My wife and I will be spending our honeymoon in Portugal this summer (late July and August) and, in addition to spending some time in the larger cities and on the beach, were hoping to do a 3-4 day bike tour as part of the experience.
We're wondering if anyone can make some suggestions for possible itineraries? We were thinking about either biking through the Douro Valley or around the Alentejo but, since we're limited to reading guide books, it's hard to get a sense of what that would actually be like.
Some factors that matter to us:
- We would need to start (and end, or train back to) a city where we could rent the necessary bikes and gear
- We are athletic and comfortable on a bike but this would be our first bike tourism. So I think an itinerary where we were challenged (65 - 100 km a day) but not crushed (through serious mountains, etc.) would be ideal. We're not afraid of some altitude, just not too much.
- The ideal itinerary would be beautiful, safe (smaller roads, not major highways), with great opportunities to eat (we love to eat) and sleep at night.
- We know it'll be hot in July/August, so that's pushing us towards the north, but we're wondering if there's a difference in temperature between the Duoro Valley and the Alentejo, or whether both would be too hot at this time of year?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Hi,
I am also looking at Portugal in the same general time period and found this website that seems pretty helpful. Lots of itinerary suggestions and I think some info on rentals: http://pedalportugal.com
Good luck!
Arie and I are also thinking about Portugal. We intend to cycle south from France (the Atlantic Coast), west along the northern Spanish border and then cycle south along the coast to Lisbon. We drove it once in reverse and it's pretty flat for the most part. Nice long stretches of coastline. Beautiful.
Hi Linda,
I am a first time tourer planning to cycle down the French coast (Eurovelo 1) from Roscoff and then west across northern Spain. If you have any details regarding your planned route that you can share, that would be helpful! Also, if you know when you'd be going, perhaps our paths will cross!
Best,
Tracy
Hi Tracy, we're leaving Paris 11 June and heading for Roscoff. It will take us a week or more to get there. It sounds like we have a similar route planned. We were also thinking of deviating along the Loire Valley. Hope to see you! Linda and Arie