Overview

• Self-guided road bike tour with start from the hotel
• 8 days/ 7 nights/ 6 daily routes
• Daily routes average: 80 km and 1.300 hm
• Total distance: 510 km and 8.200 hm
• The individual routes can be shortened or lengthened
• It is possible to book one or more additional nights
• Start dates: every day is possible
• Route summary: The tour has a great variety of cycling routes in the east and west of the Algarve. Whether you ride into the quiet and unspoilt interior of the Algarve or along its vibrant coastline. We invite you to experience a fascinating and richly varied landscape with towns and villages typical of this region. The gradients vary from flat to hilly with some steep climbs, for which the corresponding excited descents more than compensate! You will enjoy many wonderful views towards the coast or inland. You cycle almost exclusively on quiet, well surfaced road

 

Holiday and bike tour description

Day 1 Arrival

You arrive at Faro airport and take a taxi to the hotel in Pechão or make your own alternative arrangements. You will be welcomed by a representative of LisaBikes in the reception area of the hotel at the agreed time. Then the tour information will be given to you and we will answer any questions you may have. Your bicycles will be handed over to you and any necessary adjustments made.

Tour 1 red - 70km/ 860 metres of ascent

The day begins with a gentle warm-up ride down to the sea. You cycle through the Ria Formosa nature reserve past lagoons and salt flats from which the famous salt, the 'Flor do Sal' is extracted. You then come to the small town of Tavira, the 'Venice of the Algarve'. After this the route takes you on a road with long uphill and downhill sections past Santa Catarina do Bispo and the 'Rota da Cortica' (the Cork route) as far as Sao Bras. All across this region you see trees typical of the Algarve – olive, almond, fig and carob. You are cycling along the edge of the Serra region and will enjoy countless beautiful views of the vast range of hills. There is just one last climb to conquer before a great ride down to Estói. Finally, a level ride of just a few kilometres brings you to your hotel.

Tour 2 blue - 67km/ 990 metres of ascent

You begin this tour by cycling from your hotel to Estói and on to Santa Barbara de Nexe until you eventually reach the market town of Loulé. So far, the route has been mostly level. On leaving Loulé you begin a gentle climb which is 20km in length and takes you up 200m. At first you ride through a rural landscape with orange groves followed by wooded countryside with Cork oaks, pines and eucalyptus as well as many olive trees. You pass Querenca and come to Barranco do Velho, the highest point of today's ride at 500m above sea level. From here on you have a steep descent towards Sao Bras and then on down to Estói. After a few level kilometres you reach your hotel.

Tour 3 green - 105km/ 1.900 metres of ascent

The route takes you first to Estói and then on a long, winding road to São Bras. From there it continues upwards through the Cork oak region to Barranco do Velho and then on over three hills and through the Serra to Cachopo, where today's tour takes on a new aspect. From here the tour continues on into the Ribeira Alportel river valley. You cross the valley by cycling steeply down and ten just as steeply up again. After cycling through the valley and just before the top of the hill you leave the road to Tavira and turn off right towards Alcaria do Cume. The following kilometres are marked by the constantly undulating uphill and downhill sections through the Serra with fantastic views across the vast range of hills and down to the coast. After this it is mostly downhill on a good road through the Barrocal region back to your hotel.

Tour 4 yellow - 75km/ 1.200 metres of ascent

Today's route takes you alternately uphill and down dale through the villages of Estói, Corotelo, São Romão and Amendoeira to join the road to Barranco do Velho. You then leave this populated region and enter the mostly uninhabited hill country of the Serra. Riding on a very quiet and well surfaced road, you begin a long drawn out climb through Cork oak woods and a beautiful unspoilt river valley. You reach a hilly summit and cycle along it for a few kilometres before a great downhill ride brings you back to civilisation. The route then takes you on side roads through typical Portuguese villages. You will encounter something of everything – a variety of gradients from flat to hilly to steep climbs of 20% but also of course great downhill sections. The last stretch is level and takes you on a straight road back to your hotel near Pechão.

Tour 5  black - 96km/ 1.800 metres of ascent

Today once again you enter the hilly, sometimes mountainous, Serra region. You will encounter gradients of 20% and more. The first part is either level sections or gentle hills but after Loulé it really kicks off! First you cross two river valleys with long, drawn out uphill and downhill stretches and then cycle on in a northerly direction until you find yourself right up at Ameixial. The gradients change constantly between up and down; there are also some short but very steep sections. This region is unpopulated, unspoilt, untouched...just beautiful countryside! You cycle on a very good road with very little traffic. The tour takes on a different aspect just before you get to Ameixial – it is here that you begin your ride down towards the sea. But first you have to meet the challenge of a 10km long climb up to the highest point of today's tour, 589 metres above sea level. The remainder of the route is mostly a very enjoyable downhill ride. The final kilometres are level, so you can recover from all the demands of today and enjoy a relaxed ride back to your hotel.

Tour 6  violet - 95km/ 1.400 metres of ascent

First you cycle to Loulé. The route takes you through the fertile Barrocal region, mostly pastureland interspersed with many fruit trees and large fields of vegetables. You continue on to Paderne where the castle ruins date back to the time of the Moors. You then cycle north through a very quiet, scarcely inhabited part which is level at first for a few kilometres and then takes you uphill onto a hilly summit. The climb is broken up by a steep downhill section. When you reach the top, you ride along the summit a short way before enjoying a great downhill ride into the Ribeira Algibre river valley. You cycle for a few kilometres through the valley and eventually come back to Loulé. The last section of the route is mostly level and takes you back to your hotel via Estói.

Day 8 Journey back

You take a taxi to the airport or you make your own alternative arrangements.