Algarve South coast bike tour 

A great bike holiday in one of Europe’s sunniest regions and along one of its most beautiful coasts. 270 km in 6 daily stages from the Spanish border to the most south-westerly point of Europe, the Cabo de São Vicente lighthouse- that is the “Trans-Algarve“! An ever changing landscape along the edge of the deep blue Atlantic! First you pass beautiful, long, flat, sandy beaches and then a nature reserve, 60 km long: lagoons, waterways and sand dunes with countless water birds. Further west the beautiful golden cliffs and small sandy bays begin. Finally you reach the west coast where the sea crashes and foams onto sheer rocks. Yours is also a journey through the developing history of Portugal with many reminders of the time of the explorers and the early Moorish influence. You can look forward to an unforgettable cycling holiday!

TOUR PROFILE: You will ride mostly on good unsurfaced tracks and asphalted side roads. The gradients vary between flat and slightly hilly but rarely steep.

Arrival and taxi (approx. 25 € not incl.) to your hotel in Faro. Welcome, tour information, handing over and adjusting of the bicycles.

Your first bike tour starts by train to Vila Real de Santo António (incl.), then by bike along the Guadiana river to the sea. You ride through pinewoods, citrus groves and vineyards and pass Cacela Velha, a small town, full of history, with white houses and an old fort. It stands high on top of a sea cliff. Here the Ria Formosa begins, a beautiful nature reserve with 60 km of sandbanks, islands and water channels, stretching as far as Faro and further west. The dunes provide nesting grounds for countless waterfowl. Large mussel beds alternate with salt flats from which the famous „Flor de Sal“ is extracted. You cycle on smooth paths to Tavira, an old town which has kept its character over many centuries. Its buildings tell the story of its historical and commercial development. You won’t want to rush away!

With the Atlantic breeze in your face and on good paths you ride through the fishing village of Santa Luzia and Pedras del Rei to Fuseta. Take a break by the harbour and watch the fishermen in their brightly coloured boats! Then ride on to the large and very busy fishing port of Olhão. As you cycle in, you can stop and explore the large Visitor’s Centre. You will get to know Olhão as you explore the busy harbour and the old town with many small seafood restaurants. Next stop: Faro, capital of the Algarve. Good, well- signed cycle paths take you into the old walled town, rich in history and with many beautifully renovated buildings from the 16^th and 18^th centuries. You cycle through the town; on past the marina and you will reach your hotel.

Very soon you will be back in the Rio Formosa nature reserve. You cycle on small paths by the sea- past lagoons with countless wading birds, groups of flamingos and storks, past smart villas, parklands and very attractive golf courses. You reach an idyllic bay… stay a while! Afterwards you circumnavigate the marina of Vilamoura, with over 800 berths one of the largest private marina in Portugal, cycle on the port promenade. A small bridge leads to the broad, long white wand beach of Falesia and a gentle ride along this beach takes you to Olhos de Água, your next bed for the night.

You ride through Albufeira, previously a fishing village, now a busy Algarve tourist resort- and on to Galé, continuing on a long board walk through Salgados, a protected area of dunes, as far as Armação de Pêra. The beautiful chapel of “A Nossa Sr^a da Rocha“, stands on a high sea promontory and is worth a visit. Here the coastal scenery changes: reddish cliffs falling steeply into the sea and small sandy bays make a beautiful picture. The Alfanzina lighthouse marks the beginning of the deeply indented cliff scenery, where the high waves crash and foam. You cycle along the cliffs by a blue Atlantic as far as the wide mouth of the Rio Arade delta. Very good cycle paths take you along the delta to “Praia da Rocha“, a beautiful beach with a backdrop of reddish- brown cliffs.

First you reach the small fishing village of Alvor with its winding streets. Then on to the mouth of the Alvor delta and on down to the sea, to the largest cultivated oyster beds of the Algarve, clearly visible at low tide. You ride along the wide beach of “Meia Praia“ and reach Lagos. Crossing a bridge at the imposing marina, you reach the old town, rich in history. You go along by the old town walls, the former slave market and the “Bandeira“ fort and then you reach the “Costa d’Oiro“, the most beautiful stretch of the Algarve coast with its strangely shaped golden-yellow rocks, some rising needle-like out of the sea. Then on to Praia da Luz, a quiet seaside resort with an old church and a fortress.

First it’s up to a hilltop, close to the steep cliffs with a marvellous view of the deep blue ocean and the distant coast of Sagres. The route leads further down to a secluded bay and then again a short climb up to another hilltop with a view of the small fisher village Salema, situated by a sandy beach and backed by high cliffs. Afterwards it goes up to the village of Figueiras, and then an undulating route across a steppe-like landscape with a number of megaliths, reminders of settlements here thousands of years ago. You pass a small bay with a nice restaurant and come to Raposeira where Henry the Navigator once lived and built a small chapel. You continue across a high plateau wher you can really feel the salty air of the west coast and can see from afar the “Cabo de São Vicente“ lighthouse, the most south-westerly point of Europe. Just a short ride and you come tot hat very place. The lighthouse stands on cliffs high above the raging of the sea. Then you follow a lovely coastal route to Sagres, a place steeped in legend. In the 16^th century the nautical college for maritime explorers was th be found here. The greatest Portuguese navigators were educated here and went on to explore the oceans of the world.

Individual departure from Sagres or extension.

• 7 nights in typical Portuguese guesthouses and hotels (3*** or 4****) with breakfast
  
• Luggage transfer from hotel to hotel
•  train ride from Faro to Vila Real do Santo António
• Rotable map holder
• Detailed tour description with useful tips and places to visit
  
• GPS-data for your own device/app
• Service hotline

• Rental bike (Touringbike 21-gears) - € 110,-
  
• Rental bike (Trekkingbike 27-gears) - € 140,-
• MTB (20- or 27 gears) - € 140,-
• E-Touring Bike - € 170,-
• E-Trekking Bike - € 190,-
• E-Bike MTB - € 190,-
  

You will stay in typical Portuguese guesthouses and 3*** and 4**** hotels. Breakfast is included in the price.

Transfers from Airport to Hotel in Faro respectively from Hotel in Sagres to Aiport are not included. 

2 persons

surcharge for single traveler - € 70,-