Portugal - Cycling holiday along vineyards and the Atlantic Sea
The Minho and Porto cycling holiday will give you an almost surrealistic “change of scenery” experience. Starting in the spa town of Moncao folowing rivers and the majestic Atlantic Ocean. This is a proud land, proud of its maritime history and of the remains of the fortifications that helped keep the Spanish well within their borders. It is the land of fine mountain cuisine and, along the cost, a wealth of fish and seafood dishes, best enjoyed with a glass of Vinho Verde wine.
Best of all, it is a biking journey that will put you in touch with some of the nicest Europeans. Do take every opportunity to meet the local inhabitants: fishermen and their wives, farmers, the kind lady at the local shop; listen to the stories of the owners of your accommodations. Cycle across the ancient Roman bridge at Ponte de Lima, famous for its beauty and its importance to medieval pilgrims as they made their way from Porto to Santiago de Compostela. Enjoy biking through the North of Portugal at its most authentic.
NOTE: Prices include rental of standard bicycle.
The Route
The route is a combination of road paths (asphalt, cobblestone or dirt), forest paths (dirt or gravel, uneven and sometimes rocky), secondary roads and some main roads (both asphalt). Along the way you may sometimes encounter some steep climbs and descents, so a generally good level of physical fitness is necessary to complete this tour.
Highlights on this holiday
- Lodging on 3-4 star hotels
- Mountain villages with ancient traditions
- Biking along the rivers: Minho, Lima, Cávedo, Vez and Douro
- Fortified towns and beautiful historic city centres
- Crisp and aromatic Vinho Verde wine, and extensive vineyards
- Fishing villages frozen in time, plenty of traditions
- Wine and food experiences shared with welcoming estate owners
- Unbeatable fish and shellfish, caught daily in the Atlantic
- Barcelos and its fair, a principal centre of handcrafts and hand-painted pottery
- Cycling along the coast with its golden sandy beaches
- Porto, voted Best European City Destination in 2012, 2014 and 2017, renowned for the Port Wine
- Transfer from the airport to the first accommodation and from the last accommodation to the airport, included
- Tasting of Port wine
Great things about this tour
Photo gallery from the tour
Here you can see the stunning scenery and some of the views that come with cycling holidays along the vineyards and Atlantic Ocean in Portugal.
Itinerary See all daysClose all days
The transfer from Porto Airport is included and you'll be driven over hills and small mountains, past vineyards with views of the small villages dotted across the countryside before arriving in the spa town of Monção. After a welcome briefing, there will be a visit to a local winery with Alvarinho wine tasting.
If you have further time, you can take a trip to the town's spa, Termas de Monção, or just stroll leisurely through the town before tomorrow's bike ride.
Note: To make the wine tasting, your flight must arrive in Porto before 1pm. For later arrivals, we recommend an extra night in Porto before the transfer to Monção - to make the most of the trip. Otherwise, you will miss the wine tasting.
The first stage of the tour goes east along the Minho River to the Atlantic Ocean. The route takes you through the delimited wine region of Vinho Verde, cycling along the fields of green grapes that have made the wine so famous.
Take time to explore the fortified town of Valença, as well as the art and architecture of the pretty little town of Vila Nova de Cerveira.
Along the route you'll pass landmarks referring to the battles between Portugal and Spain. You stay overnight in the elegant town of Caminha, strategically located near the mouth of the Minho River into the Atlantic Ocean.
Distance: 49km.
Altitude (ascent): 135-395m.
On this day you cycle along the Atlantic Ocean, which is a fantastic experience in itself. Especially when the sea shows its friendly and peaceful face as you cycle through the small fishing villages that have not changed much in appearance over the last centuries.
In Viana do Castelo, the peaceful tranquillity is replaced by lively streets along the mouth of the Lima River. Viana's impressive history dates back to Roman times, when it was the port city of northern Iberia. With the prosperity that came with port traffic, the characteristic town houses that are today the city's landmarks were built. The Byzantine church of Santa Luzia, which sits beautifully on a hilltop overlooking the city, is worth a hike up to. The view is reward enough.
Then cycle along the Lima River into the countryside until you arrive at the oldest village in Portugal - Ponte de Lima. It's famous for its Romanesque bridge with 24 arches, which was of great importance to medieval pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
You stay overnight in Ponte de Lima.
Distance: 57km.
Altitude (ascent): 97-123m.
With Lima and the Vez rivers as your guide, follow the trails upstream through the beautiful interior to Arcos de Valdevez, another beautiful riverside town with an impressive bridge and delicious local cakes called charutos. The walk back to Ponte de Lima follows the opposite banks of the Vez and Lima rivers, passing through several rural highlights, as well as the village of Ponte da Barca, reputedly the birthplace of the navigator Ferdinand Magellan. Back in Ponte de Lima, there will be a tasting of lovely, chilled vinho verde wine accompanied by Portuguese tapas.
Distance: 42km.
Altitude (ascent): 100m.
Whether you are religious or not, following the medieval Portuguese route to Santiago de Compostela is a special experience. Possibly because one is so aware that this has been a pilgrims’ way for centuries and that so many have trod these paths with such fervour and dedication. It is a route that those who walk it still today, do so knowing they will meet challenges, experience great joy and forever learn the lesson of life. This is a pleasant, not complex, bike ride through cornfields and vineyards to the city of Barcelos on the River Cavado. The centre of the pottery industry, it is also of religious importance. You must visit the 13th century Mother Church. Every hour on the hour, you will hear the pealing of the church bells of the many parishes for which the city is famous. Every Thursday there is a huge market in town where fruit, vegetables, poultry, utensils, pottery and everything else is traded briskly. To hit the market, start your trip on a Saturday or Sunday.
Distance: 34 km
Altitude (ascent): 300-350m.
Today you cycle back to the Atlantic, a sight we genuinely look forward to. You can take some extra time to enjoy a great lunch: a leisurely, several-course meal that again reminds you why the Portuguese people are so proud of their cuisine. Of the finest nature, it can only be made by those who genuinely worship the wealth of what the earth has to offer. Vila do Conde is famous for its shipbuilding past, as we can see by the replica of a ship used during the Discoveries and built here. The city centre is dominated by gracious manors and small palaces. The importance of its fishing harbour is not just evident in the port. That evening, you will enjoy a wonderful seafood dinner in the town and a leisurely stroll along the beach before you go to bed, refreshed by the sea air.
Distance: 45 km.
Altitude (ascent): 200m.
Hotel (example): 3 star hotel
The last stage of your holiday will take you on quiet cycle paths along the coast, through a sea bird reserve, along dunes and across fishing villages. It is remarkable how hard these fishermen (and their wives!) work and even more their good spirits. You are approaching Porto and you will soon enter the city via the estuary of the River Douro. This city, famous for Port Wine past and present, is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. A Unesco World Heritage City, its historic centre boasts more than 1500 listed monuments. Still, as you meander on your bike alongside the River Douro, you cannot help but become aware of the gifts this city and this region have to offer. As we have said, a breath of calm, peace of the soul and a love of life. In the capital of port wine - a tasting of course is included.
Distance: 35 km
Altitude (ascent): 200m.
After checking out of the hotel you are transferred to Porto Airport.
Price includes
- 7 nights in 3-star and 4-star hotels
- Breakfast every day
- Luggage transfer between hotels
- Detailed travel information (route maps or overview maps, route description, tourist attractions, important telephone numbers)
- Access to smartphone app with gps tracks
- Bike rental (see more below)
- Transfer from/to Porto Airport
- Wine experience (tastings on day 1, 4 and 7)
- Taps included on one wine tasting
- 24-hour local and international service hotline for the duration of the tour
- This is a packaged holiday and is therefore covered by The Travel Guarantee Fund - See which benefits this means for you - click here
- Transportation to/from Porto
- Tourist tax (if due)
- Handling fee (EUR 20)
Practical info
The price is based upon two people sharing. It is also possible travel alone in a single room. But as the transfer is long, there will be a surcharge on traveling alone. Please ask for an offer.
On this tour you will be on your own supplied with maps, route descriptions and luggage transfers. That means that your time is your own and you have plenty of time to enjoy the stages in your own pace.
Check the price quickly
You can quickly check the price of your desired trip without having to fill in anything. Here's how:
- Choose your desired start date
- Click on the green button "See price and reserve your holiday" and go to the booking form
- Select number of people, add any optional extras and see the price at the bottom of the page (you don't have to fill in anything on the form).
Get a quote
For example, if you want a flight included or changes to the trip, you can order a quote for this using the "Get a quote" button. Remember to describe in detail what, if anything, you want changed.
The process of your booking
When you book, we will start booking hotels and arranging all the practical details of the trip. This process typically takes 2-5 working days, but some bookings may take longer. If you are arranging your own transport, we recommend that you wait until we have confirmed your booking before arranging this.
Dates
If you can select the date in the tour calendar at the top of this page, this is a possible start date. We continually update the tours with sold-out dates, after which those dates will turn red and cannot be selected.
Rental of this bike is included in the price. This is a good Trek mountain bike with 10 external gears, 29" wheels, disc brakes and front suspension, equipped with panniers and bottle holder.
In order to ensure that you get the correct size bike we ask that you enter your heights on the booking form.
Please note:
- In Portugal it is required by law that cyclists wear helmets. You can borrow a helmet for free and it is of course also possible to bring your own. Write it on the booking form if you want to borrow helmets.
- It is important that you have previous experience with mountain bikes and a basic knowledge of bike repair, especially how to change a tube, as punctures can occur during the ride - A small repair kit is included.
.jpg)
E-bikes
On this tour it is also possible to rent an e-bike which makes it very easy to traverse the hilly terrain. If your legs get tired you can get support from the electric engine. The e-bikes are of the brand Trek Powerfly 4/625 or similar quality. and you do not need any special knowledge to use them.
E-bike rental costs extra and can be selected on the booking form.
.jpg)
The flights to/from Porto are not included in the price. You can easily find a suitable flight via a flight booking engine such as Momondo or Skyscanner.
Notice: we recommend that you book with us and wait for the confirmation before you book your flights.
It works like this:
- You book your chosen holiday with us
- We confirm your holiday (usually within 2-5 working days)
- You arrange your transportation
Book a quote
If you prefer that we handle your flight, then we would be happy to arrange this for you. You simply book a quote below the map on this page and we will return with a quote as soon as possible (usually within 48 working hours). Please note that we add a handling fee of 45 euro to each flight and this means that the flight will be cheaper if you book it yourself.
Airport transfersTransfers To/From Porto airport is included in the trip.
Important: In order for you to arrive in Monção in time to receive a briefing and visit the winery, your flight must arrive in Porto no later than 13:00. If this is not possible, we suggest that you add an extra night in Porto, so that you can have an early transfer to Monção, 130 km from Porto, at your leisure, to fully enjoy this spa town.
Luggage transfer is included on this tour. Upon arrival at the first hotel you will be given luggage tags along with the rest of the welcome package. You fill out the luggage tags and put them on your bags where they will remain for the duration of the tour.
Your luggage is picked up from the hotel lobby around 9am every morning and will arrive at your next hotel at 6pm at the latest (often long before that). If there are any special exceptions to the luggage transfer you will be notified upon arrival.
Luggage transfer includes one bag per guest and the bags can weigh 15 kg each.
On this tour you will be accommodated in 3-star and 4-star hotels with breakfast included.
In the itinerary you can see some examples of the hotels we use on this tour. Notice that the hotels are examples and you may end up staying in different hotels. It depends on availability when you book the tour.
Breakfast is included every day. It is easy to find lunch in the small villages before the walks and you will have plenty of choices for dinner in the many restaurants.
Wine tasting included
- Day 1 & 4: Vinho Verde wine visits and tastings at wineries in Monção and Ponte de Lima - Vinho Verde wine region
- Day 7: 1 port wine tasting in a historic port wine cellar in Porto
Tapas experience included
- Day 4: During the wine tasting, a Portuguese tapas will be served, with local products
The route is a combination of road paths (asphalt, cobblestone or dirt), forest paths (dirt or gravel, uneven and sometimes rocky), secondary roads and some main roads (both asphalt). Along the way you may sometimes encounter some steep climbs and descents, so a generally good level of physical fitness is necessary to complete this tour.
We recommend bringing a bicycle helmet from home, as it is mandatory to wear a helmet in Portugal.
This tour has difficulty grade 3.
Grade 3
Longer distances in hilly terrain, often with steep climbs. The distance is usually 65 – 80 km or 40 – 50 miles per day. Requires good shape and health. We highly recommend that you practice on some longer rides before you leave home.
Read more about our Grading System
You will recieve the following documentation
Upon booking
You recieve practical information about the tour in a digital format
One month before arrival
You recieve your hotel list and your voucher (hotel list is often supplied upon booking)
Upon arrival
You recieve the welcome package which contains the printed version of the road book, luggage tags, local specific vouchers and if you have rented bikes then they will also be delivered and fitted at the first hotel.
It can be hard to plan your trip according to the weather, but to give an idea of the local climate, you can see the data below:
The statistics are from yr.no.
We are members of the Travel Guarantee Fund (nr. 2529) and have all available insurances. This covers you regardless of your nationality. Read more about that here.
Call our experts on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Phone: +44 20 3936 1208
Or write to us at
Get a quote
Didn't find what you were looking for? We will be happy to send you a custom quote.
Fill out your wishes, and we will send you a quote on your next holiday.
×Get our Newsletter
We write about active holidays, contests and good travel tips
Contact us ×
You are more than welcome to contact us if you have questions about anything.
Phone: +44 20 3936 1208
Mail: [email protected]