In the morning we will take your bags from you at this point, leaving you with only your small personal items (ID mantatory for the train) for the journey.
The van will be waiting for us in Torre de Moncorvo at our accommodation.

We will all meet at Oca Oriental Hotel to get to know all your guides and other participants. We will head to a nearby cafe to have lunch all together before getting on the train.

We will all take this stunning riverside train out of Porto at 1335, finishing in a small village right at the end of the line, in Poçinho.

We recommend taking drinks and snacks with you on the way - there is no service cart on this train.

We will arrange taxis to take you up the hill to your hotel for the night in Torre de Moncorvo, a stunning historic town overlooking the hills.

Your train tickets are included with your package. Ensure that you have these to hand on your phone, along with your ID, for the journey.

Casa da Avó is a historic guesthouse right in the heart of Torre de Moncorvo, within walking distance of cafés and our restaurant for the evening. It's like stepping back in time - we know you will love it!

We will eat together each evening, but please feel free to do your own thing if you'd prefer - it's your holiday.

The first day will take us directly up into the mountains, with stunning views. It’s one of the areas least-travelled in the whole of Portugual. The day will finish in the incredibly striking star-shaped fortress town of Almeida where we will be staying inside the city walls.

Duration

88km, 1600m+

This hotel is incredibly situated right in Almeida, within walking distance of this magical fortified town.

It’s time to cross the border into Spain The town of San Martín de Trevejo is so isolated that it has it’s own dialect ‘A Fala’, which is spoken still today by it’s inhabitants.​

It’s cultural traditions of winemaking and olive oil production are the main source of income for the people of this region. ​

The riding today will be fairly easy and flat until around 70km at the border where we head up into the hills and are rewarded at the end of the day with a 10km descent into the town.​

Duration

78km, 800m+

On the edge of the beautiful town of San Martín de Trevejo, Conventual Sierra de Gata features a spa and an outdoor pool with overlooking Sierra de Gata Mountains. Housed in a 15th-century convent, it offers stylish accommodations and an à la carte restaurant.

Today you will cross the hills again back into Portugal, finishing the day in one of the most memorable villages we will see on the trip – Monsanto.

In this unique village in the world, man and nature live in harmony. In the midst of colossal blocks of granite, the people built walls of the same stone and built homes, in perfect symbiosis with the natural environment

Duration

52km, 950m+

OR

75km, 1200m+

TBC.

Descending from Monsanto we will use tiny roads and tracks through tiny villages heading towards Castelo Branco, which has a important historical significance in northern Portugal, settled by the Romans and inhabited later by the Templars.
There is some great smooth gravel today, winding through the fields and historic villages.

Duration

65km, 900m+

The Melia Castelo Branco hotel is superbly situated right in the centre of the town, within walking distance of our fantastic restaurant Donna Ferreirinha in the evening. The hotel is modern, spacious with pools and sauna for some real relaxation at the end of your day.

Today will probably one of your highlights of the whole trip – it’s just packed with wonderful places to see along the whole route. You will pass Nisa, famous for its terracotta streets, then over to through Castelo da Vide a breathtaking fortified hilltop town, and finally the long climb up to Marvão, a truly special fortified hilltop town overlooking Spain and the surrounding countryside.

Duration

97km, 1600m+

A little bit of something special tonight for your stay in the historic city of Coimbra. This boutique guesthouse is nestled right in the heart of the old town, within short walking distance of the famous University and Library.

On leaving Marvão we will enjoy spectacular views as we descend through the Serra Marmede Natural Park. After this, the landscape will change completely from rocky outcrops to the flatter rolling lands of the northern Alentejo.

You will finish the day in Elvas, like Almeida, famed for it’s outstanding star-shaped fort.

Today will feel easier in comparison to the last couple of days - net downhill and not too much gravel.

Duration

101km, 1220m+

Located in a converted convent in the World Heritage city of Elvas, Hotel São João De Deus features shady gardens and a pool with views of the walled town. It's another very historic building, spacious, airy and in a great location for exploring the town on foot in the afternoon.

This day will take you to one of my personal favourite hilltop towns in all of Portugal  – Monsaraz. It’s stunning cobbled streets will make you feel you have stepped back in time 100 years, and there is a peace and tranquility about the place that is simply magical.

You will stay in a small boutique hotel right in the centre of this magical village.

Duration

83km, 1100m+

This is a wonderful family-run hotel that we have stayed with a number of times with our cycling groups. It's located in a fabulous position overlooking the rolling fields of the Alentejo below, with easy access to the centre of Monsaraz.

Each room is a little different and the hotel has a fantastic pool with bar overlooking the view too.

Today's day of cycling will be through the heart of the rolling lands of the Alentejo, plenty of olive trees and almond plantations, past the Alqueva reservoir and finishing in Serpa - famous for its cheese!

Duration

94km, 1200+

This is a great little hotel right in the centre of Serpa town, within easy walking distance of the town centre for exploration during the afternoon and evening.

Today we will ride through Alentejo vineyards, wide open gravel tracks, passing through Mertola on the way - a superb castle-town overlooking the River. We will finish the day right on the Spanish border, in the town of Alcoutim, famed for pirates and a history of smuggling goods across the border.

Duration

93km

1600m+

Hotel D'alcoutim is ideally situated right on the banks of the river Guardiana and close to the town centre. It has a pool too - perfect for cooling off after a long day in the saddle.

Today you will ride into the last region of your trip - the Algarve. Finishing in the charming fishing town of Tavira, one of the most picturesque places in southern Portugal. The day will be charachterised by the change of scenery from the rolling Alentejo landscape, to the greener citrus fields and wooded areas of the Algarve, and finally - views of the Atlantic coast. It's time to enjoy a glass of cool beer on the banks of the river by the hotel to celebrate completing this incredible challenge.

Duration

86km, 850m+

This fabulous 4* hotel overlooks the beautiful town centre and river Gilão. Supercharge your recovery at the spa and pool, then head to the rooftop terrace where you can enjoy the view. This hotel is within walking distance of the charming town centre, with its fishing boats, cafés, bars and restaurants.

We will arrange transfer times for you based on your flight details, ensuring you are at the airport 2hrs before your flight.

If you are not going to the airport, we can arrange transfers to anywhere else in the Algarve too.

We will be sad to see you leave!

If we can help with anything else on this final day, please let us know.

Até a proxima...

Expect early to mid-20sC in the north of Portugal and 30+C in the Alentejo and Algarve. September is an excellent time to cycle in Portugal, with the wine harvest in full swing, and fewer tourists in the towns. We will be be very unlucky to get multiple days of rain, but it can happen.

This route is designed for cyclists with a good level of fitness and used to multiple days in the saddle. Some parts of the route are a little challenging (aways rewarded with amazing views though) but there will be no 'hike-a-bike', we promise!

Most days are around 60-70% gravel, the rest paved.

Expect fantastic Portuguese cuisine suitable for cyclists in the evening and great coffee stops during the ride. We will have the van with a few snacks in that will see us once during the day, but most days we will stop for sandwiches / lunch somewhere on the route which our guides will have planned.

If you would like to carry your own nutrition and ride through the day at your pace without support, you are very welcome to do so as well - this is your trip.

This is a guided and supported trip, which means we will have guides with us (2 in total) riding, and one driver.

We will have a guide in the main front group, and always a guide at the back with the last rider on the road.

It is entirely up to you if you'd like to ride with the guides or not - we know that for some people it's preferable to ride alone or with their partner at their pace.

We will ensure we have communication with every rider in the group, so that in the case of a bad mechanical or an accident you can contact us right away, even if you are not with a guide.

• Bike*

• Inner tube, hand pump, levers, multitool*

• Pedals

• Helmet

• Cycling shoes

• Powermeter/Di2/Sram batteries/Garmin chargers as appropriate*

• Sunglasses (including clear lenses if you have them)

• Cycling gloves (depending on season)

• Cycling rain jacket

• Saddle (All of our hire bikes are equipped with a saddle, of course. However, we recommend that you bring your own if it is comfortable for you rather than spending a week sitting on a saddle that may not be suitable for you.)

• Suitcase (see below)

• Bib shorts, jersey, gilet, socks- minimum 4 sets. We will offer a wash on day 4.

• Arm/leg warmers

• Rain/wind vest

• Base-layer (depending on season)

• Chamois Cream

• Rear bike light + chargers

• Water bottles x 2 (we have bottles available to purchase).

• Garmin/Hammerhead and mount

• Energy bars/snacks that you particularly like! The van will have some basics, but we recommend you bring some of your own as well.

• Regular clothes and light jacket or jumper for evening

• Swimsuit (many of the hotels have pools or spa)

• Evening shoes / sandals

• Passport (Check expiry date)

• Travel Insurance

• Small day bag that will be accessible for you in the van

• Sun protection

• First aid kit

• Toiletries

• Mobile and charger

• Credit/debit card + EUR in cash (many cafes wont take card - €10 per day cash will be plenty).

• Medications / prescriptions

• Power adapter

• Ear plugs / eye mask

• Powerbank

TWIN ROOM - €2150

SINGLE ROOM - €2750

• Pick up of luggage in Porto from your hotel

• Train tickets from Porto -> Pocinho

• Airport transfers Tavira – Faro ( or elsewhere in Algarve)

• Transport of bikes from Algarve up to Porto if anyone requires it before the start.

• 11 nights great quality bike-friendly accommodation

• Buffet breakfast

• 2 x high quality and experienced guides

• Bike Box and large luggage storage

• Luggage transfers

• Support van with mechanic

• Light snacks and fluids in van (e.g. water, bananas)

• Detailed route planning and GPX files given in advance

• Restaurant booking and organisation

• First aid support and of course support for any situation that might occur to ensure

  the trip is as enjoyable and smooth as possible for all participants.

• Civil Liability Insurance

• Dinners, coffees bought at cafés

• Flights

• Anything else not listed above

• Night in Oca Oriental Hotel on 21st September - Single €160 Twin / Double €140

• Bike rental, 11 days (23-3 inclusive)

• Aluminium Gravel Bike: €37 per day =€407

• Carbon Gravel Bike + electronic shifting: €45 per day =€495

• E-Gravel Bike €45 per day =€495

• Pedals €10 per person total.

• Helmet €10 per person total

• Paradise Cycling Jersey €70

• Paradise Cycling Socks €20

• Paradise Cycling Bidon €5

Paradise Cycling Tours Unipessoal LDA

Bairro da Boavista 6
8100-016 Alte
Portugal
NIPC 517913704

Contact:
Fiona Hunter Johnston
+351 931325694

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