Alentejo Cycling Escape

The Alentejo Cycling Escape is a 6-day inn-to-inn tour through the inland Alentejo, a region rich in castles, palaces and traditional architecture. You sleep in pousadas, manor houses and farmhouses and ride quiet roads through vineyards, olive groves and cork oak forests, with a challenge here and there.

From the hilltop pousada in Estremoz you ride into Portugal's marble country and Vila Viçosa, home of the Ducal Palace. The route continues past a fortified sanctuary and marble quarries to the border fortress of Monsaraz, then through the pottery village of São Pedro do Corval to the UNESCO city of Évora.

The final day loops through the wine and cork country around Évora, visiting local producers. Along the way, taste award-winning wines, gourmet picnics and regional pastries, and learn about olive oil, cork harvesting and the stories that shaped the region.

Highlights Night in the Pousada de Estremoz, a 13th-century castle Marble towns of Estremoz and Vila Viçosa, and the Ducal Palace Hilltop fortress of Monsaraz on the Spanish border Pottery village of São Pedro do Corval Évora's UNESCO-listed centre and the Chapel of Bones Wineries, a cork factory and a prickly pear farm

Surface and terrain
Mostly quiet secondary asphalt roads, undulating with some climbs, plus a cycle lane and ecotrail into Évora and a short dirt track to the marble quarries. Daily ascent is 210 to 470 m.

Weather
The inland Alentejo is hot and dry in July and August, so morning rides are best. Spring and autumn are mild and ideal for cycling, and winters are cool with some rain.

Suitable for
Leisure riders comfortable with 33 to 69 km days on mostly quiet roads. Suits couples and small groups who enjoy history, food and wine on a shorter break. E-bikes are available.