Algarve Bike Tour

Meet your guides at your pre-trip hotel in Faro, then transfer to the gorgeous farmhouse hotel that we’ll call home for the next three nights. After a bike fitting and safety briefing, we take our first ride to the fishing town of Olhão. Board a motor-launch boat that takes us to the oyster beds in Ría de Formosa natural park, where our skipper will teach us about oyster cultivation while we taste some super-fresh specimens right on board (paired with an ice-cold glass of white wine!) We’ll stop at the island of Culatra for a quick look around before returning to Olhão for lunch with an ocean view. After, bike or transfer back to our hotel and squeeze in some time by the pool or stroll the property gardens. Tonight, toast to the week ahead with a nourishing meal at the hotel’s Terra restaurant.

Meals: Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Moncarapacho, Olhão
Accomplished: 9 miles / 14 km, elevation gain: 87 meters
Longer Option: 20 miles / 33 km, elevation gain: 324 meters
Accommodations: Vila Monte Farm House

Fuel up with a hearty breakfast and a steaming cup of coffee before we begin today’s climb inland to the town of São Brás de Alportel. Portugal’s legendary surfing spots have recently piqued the public interest, and our friend Octávio’s trade is one of the most unique in Portugal—or anywhere. We’ll visit the workshop where he custom-shapes cork surfboards for renowned professional surfers like Alex Botelho. Ride or transfer to a local-style lunch before heading back to our boutique hotel. We’ll spend the evening at a nearby family-owned winery: a tasting of their full-bodied wine is first, followed by a cooking class, and finally our dinner of typical Algarve dishes paired with estate wines.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: São Brás de Alportel, Moncarapacho
Accomplished: 25 miles / 41 km, elevation gain: 490 meters
Longer Option: 30 miles / 48 km, elevation gain: 620 meters
Accommodations: Vila Monte Farm House

Get an early start with our morning ride to the market town of Loulé. Inhabited since the late Paleolithic period, Loulé became an important trading post for the Phoenicians and Carthaginians before the arrival of the Romans. Later, the Moors made it their stronghold until the 13th century, when it was conquered by the king of Portugal. Today, Loulé’s history is on full display: our local guide João will take us on a tour of the town’s medieval streets and ancient ramparts, visiting the lively indoor market and artisan handcraft producers that have gravitated to Loulé over the years. After lunch, ride back to our hotel with a brief stop at a Roman villa that stood from the 1st to the 6th centuries, where some of the original mosaics remain intact. Dinner tonight is in the town of Tavira—known as Venice of the Algarve, its famous bridge lends the town a little medieval romance.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Loulé, Tavira
Accomplished: 35 miles / 56 km, elevation gain: 825 meters
Longer Option: 38 miles / 61 km, elevation gain: 851 meters
Accommodations: Vila Monte Farm House

Today we’ll bike east, loosely following the Atlantic coast towards Spain and the Guadiana River that separates the two countries. As we pass back through the town of Tavira, we’ll have our chance to pedal across the iconic bridge before a break in the picturesque coastal village of Cacela Velha. Fill your lungs with some sea air, then continue eastward to Vila Real-Santo Antonio, a town situated right where the river meets the sea. Our well-deserved lunch is served at the charming Beach Club, a breezy bohemian spot with unobstructed views across the river to Spain. Finish riding or catch a lift in the van to our next hotel, a Belle Epoque Grand Dame right on the water. This evening, enjoy dinner on your own at one of the countless restaurants in town.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch
Destinations: Santa Luiza, Tavira, Cacela Velha, Vila Real-Santo Antonio
Accomplished: 31 miles / 51 km, elevation gain: 272 meters
Longer Option: 34 miles / 54 km, elevation gain: 366 meters
Accommodations: Grand House Hotel

If you’re eager to add some extra miles to our final day of cycling, stretch your legs and head for the hills by bike. Otherwise, enjoy the extra sleep and meet for a boat cruise up the Guadiana River to the Moorish fortress of Alcoutim. Explore the ramparts for some of the most striking views over the medieval village all the way to Spain, then bike back downstream to the tranquil town of Castro Marim. After lunch, it’s a short ride back to our hotel. Spend your afternoon on the property’s private beachfront or enjoy a cocktail by Beach Club’s infinity pool. Tonight, we toast our week together at the rooftop bar, then head down for an elegant meal in the hotel’s Grand Salon.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Alcoutim, Castro Marim
Accomplished: 27 miles / 43 km, elevation gain: 532 meters
Longer Option: 44 miles / 71 km, elevation gain: 1,100 meters
Accommodations: Grand House Hotel

After a final gourmet breakfast, choose to extend your stay at our final hotel or catch a ride with your guides back to Faro for your journey home.

Meals: Breakfast
Destinations: Faro