Portugal's Atlantic Coast 5-Day Challenging

Portugal's Atlantic Coast
5-Day Challenging

(3 Reviews)

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Overview

  • Tour DifficultyChallenging
  • Tour Duration5 Days / 4 Nights
  • Daily Saddle Time4-6 Hours
  • Daily Elevation845 m (2845 feet)
  • Daily Distance82 km (50 miles)
  • Total Distance247 kms (153 miles)
  • StartLisbon, Portugal
  • FinishLisbon, Portugal
  • Local AirportsLisbon or Porto
  • Tour SeasonMar 1 - Oct 31
  • Food & DrinkYes
  • History & CultureYes
  • Sun & SeaYes
  • Electric BikeYes
  • Gravel BikingYes
  • Mountain BikingYes

Overview

  • Tour DifficultyChallenging
  • Tour Duration5 Days / 4 Nights
  • Daily Saddle Time4-6 Hours
  • Daily Elevation845 m (2845 feet)
  • Daily Distance82 km (50 miles)
  • Total Distance247 kms (153 miles)
  • StartLisbon, Portugal
  • FinishLisbon, Portugal

Highlights

  • Lisbon: Starting in Portugal's capital city, embrace the vibrant city streets and visit the iconic Jerónimos Monastery.
  • Cascais: A picture perfect coastal getaway for the rich and famous, featuring two stunning villas set on a lagoon.
  • Sintra National Park: This UNESCO heritage site boasts 6 remarkable castles and palaces, including Pena Palace.
  • Ericeira: Europe's most famous yoga & surfing getaway, drawing people from all corners of the world.
  • Obidos: Step back in time and experience one of Europe's best preserved medieval fortified towns.
  • Nazaré: A mecca for the world's surfing elite, with breathtaking golden sand beaches and the world's most dramatic waves.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Lisbon

Welcome to Lisbon, the most westerly capital city in continental Europe. This vibrant city, with its steep streets and colorful buildings, is steeped in over 750 years of history. Despite the devastating 1755 earthquake that destroyed much of Lisbon, iconic landmarks like the Lisbon Cathedral, São Vicente de Fora, and the hauntingly beautiful Carmo Convent still stand. Wander through Alfama, where narrow cobbled streets and bright facades charm at every turn. Climb its steep paths for a calf workout and a glimpse of the city’s soul.

No visit is complete without a ride on the iconic Tram 28, a rickety journey through Lisbon’s character-filled neighborhoods. End your day at Miradouro da Senhora do Monte, where the sun sets over the city and the Tagus River, casting a golden glow across Lisbon’s timeless beauty.

Day 2: Lisbon - Ericeira

Distance: 70.4 kms (44 miles) / Elevation Gain: 998 m (3275 feet) / Saddle Time: 4-6 hours

Hopping on your trusty two-wheeled steed, and let’s set off. After a quick 1.5 km warm-up through the city, we’ll pause at Praça do Comércio, a grand plaza overlooking the Tagus River. Riding along the riverbanks, we’ll pass under the iconic 25 de Abril Bridge and stop at the Padrão dos Descobrimentos, a tribute to Portugal’s Age of Discovery. From there, it’s on to the UNESCO-listed Belém Tower, a 16th-century fortress that launched many historic voyages. We’ll also glide past the magnificent Mosteiro dos Jerónimos before boarding a train to Cascais.

Cascais offers pastel streets, a charming marina, and landmarks like Palácio dos Condes de Castro Guimarães. Next, we’ll cycle Portugal’s most scenic bike lane, with endless beaches and the dramatic Boca do Inferno caves. Ascending into Sintra National Park, you’ll encounter lush forests and Portugal’s iconic Palácio da Pena. After exploring Sintra’s treasures, it’s a thrilling descent to Ericeira, Portugal’s surf capital.

Day 3: Ericeira - Nazaré

Distance: 98 kms (60 miles) / Elevation Gain: 1,168 m (3935 feet) / Saddle Time: 4.5-6.5 hours

This is a day of contrasts and discovery. Leaving Ericeira, you trade the ocean for the mountains, winding through rural towns, villages, and even a quarry. Midway, you arrive in Óbidos, a perfectly preserved medieval town where every corner feels like a step back in time, with postcard-worthy views in every direction.

From Óbidos, you head to Vinhos Cortém, a boutique vineyard offering a unique agricultural experience and the chance to savor their exceptional wines. With spirits lifted, you tackle hilly terrain and technical stretches, rewarded by a breathtaking view as you near Nazaré.

Famous for Praia do Norte, where the world’s largest waves have been conquered, Nazaré offers a spectacle of elite surfers mastering its legendary swells. It’s a fitting finale to a day rich in beauty, history, and adventure.

Day 4: Nazaré - Figueira Da Foz

Distance: 78 kms (48 miles) / Elevation Gain: 368 m (1210 feet) / Saddle Time: 3.5-5.5 hours

Your day begins at Miradouro do Suberco in Nazaré, where sweeping views of the town invite you to capture unforgettable moments. A short ride leads you to the Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo, a striking landmark perched above the Atlantic. From here, you embark north along the EuroVelo 1 Atlantic Coast route—a gentle, scenic journey with coastal views and mostly flat cycle lanes.

Pause at Praia de Vitória, a serene, local-feeling beach, before pushing onward to Lagoa da Ervedeira for a refreshing break at the halfway point. The final stretch takes you to Figueira da Foz, where the Edgar Cardoso bridge detour includes a brief ferry ride across the river. End your day with a peaceful promenade stroll or test your luck at the Casino da Figueira in this sleepy, charming city.

Day 5: Depart from Lisbon

A short train back to the capital is included in this tour. Circle back to where it all began and catch up on any sights you may have missed in Lisbon. During booking, there is the option to extend your stay in Lisbon, if you aren’t quite ready to leave this magical city behind.

Map

Accommodation

All our accommodation selections are in-house reviewed. We partner with family-owned, charming guesthouses and hotels where you can relax and recharge. Below are some sample accommodations on our Portugal Atlantic Coast tours. Depending on availability, the accommodation you stay at may vary but will always be of a similar standard.

Lisbon: Ting's Lisbon

Tings Lisbon is a small oasis where travelers meet creatives in its shaded garden. The old, rebuilt protected house is located on Senhora Do Monte Miradouro in Graça w. the best cafes, bars, restaurants, street art and music venues only a few minutes away. All guests wake up to the smell of the home baked bread served for breakfast.

Figueira da Foz: Bacharéis Charming House

Featuring quiet street views, Bacharéis Charming House is set in Figueira da Foz, 1.1 km from Forte de Santa Catarina Beach. All units feature air conditioning and a satellite flat-screen TV. With a private bathroom equipped with a shower and a hair dryer, units at the bed and breakfast also offer free WiFi. Buffet and continental breakfast options with local specialities, fresh pastries and fruits are available daily at the bed and breakfast.

FAQ

What Is the cycle like?

This tour is in our Challenging difficulty grading. Consisting of a blend of cycle lanes, quiet country roads and some technical forest trails, it is recommended to be comfortable riding in all terrains. The opening half of the tour is more difficult with some big elevation gain and a lot of ground to cover. The closing half of the tour is much flatter and offers an opportunity to let the legs recover.

We only offer electric mountain bikes or gravel bikes on this tour due to terrain and daily distances.

Is this tour for me?

This is a tour of discovery and with it comes an ever evolving backdrop to enjoy during the cycle. If your idea of a perfect bike tour is a test of your fitness and skill, but with rewards of seeing parts lesser known, this tour is the one for you.

With incredible landmarks along the route as well as top tier food & wine stops, you’ll discover more about Portugal’s rich culture in 5 days than most would dream of in a month.

Tour includes

  • 4 nights accommodation in charming guesthouses and hotels.
  • A hearty breakfast each morning
  • Four visits to a world class wineries, vineyards and port lodges
  • Luggage transfers between accommodations
  • Detailed itinerary, GPX files and printable maps of your route
  • Tips on local attractions, history & evening meals
  • On call support before and during your tour

Tour excludes

  • Flights and transfers to and from the trail heads
  • Lunches & Dinners
  • Insurance
  • Bike rental (Selected on checkout)

The Bikes

You have a choice of bringing your own bike or renting your tour bike through us during booking. For Portugal’s Atlantic Coast, the bikes available are robust electric mountain bikes or manual gravel bikes. If an electric bike is chosen, it will bring the daily saddle time down by approximately 1 hour.

We only partner with the best bike suppliers for all our destinations so you’ll be guaranteed well maintained, premium brand bikes such as Cube, Trek or KTM.

All bike rentals come with helmet, lock and repair kit. A network of mechanics are on call in case of any mechanical issues faced while on tour.

What Is The Climate Like?

We offer tours in Portugal from March – October. At the start and end of the tour season, the average temperatures in Lisbon are approximately 15 °C (50 °F). These are also the quietest times of the season to miss queues at famous landmarks. Temperatures peak average at 28 °C (83 °F) in July & August and are also the driest months. Temperatures as high as 35 °C (95 °F) have been recorded, but these are quite rare. Please see image below for reference.

As a lot of ground is covered on this tour, you may be exposed to different weather systems. For inland regions such as Coimbra, temperatures can rise as high as 40°C (104°F).

Is The Tour Easy To Navigate?

We include detailed navigation instructions and GPX files for your ride. Our navigation app is easy to use and we give a detailed instructional video on how to use it. If you are having any difficulty, we are on call at all times to assist you.

Portugal generally speaking has a high level of English fluency, so you are never far out of reach of a local’s wise words.

What If There Is An Issue On Tour?

Included in your tour, is 24/7 message and video support. If you have an issue with navigation, bike breakdown, accommodation, medical, etc, we are at the touch of a button away at all times.

We have an extensive network of suppliers along the route, who will resolve the problem as swiftly as possible.

 

More FAQ

If you haven’t found the answer you’re looking for above, visit our general FAQ page for more information or simply reach out to us with the “Ask A Question” button on the side.

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Price

Portugal's Atlantic Coast 5-Day Challenging

From$818
(3 Reviews)
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Tour Includes


3* or 4* Accommodation Throughout

Breakfast Each Morning

Winery Tour & Tasting

Train Transfers While On Tour

Luggage Transfer

Itinerary & Navigation Documentation

Tips & Local Insights

24-Hour Support

From$818
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