.

On this bicycle tour in Portugal history and landscape are intertwined in an amazing way! This is the perfect bicycle trip in Portugal for you, …without stress!

From

Euro 2630

Self-Guided

Tour

13

Days

Level 3 (3.4)

Intermediate

Distance

534km/332mi
67km/42mi day

Hotels

Signature, Monument and Historic

Trails

100% asphalt

Start | End

Évora | Óbidos

Dates

Start-End

Availability

Booking

Price

Per Person

November, 2023

Available

Euro 2490

01 to 11 December, 2023

Available

Euro 2490

January, 2024

Available

Euro 2630

February, 2024

Available

Euro 2630

March, 2024

Available

Euro 2820

April, 2024

Available

Euro 3040

02 Apr – 14 Apr, 2024

Confirmed

Euro 3040

15 Apr – 27 Apr, 2024

Confirmed

Euro 3040

May, 2024

Available

Euro 3210

17 May – 29 May, 2024

Confirmed

Euro 3210

01 to 15 June, 2024

Available

Euro 3300

16 to 30 June, 2024

Available

Euro 3210

01 to 13 July, 2024

Available

Euro 3230

01 to 14 September, 2024

Available

Euro 3250

15 to 30 September, 2024

Available

Euro 3320

15 Sep – 27 Sep, 2024

Confirmed

Euro 3320

01 to 12 October, 2024

Available

Euro 3290

13 to 31 October, 2024

Available

Euro 3100

November, 2024

Available

Euro 2660

Available: You can sign up any date for a self-guided bike tour, but you must wait for our confirmation.

Confirmed: This date is already confirmed and you can also sign up.

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RESERVE THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME

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Minimum number of people: 2

Location: Center Region, Lisboa Region, Alentejo

Price per person:

Single room supplement:

WHAT’S INCLUDED

13 days / 12 nights / 8 days cycling / 3 non-cycling days

Support Level

Initial briefing providing all the necessary details
A GPS device on your handlebar with all bike tracks preloaded
Our comfortable transfer vehicle van with air conditioning
All transportation from airport pick-up to drop-off
All baggage transportation by taxi
Documentation booklet about PortugalBike Tour
Personal Accident Insurance and Liability Insurance

Accommodations

One 5* modern Hotel made of marble
Two 5* Historic Design Boutique Hotel (2 nights)
One 5* Monument Historic Hotel (12th century former Monastery)
One Pousada – Monument Hotel (14th century former Monastery – Luxury Hotel)
One 4* Historic Hotel (12th century former Monastery/Convent – Museum Hotel)
One 4* Hotel in the countryside
Three cozy 4* Hotels in towns (2 nights + 1 night)
Two 18th century Manor House (National Monument – 2 nights)

Meals

12 Breakfasts

Gear

Carbon frame and superior quality road bicycles with hydraulic disc brakes and 20 speeds, tailored to your height and specifications
Portugal Bike cycling jersey to keep
Portugal Bike water bottles to keep
BBB helmets

Activities

Visit to Pottery Workshop
Visit to the highest medieval village and its castle (not included in the price)
Visit to a Cave with limestone formations (not included in the price)
Visit to a World Heritage Monastery from 12th century (not included in the price)
Visit to a World Heritage Monastery from 14th century (not included in the price)

Please note:

Prices are based on a double bedroom occupancy (hotels may be different depending on availability) | Self-Guided version: We require a minimum of 2 people to confirm a Self-Guided departure | Groups: Discount for Groups of 4 or more people | E-Bike rental: + Euro 480 | On Self-Guided tours we can offer you any date, depending on our availability. If the tour starts and ends in different months/fortnight the price will be adjusted accordingly, depending on how many days in each month/fortnight. The price of festivity dates will be adjusted accordingly.

DAY BY DAY

Day

1

Arrival at Lisbon

Welcome at Lisbon airport. 1h30m drive to Évora, the capital of Alentejo region, followed by a briefing about the tour. Lodging in a 5* Historic Design Boutique Hotel that is the result of the renovation of the old Sepulvedas Palace, a building of the 16th century. Lodging in M’Ar de Ar Aqueduto Hotel.

Day

2

Free day in Évora

Visit Évora, a city classified as World Heritage on UNESCO list. Lodging in a 5* Historic Design Boutique Hotel & SPA, with a pool located inside the city walls (the same as the night before).

Day

3

Towards the Convent within the cork-oak forest

66km (41mi), 660m total climbing (2170ft), level 3 (3.3). Alentejo is a region that keeps many secrets, many charms and many relics. Today you cycle along many cork-oak trees and vineyards. This is the land of cork and wine. You will find another hidden treasure at the end of the day. Lodging in an impressive Convent built in 1182 by monks, recently converted into a 4* historic hotel, with its impressive private collection of eighteenth century Portuguese tile work. Lodging in Convento de São Paulo, Museum Hotel.

Day

4

Marble, the white gold of Alentejo

42km (26mi), 670m total climbing (2200ft), level 3 (2.8). Today you will see the region of marble in Alentejo region and the quarries and marble everywhere. You will stay in the capital of marble. Lodging in a beautiful 5* Hotel made of marble. Lodging in Alentejo Marmòris Hotel & SPA.

Day

5

Experiencing Portuguese History

84km (52mi), 1010m total climbing (3310ft), level 4 (4.0). Today you will cross a wide farm landscape with many vineyards and with some small villages here and there. You will continue until you get to a 14th century Monastery which is in the middle of nowhere in the plain. Lodging in a Pousada that manages to combine the genuine characteristics of the former 14th century Monastery with modern luxury. Lodging in Pousada Mosteiro do Crato, Monument Hotel – Luxury Hotel.

Day

6

Cycling towards the border with Spain

59km (37mi), 980m total climbing (3220ft), level 4 (3.6). We will cycle along quiet roads admiring the fields and the day ends with the climb to small chapel on the top with a great view over the landscape and the small medieval town where we are going to stay. Lodging in a 18th century Manor House. Lodging in Casa Amarela (National Monument).

Day

7

Non-cycling day

Rest day. Visit to the medieval town of Castelo de Vide and its castle.

Day

8

Leaving the border area to the center of Portugal

94km (58mi), 940m total climbing (3080ft), level 4 (4.1). Today is the longest day of the tour but very “rolling”, and you will see the diference of the environment and landscape in Alentejo region and the center of Portugal. Lodging in a 4* hotel on the top with a great view over an immense landscape where you can enjoy the quietness of this place. Lodging in Luna Hotel Turismo Abrantes.

Day

9

The Sanctuary and the Limestone Caves

80km (50mi), 1140m total climbing (3740ft), level 4 (4.1). Your way is always very diverse and you get to a sacred place, a place of many pilgrimages and prayers; several Popes have visited it several times. This is one more Jewel of Portugal. Lodging in a cozy 4* hotel in the town. Lodging in Hotel Lis Batalha.

Day

10

Non-cycling day: The impressive Monastery – the culture day

Visit an impressive 14th century Monastery and several museums around it (not included in the price). Lodging in a 4* Hotel located very close to the monastery (the same as the night before).

Day

11

The beautiful Atlantic Coast and the Monastery

52km (32mi), 410m total climbing (1350ft), level 3 (2.5). Today you ride towards the sea and the most typical fishing village in Portugal where the fishermen work their nets at the beach and dry the fish under the sun. This is also the place of the big-wave surfers. Your day finishes near another Monastery. Lodging in an impressive 5* Monument Historic Hotel (12th century former Monastery), Mosteiro de Alcobaça Historic Hotel, and classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Visit to the interior of the Monastery (not included in the price).

Day

12

Towards the most well-preserved medieval town

55km (34mi), 620m total climbing (2030ft), level 3 (2.9). You ride towards the Portuguese Atlantic coast again and the day includes gorgeous sea sceneries and beautiful beaches. Finally, you get to the most well-preserved medieval town, another Jewel of Portugal, with its narrow and winding roads and its whitewashed houses and the castle at the top. Lodging in a charming 4* hotel near the historic center. Lodging in Josefa d’Óbidos Hotel.

Day

13

Departure

After breakfast you leave to Lisbon airport – 1h15min drive.

Portugal Bike Tours - Jewels Of Portugal

Total distance 534km (332mi) | Average 67km/day (42mi/day) | 100% asphalt

SEE CLIMBING PROFILE

ACCOMMODATIONS

Accommodations for this tour include Signature Hotels (the best charming Hotel of the region, usually stylish 4-star hotels or 5-star properties), as well as Monument and Historic Hotels (gorgeous Castles, Palaces, Monasteries and Convents once inhabited by the clergy or the Queens and Kings and now converted into exquisite lodgings)

jewels of portugal bike tours luxury hotel 4

jewels of portugal bike tours accommodation 3

“For any sports enthusiast, what a great experience it is to enjoy your sport in a different country. And if your sport is cycling, Portugal is one of the best places. Many of the roads in the interior are quiet with rolling terrain. Lots to look at – cork trees, old stone walls, castles, vineyards, old churches, roman ruins, antas ( pre-Romanic stone structures), white washed houses with either blue or gold trim, stork nests and hoopoes (a long-billed, crested jay-like Eurasian bird) !

And Portugal Bike is the best company to organize your trip. Cristina and Jose have over 20 years experience organizing cycle trips in Portugal. Over the last 15 years, we have done over 10 trips with Portugal Bike. They know all the roads, all the restaurants and all the hotels for your adventure. They have top of the line carbon- fiber – disc- brake road bikes for hire as well. While some travelers prefer to stick with organizers from their own country, those that do will miss the local touch and content. Best to go with those in the know! No need to be too concerned with COVID. Portugal has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world and there is a very convenient, fast and cheap (25E) COVID test clinic in the airport for your pre- departure test.”

David White – Bend – OR, United States

“My husband and I just finished the self-guided Jewels of Portugal Tour. We have been on several self-guided European bicycle tours. The bicycles were top-notch and were in new condition. Cristina returned my emails immediately before the trip — I wondered if she ever slept! The places they choose for you to stay are gorgeous and historic. The roads we were on had hardly any cars on them. We rode through fields and fields and cork and olive trees, as well as along the coast. The Portugese people are some of the kindest we have met in Europe. The climbs are steep on the tour, but worth it.”

Heidi Rei – Denver CO, United States

“As a person of little bike experience, I have to say my two week tour of Portugal was truly rewarding. I travelled with my husband who is a competent rider, but the company provided me with an excellent hybrid electric bike which compensated. I was amazed how well I managed and it was through the assistance of the team at Portugal Bike who met the needs of everyone with their encouragement, good breaks along the way, excellent accommodation and attention to safety and every other detail that made it so outstanding. We both learnt so much about Portugal with the team’s descriptions on the way and visits to unique Portuguese sites of interest. We gathered together as a family at the end having shared a lovely adventure. Thank you Jose, Cristina and Ricardo.”

Gena Evens, 69 – Melbourne, Australia

“My wife and I just finished Portugal Bike’s two week tour through the center of Portugal (Alentejo and the coast) with a group of 14 cyclists guided by José, Cristina and Ricardo. This was a very well organized and executed cycling trip. The route was exciting, through the cork and olive groves, across rolling landscapes, past vineyards and marble quarries and limestone caves, out to the central coast north of Lisbon. (…) Cristina and José (and Ricardo) are seasoned, patient and adaptable guides; they know their routes, they organize great lodging and meals, and they provide a context and passion which frankly you might miss on a self-guided trip. We’ve participated in a number of Backroads (and other) adventures in the past; Portugal Bike is every bit as good, at a fraction of the cost. Maybe the peak moment: staring down from the walls of the Marvao castello, over valleys settled by the Romans, shaded by grand chestnuts, contemplating a dinner of pork and clams steamed in a copper cataplana. Go for it!”

Boyd Lyon, 63 – Corvalls OR, United States

“If you think you would enjoy some moderately challenging riding through gorgeous, varied country with guided exposure to some of the prime cultural sites of this amazing nation, Portugal, this trip if for you. The guides, Jose, Cristina and Ricardo are warm, welcoming, accommodating and do everything in their power to make the trip a rich experience. There are a couple of long riding days, but there are plenty of breaks to give riders a chance to refuel and catch their breath. These are balanced with shorter days and rest days in towns with great cultural attractions. Food and accommodation are both very good, considering the price of the trip. The bicycles were first rate carbon road bikes with an option for an electric bike. But most impressive was the dedication and quiet passion of our guides to make it a safe and memorable trip. “Jewels of Portugal”, a great ride in every way!”

John Meigs, 75 – Philadelphia PA, United States

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TOUR GEAR

On this tour you can ride with one of these bicycles

CUBE Attain GTC SLT Disc

GERMAN DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED

With the culmination of carbon frame technology, this bike is all the proof you need that comfort and high performance aren’t mutually exclusive. With a brand new Fulcrum Racing 66 disc wheelset and a complete complement of new Shimano’s superb Ultegra components – with technology borrowed from the range-topping Dura Ace – this is a no-compromise speed machine that’ll flatter any rider’s best efforts.

SCOTT SPORTSTER

COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE

This hybrid bike emphasizes comfort and convenience for touring several days in a row, giving you a straight riding position. Equipped with a lockout fork, the Sportster is set up perfectly for your excursions with a more vertical and comfortable position. This hybrid bicycle is perfect to ride on asphalt with thinner tires (700×28).

portugal bike tours electric bicycle Bosch

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.