Charm Seaside

Charm Seaside is a premium coastal cycling tour along Portugal's southwest Atlantic, through protected areas including Arrábida Natural Park, the Sado Estuary, the Santo André Lagoons and the Southwest Alentejo and Costa Vicentina Natural Park. At the end of each day you stay in hand-picked boutique and 4-star hotels.

From Sesimbra the route climbs through Arrábida to a 17th-century palace hotel near Setúbal, crosses the Sado River by ferry to the Tróia Peninsula, then follows dunes, rice fields and cork forests south. Highlights include a family olive mill, Santiago do Cacém castle, the fishing coves of Porto Covo and a spectacular clifftop finale near Vila Nova de Milfontes.

Expect quiet backroads, occasional easy dirt tracks with asphalt alternatives, and an Atlantic swim almost every day. Fresh fish, award-winning Alentejo wines and the operator's signature gourmet beach picnics complete the experience.

Highlights

• Arrábida Natural Park, Sesimbra Castle and seaside swims
• Night in Casa de Palmela, a 17th-century palace overlooking Arrábida
• Sado River ferry to the Tróia Peninsula, home to wild dolphins
• Santo André and Melides lagoons and a traditional olive mill
• Fishing villages of Porto Covo and Vila Nova de Milfontes
• Clifftop ride along the Vicentina coast with gourmet beach picnics

Surface and terrain
Quiet secondary roads with occasional easy dirt tracks, always with asphalt alternatives. Mostly flat along the coast, but day 2 through Arrábida is hilly with four longer climbs (820 m), and day 4 finishes with a climb into Santiago do Cacém.

Weather
Mild Atlantic climate, with sea breezes keeping summers warm rather than hot on the coast. Spring and autumn are ideal for riding, and the sea is warm enough to swim from June to October. Winters are mild and wetter.

Suitable for
Leisure riders comfortable with 30 to 60 km days and one hilly stage, who want premium accommodation. Suits couples and small groups who love beaches, seafood and nature. E-bikes are available.