Palacio Nacional da Pena in Sintra, Portugal. Photo via Flickr:www.GlynLowe.com

Traditional Portuguese leite-creme after a day on the bike! Photo via Flickr:Kris Haamer

Atlantic West Coast & Sintra

Portugal Bike Tours

A bike adventure to where the land ends and the sea begins!

This cycling tour in Portugal is an incredible journey along the Atlantic west coast of Europe! You will visit typical fishing villages, including Nazaré, the place where the famous surfer Garrett McNamara surfed the biggest wave ever recorded! Óbidos, the best preserved medieval village in Portugal, is included in your itinerary. Its ancient walls surround a wonderful historic town center and laybyrinth of cobblestone streets. You will feel the history as you stroll the alleyways. Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is also on the agenda and is a land of castles and palaces. Your cycling adventure finishes at the western-most point in Europe, Cabo da Roca, a fitting place to end this stunning Portugal bike tour.

Highlights:

  • Stunning coastal riding
  • Medieval village of Óbidos, with it's incredible castle
  • Beautiful rock formations on the cliffs and the amazing Carvoeiro Cape
  • Sintra, UNESCO World Heritage site
  • Peniche Peninsula, a city full of fishing traditions
  • Traditional food and fresh fish from the Atlantic Coast
  • Roca Cape, the western most point on the European mainland

We have many more bicycle tours in Portugal to offer you!

Where You’ll Stay

6 nights lodging in 4* hotels. All accommodations have private bathrooms and a variety of other amenities.

What’s Included

  • Hotel accommodations for 6 nights
  • Breakfasts
  • Route information
  • Hybrid bicycle rental including helmet, tool kit, pump, lock, handle, handlebar bag, and flat/spd pedals
  • Transfer on day 1 from Porto airport to the first hotel and briefing about tour
  • Transfer on day 7 to Lisbon or Porto
  • Liability and personal accident insurance
  • Luggage transport
  • GPS for navigation

What’s Not Included

  • Remaining meals
  • Travel to/from the starting/ending point of the tour
  • Bicycle protection

TourBike
TypeSelf Guided
SkillModerate–Difficult
Length7 days
From€991 Rates
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Tour Dates

Arrival all year round 2016. Best from March to October, but possible during the winter. 

Skill Level

This tour is a moderate to difficult hybrid or road bike tour. Taking place totally on asphalted roads, you will stay mainly along the sea with a few inland sections. There are some short but steep uphills, especially in the Sintra region. Distance ranges from 38 to 72 km per day.

Day-To-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival to Lisbon
Day 2: São Pedro Moel - Óbidos, 42 miles (67 km, 700 m elevation)
Day 3: Óbidos -  Peniche, 32 miles (52 km, 500 m elevation)
Day 4: Peniche - Ericeira, 45 miles (73 km, 800 m elevation)
Day 5: Ericeira - Sintra, 24 miles (38 km, 800 m elevation)
Day 6: Sintra - Cascais, 25 miles (40k m, 1000 m elevation)
Day 7: Departure

Day 1: Welcome at airport or hotel in Lisbon.
Transfer from Lisbon to São Pedro Moel (1:45h)

Day 2: São Pedro Moel to Óbidos, 42 miles (67 km, 700 m elevation)
Riding through pine forests,  you will cycle along beautiful beaches, eventually reaching an incredible cliff top view of Nazaré, a typical and historical Portuguese fishing village. Here, the fish are still dried under the sun. Nazaré is also famous as the location where the pro surfer Garret McNamara broke the world record for biggest wave ever surfed at 100 feet! The tour continues along the coast with stunning views over the Atlantic Ocean.  Final destination today is Óbidos, Portugal's most beautiful and best preserved medieval village, with an incredible castle.

Day 3: Óbidos to Peniche, 32 miles (52 km, 500 m elevation)
Today's ride is again along coastlines and also, a beautiful lagoon. Pedaling south, you will discover an incredible village on a very small peninsula that looks almost like an island! If the tide permits, you can cycle on the cobalt road around the village.  The destination today is Peniche,  a city full of fishing traditions, also located on a peninsula. The route will include a scenic road past dramatic cliffs and the beautiful Carvoeiro Cape.  Don't forget, there are numerous restaurants located in the Peniche peninsula that serve an outstanding variety of seafood.

Day 4: Peniche to Ericeira, 45 miles (73 km, 800 m elevation)
You will pedal inland today, away from the sea, allowing you to experience another side of Portugal. Typical villages with white houses and red roofs and the beautiful countryside will iinspire you. As you approach the sea once again, the route leads through an incredible valley of limestone with vibrant green Mediterranean vegetation. The path that will lead to Santa Cruz with its beautiful beach provides incredible ocean views. Ericeira, the Portuguese Mecca of Surf, is the day's destination.

Day 5: Ericeira to Sintra, 24 miles (38 km, 800 m elevation)
Today you will discover Sintra Natural Park and Hills, enjoying the varied landscape and terrain. At Monserrate, there will be an opportunity to stop and visit the palace and its impressive gardens, with its extraordinary botanical collection. The Palace, a unique and exquisite example of Romanticism, was recovered from the ruins of a neo-gothic mansion built by the British millionaire Francis Cook in the 19th century. As you wind along footpaths, you will cycle among ruins, pass small lakes and waterfalls. Sintra, set amidst the pine-covered hills of the Serra de Sintra, is a UNESCO site.  If you arrive early or if you have a free day, it is recommended to visit  the incredible Moorish Castle dating back to the 8th Century. Also worthwhile is a visit to the outstanding Pena Palace with its domes, towers, ramparts, and walkways on one of the highest mountain peaks of Sintra.

Day 6: Sintra to Cascais, 25 miles (40 km, 1000 m elevation)
On this last cycling day,  leaving Sintra behind, you can first make a stop at the incredible Franciscan Capuchin Convent with its tiny cells. Installed in the rock and lined with cork, the convent is a telling example of the humble and austere existence of the Franciscan friars who lived there. Continuing on to the Atlantic Ocean, you will arrive at the westernmost point in Continental Europe , Cape Roca, a promontory rising 150 m from the sea. Discover impressive beaches nestling between cliffs artistically sculpted out by the sea – unique coastal scenery! This tour ends with a scenic  and easy ride along the coast to  Cascais, a beautiful city by the Ocean.

Day 7: Transfer (including bikes) from Cascais to Lisbon (30 min).

**Elevation charts can be sent on request.

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