PORTUGAL- PORTO TO LISBON CYCLING THE ATLANTIC COAST SELF-GUIDED CYCLE TOUR 12 DAYS / 11 NIGHTS Yur tur cmmences in clurful Prt, Prtugal s secnd city and the gateway t the Dur regin, hme f Prt wine. Fllw the Atlantic Cast discvering cultural and natural beauties alng the rute. There are beautiful beach resrts and small twns that give a glimpse f Prtuguese culture and life. Yu ll crss the Sa Jacint Dunes Nature Reserve, the Ria de Averi and the estuary f the Vuga River t reach Aveir City, a little Venice with canals and waterways. Further suth cycle thrugh pine frests and acrss the dunes system with plenty f pprtunities t stp and enjy the seaside at typical fishing villages. Arrive Obids, the mst well preserved medieval village in Prtugal then bike t Sintra, a UNESCO Wrld Heritage site and a land f castles and palaces. End yur jurney at Cape Rca and transfer t Lisbn. Day 1: Arrive Prt Prt is very accessible with many pedestrian areas. Explre the Old Twn where there are fine buildings, sme in a crumbling state that simply adds t their charm. Many styles and perids mix in Prt: Rmanesque churches, barque gld, Prtugal s classic Manueline style, art nuveau cafes and shps and als cntemprary art such as the wrk f wrld-famus Alvar Siza Vieira, ne f the wrld s best architects and Prt s mst celebrated sn. Dn t miss the Dm Luis bridge ver the Dur River, Igreja ds Clérigs and the beautiful architecture f Sa Bent Statin
The river frnt and ld fishermen district, Ribeira, is a patchwrk f clurful tiled buildings. Of curse yu will find tiles cvering many ther buildings all ver the city and indeed acrss Prtugal: churches, flrs, funtains. Prt wine and mre - even if yu dn t like t drink it, yu will still admire the big Prt cellars and rabel, traditinal bats f Gaia that ply acrss the Dur River. Names like Sandeman and Taylrs are cmmn as much f the Prt wine trade was dne with Britain. Prt is als very clse t the cast and the beach at Matsinhs is easily cnnected with the centre f twn by metr. Fr fdie fans, a visit t the city s mst emblematic market is a must: Mercad d Blhã. Day 2 Prt t Espinh (22 km, +85m) Leave Prt thrugh the Old Twn, t crss the Dn Luis Bridge, design and planned by Gustave Eiffel. Almst all the way t Espinh yu will fllw a cycle path near the castline, crssing numerus small beaches. Praia de Valadares, Francels and Miramar are gd spts t stp fr a swim and t enjy the sun. Praia de Miramar is als wrth a stp t visit the Church s Senhr da Pedra, a small chapel at the sea edge. Ldging at Espinh in a 4* htel Day 3: Espinh t Aveir (62km, +190m) An easy and enjyable day by the sea, almst cmpletely flat. Cycle thrugh pine frest t reach Ria de Aveir. The River Vuga Delta (Ria de Aveir) was frmed in the 15th century, when the sea retreated. Nwadays it s a favurite place t cllect shellfish and enjy water sprts. The dune system f Sã Jacint is a natural reserve fr walks alng the beach and t view the abundant birdlife. Frm Sã Jacint catch the ferry t Aveir. Ldging in Aveir in a 4* htel. Day 4: Aveir t Praia da Mira (40km, +150m) Cycle ut f Aveir and its canals t reach a dune system clse t Ria Aveir. Yu will fllw this huge dune system by an inner rad that passes small villages verlking the river. Stp alng the way and climb the dunes, just a few metres frm the rad, t see the sea. At the end f the river circuit, bike thrugh small fields and vegetable gardens t arrive the village f Praia da Mira. Ldging at Praia da Mira in 4* htel
Day 5: Praia da Mira t Figueira da Fz (52km, +420m) Enjy the peace and tranquillity f tday s rute crssing a massive dune system cvered in pine frest. Cycle thrugh this immensely scenic area where rads are empty and distances between pints are lnger than previus day s. Near Figueira da Fz is the big climb f the day. Yu cycle up t the Serra da ba Viagem and then dwn t the lighthuse f Cape Mndeg. Fllw the slpes f the hill int Figueira da Fz and its huge sandy beach. Ldging at Figueira da Fz in 4* htel Day 6: Figueira da Fz t Sa Pedr de Mel (67km, +450m) Crss the bridge ver the Mndeg River. After a few kilmetres n a nce imprtant rad, yu will jin a cycling path, the Atlantic Way near Carriç, that leads thrugh the Pinhal de Leiria, a pine tree frest which was planted by a king in the 14th century t prvide the timber t build ships. The fleet built frm these trees was the ne that discvered the New Wrld and the sea rute t India (hundreds f years later). There are numerus small beaches alng the cycle path in this immense pine frest. Distances are nt as lng as the day befre. Seaside twns like Praia d Pedrgã and Sã Pedr de Mel are like ases in this cuntryside f pine frest cvered dunes. Ldging at 4* htel Sã Pedr de Mel
Day 7: Sa Pedr Mel t Obids (66km, 700m+) Ride thrugh pine frests passing beautiful beaches t arrive at Nazaré, a typical Prtuguese fishing village and famus surf spt. Fllw a scenic rute alng the cast t Óbids, the mst beautiful and well preserved medieval village in Prtugal, with an incredible castle guarding ver it. Wander the cbbled lanes and streets t sak up the delightful atmsphere. Ldging at 4* htel Day 8: Obids t Peniche (52km, 500m+) Ride t the cast passing a beautiful lagn. Discver Peniche Peninsula, an area full f fishing traditins and incredible rck frmatins and cliffs. Finish the day at wild and beautiful Carveir Cape then return t Peniche, spectacularly set n a headland surrunded by sea, fr vernight accmmdatin. Ldging in a 4* Htel Day 9: Peniche t Ericeira (73km, 900m+) Tday yu ride bth seaside and inland thrugh a hillier regin punctuated by fields f different crps and clurs t reach whitewashed Ericeira, picturesquely draped acrss sandstne cliffs abve the blue Atlantic. Ldging 4* htel
Day 10: Ericeira t Sintra (38km, 800m+) On yur way t histric Sintra yu ll pass sme beautiful beaches and small, seaside villages. Enter the hilly Sintra regin and explre the scenic hills abve Sintra village, passing by castles, palaces and ld manr huses. Such is the grandeur and imprtance f these buildings and mnuments that Sintra was designated a UNESCO Wrld Heritage Site in 1995. Tw f the mst imprtant mnuments f Sintra are the amazing Mrish Castle and the Pena Palace situated high n a hilltp. With impressive multi-clured turrets, dramatic architecture and extic gardens it is well wrth a visit. Frm the gardens yu can als access the highest pint in the Sintra Hills, Cruz Alta. Many f these castles and palaces were built by Prtuguese aristcracy in the 13th century. Ldging in a 4*htel in Sintra Day 11: Sintra t Cascais (40km, 1000m+)
Yur ride this mrning takes yu t an ld Capuchin mnastery. Cntinue t Cape Rca, the westernmst pint n the Eurpean mainland. Yur last ride f the tur is an easy, scenic rute alng the cast t get t the delightful seaside twn f Cascais with its tri f beautiful bays. Wander thrugh the delightful ld twn and alng the marina befre lingering t eat alfresc in a lcal fish restaurant. Ldging 4* Htel Day 12: Tur ends with Transfer frm Cascais t Lisbn Airprt r Lisbn City (30min). ADDITIONAL NIGHTS Befre r after the tur additinal nights can be reserved in Prt & Lisbn, r we can add extra nights at any twn alng the way (Sintra and Obids are particularly attractive ld twns). GRADE: Mderately challenging 100% cycling n quiet rads and dedicated cycle paths. Mstly flat, but many shrt, steep hills in the Sintra regin. Demands a gd standard f fitness gains thrugh regular exercise/cycling. Average daily distance 60 km 2018 SCHEDULE Start any day frm 26 March 31 Octber 2018 (prices fr earlier & later n request). During the summer mnths the Atlantic West Cast is a little windy and usually nt t ht fr cycling (try t avid July/August - ht and busy with the schl hlidays). 2018 COST PER PERSON IN EURO Lw Seasn: 09 Apr-26 May, 27 Sep-31 Oct : Duble/twin share 1760. Single Sup. 499 Mid seasn surcharge: 27 May-26 June, 30 Aug-26 Sept : 250.. Single Sup. 599 High seasn surcharge: 26 Mar-08 Apr, 27 Jun-29 Aug: 400.Single Sup. 699 Sl traveler supplement + 360 t the single supplement Bike hire: 21-speed hybrid 200, Electric Bike & helmet: 400, Hybrid & Electric bike rental includes: helmet, tl kit, pump, lck, handle bar bag r saddle bag and flat/spd pedals 2018 COST INCLUDES Transfer frm Prt Airprt t yur htel upn arrival Transfer frm last htel t Lisbn (Airprt r City) 11 nights in 4* htels (subject t availability, 3* butique htels may smetimes be used). 11 Breakfasts Luggage transfers between tur htels An rientatin meeting upn arrival at yur htel in Prt Detailed maps, infrmatin pack, rute ntes, and GPS track 1 set per rm Organisatinal assistance and backup frm ur area manager in Prtugal and ur ffice GPS & Mbile phne (free calls t lcal supprt persn, 24 hrs) 2018 COST DOES NOT INCLUDE Htel in Lisbn Travel insurance (required)
Lunches and dinners Drinks and snacks Persnal equipment Bike & helmet hire Bk thrugh: Dn t just see the wrld. Experience it. Ph 09 4867473 Fax 09 484 0091 Email: inf@walkwrld.c.nz