Portugal - Cycling Algarve - West, 5 days
As the most southern situated region of Portugal, Algarve has a wonderful warm climate and a stunning coastline that you will be cycling from Sagres in the west to Albufeira about midway.
Ecovia do Algarve is a cycling route that takes you 130 along the coast. This cycling holiday takes you through a different variety of culture and nature than otherwise seen in Portugal. You will pass through small charming coastal villages and the larger and more important cities of Algarve.
The route leads you along trails of protected natural areas, and takes you along minor roads and dirt roads. The route is relatively flat, with a few lighter hilly stretches.
Highlights on this tour
- Cycling 5 days/4 nights and 3 days of cycling on the Ecovia do Algarve
- Accommodation in very nice 4-star hotels
- Charming little fishing villages and local specialties
- Great culture and climate that make Algarve an ideal holiday destination all year round
Itinerary See all daysClose all days
You will arrive at the first hotel where you will be given your bikes and other information for the tour.
This beautiful village is located in the far south-western corner of Europe, next to the Sudoeste Alentejo Natural Park and the Costa Vincentina. Sagres is a traditional southern Portuguese village full of historical monuments. It is recommended to head out to the large lighthouse, where the views of the Atlantic Ocean are outstanding. Likewise, the Sagres Fort, located at Ponta de Sagres, is a great experience.
The transfer from Faro airport is included.
Hotel (example): Hotel Memmo Baleeira
Already on the first bike ride you will reach a very special highlight: the famous lighthouse on Cape St. Vinzenz, the most south-westerly point of Europe. From the almost 75-meter-high cliffs rising vertically from the Atlantic Ocean, you have a fantastic view of the sea and can listen to the roar of the waves. Continue over gentle hills to the fishing village of Salema and on to the beach at Burgau. Entering Lagos, you will encounter the impressive rock formations of Ponta da Piedade, one of the most popular postcard motifs of the Algarve.
The tour ends in Lagos, one of the southernmost major cities in Portugal and the most historically interesting in the Algarve. It also has some lovely beaches and a rich variety of really good restaurants and cafés.
Distance: approx. 51km (+586/-641m - max altitude above sea level 104m)
Hotel (example): Hotel Tivoli Lagos
The beach at Meia today offers you the first opportunity to take a dip in the refreshing sea. Here, at low tide, you can observe the countless beachgoers looking for delicacies. In Odiáxere, a visit to the 16th century church is a fine experience, and in Alvor, a stroll through the Morabito de São Pedro market and through the narrow alleys of the historic center is truly enjoyable. Order the catch of the day at one of the many fish restaurants. Continue cycling along the coast and enjoy the stunning views of the sea. Take a break on the beautiful sandy beach Praia da Rocha before arriving at your destination Portimão in the afternoon.
Distance: approx. 31 km (+532/ - 489m - max altitude above sea level 88m)
Hotel (example): Jupiter Algarve
Initially, the cycle path takes you along the river Arade into the village of Ferragudo with its beautiful church and stunning views of the estuary. You continue past olive, cypress, orange, fig and cork trees to Lagoa. Here we recommend tasting a traditional Portuguese cake and visiting the small church of Nossa Senhora da Rocha, perched on a ledge above the sea. Long sandy beaches accompany you on the way to one of the Algarve's most famous resorts, Albufeira, which is also your destination for the day.
Distance: approx. 48 km (+304/ -337 - max altitude 62m)
Hotel (eksempel): Vila Galé Cerro Alagoa
After breakfast you will be checking out of the hotel for individual departure.
It is possible to purchase transfer to the airport - select this on the booking form.
Price includes
- Nights in 4-star hotels
- Breakfast every day
- Detailed travel information (route maps or overview maps, route description, tourist attractions, important telephone numbers)
- Transfer from Faro Airport T/R
- Luggage transfers between hotels
- Bike rental (see more below)
- 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 Faro
- Local turist tax (if due)
- optional: Upgrade to E-bike
- optional: Half board (7x dinner)
Practical info
The price is based upon two people sharing. It is also possible travel alone in a single room, choose it on the booking form.
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.
On all our cycling holidays it is possible bring your own bike but it also possible to rent a bike for the tour.
Below you will see the types of bikes offered on this trip.
In order to individually adapt the bikes to you, it is important that you indicate the body height of all participants as well as the type of bike wanted, in the comments section when booking the trip.
Touring bike (inkluded in the price)
The touring bikes are similar to the pictured Giant. They have 21 gears, so you can get comfortable through the terrain. They have a front suspension, lights and a luggage rack on which a bike bag is attached
It comes with a small repair kit.
Electric Bike (Bosch or Yamaha - optional)
On this trip, it is possible to book an electric bike, making it possible to cross any terrain with a smile. If your legs get tired the electric engine will support you to not fall behind.
It does not require any training to go on an e-bike. As long as you stay active in the pedals the engine will assist the rider to a max speed of 25 km/h.
A removable, rechargeable battery, reaching 35-65 km at one load, energizes the bike.
E-bikes have lights and luggage racks on which a bike bag is attached
It comes with a small repair kit.
However it is also possible to borrow one locally - please choose in the booking form.
The flights to/from Faro 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.
Local transportation
Transfer from Faro Airport T/R is included on this tour.
On this tour you will be accommodated in 4-star hotels with breakfast included. All the hotels have swimmingpools.
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.
On this tour breakfast is included every day.
There will be restaurants and cafés along the route, where it will be easy to find lunch and coffee breaks, as well as dinner.
For tours that extend over 24, 25 and 31 December, a Christmas/New Year's dinner is included (drinks to be purchased locally) - as restaurants in the city are either closed or fully booked on these days.
This tour has difficulty grade 1-2. Which means that most days are grade 1 and some days are grade 2.
Grade 1
Suitable for cyclists who enjoy shorter distances in flat or gently rolling terrain. Ideal if you just want to explore the area by bicycle at a leisurely pace. On most itineraries it will be possible to shorten the trip distance, or skip a cycling day.
Grade 2
For cyclists who like hilly terrain and a bit longer distances. You cycle on good roads, which usually don’t have much traffic. The distance is between 35 – 60 km or 20 – 38 miles. If you are capable of riding a bike and you have a normal good health, you should not worry about going on these tours.
Read more about our Grading System
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 20kg each.
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.
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Phone: +44 20 3936 1208
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Phone: +44 20 3936 1208
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