Cycling Portugal's Atlantic Coast

The route begins in Porto, a UNESCO World Heritage City and takes you down the coastline past beautiful beach resorts, small towns and villages and Portugal's "Little Venice," Aveiro. Immersion in the Portuguese culture and way of life is one of the many highlights you’ll experience. Porto spans the mouth of the serene Douro River and is a fabulous city to explore, with its Baroque churches, village-style plazas, soaring bell-towers, and narrow cobbled lanes. Stroll through the Ribeira district where local inhabitants mingle with the locals, or sit on the terrace of a traditional restaurant to see the sun setting over the Douro River; this is indeed a city of romance. Admire the small beachside chapel of Senhor da Pedra en route to Espinho, where you can pause and stroll through the sand dunes or along the beachfront promenade. If you are lucky you will see the fisherman hauling in their day’s catch. The lagoon of Ria de Aveiro is 45km long and full of wildlife, including many species of birds. A small local ferry takes you to Aveiro, the town of canals and small bridges and cycle into the village Praia da Mira where you can admire its brilliantly coloured fisherman’s chapel and large silken sandy beach. Riding from this village to Figuera da Foz you encounter an immense pine forest and the characterful Cape Mondego lighthouse built in 1917. As you pedal down the Atlantic Way you go through the Pinhal de Leiria, another pine forest planted here by a 15th century king so that the timber could be used for a shipping fleet involved in the discovery of the sea route to India. You final night’s hotel is located on a cliff-top where you can relax while watching the colourful sunset over the Atlantic Ocean.

Your 7 day self-guided cycling tour in Portugal includes 5 nights in 3* hotels and one night in a a 4* hotel, 6 breakfasts, baggage transfers, transfers from Porto Airport to your hotel and from Sao Pedro de Moel to either Porto or Lisbon Airport, GPX tracks, (and loan of a GPS unit), maps, route notes, comprehensive information pack and orientation meeting. You may hire a bike as an optional extra.