Cycling Coastal Portugal | Porto to Lisbon

Bike down the Portuguese coast to end in Lisboa!

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Home | Bike Tours | Portugal | Porto to Lisbon

Porto, Aveiro,Lisbon

8 days − Self Guided

3 & 4* Hotels & Country Inns

From

€1,395

Ride alongside the Portuguese northern coast to arrive in Lisbon!

This self-guided bike tour is a beautiful journey down the Portuguese shoreline and visiting many cultural and historic sites. It links two of the main cities in Portugal, Porto, and its vibrant capital, Lisbon and many seaside places like Figueira da Foz and Óbidos, the walled town.

Enjoy Porto, a Unesco World Heritage City in Western Europe and learn about its famous wine and gastronomy, experience Aveiro, known as the Venice of Portugal, and arrive in Lisbon, a city that has served as inspiration for many artists, writers, photographers and filmmakers through the ages.

Admire its brightly coloured buildings straddling the slopes, striking ochre roofs, tile-covered building facades and narrow twisting alleys of the medieval districts. It is one of Europe’s finest capital cities and a great achievement to cycle to!

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Dates

27 Feb 2023 to 15 Dec 2023

27 Feb 2024 to 15 Dec 2024

%

Riding Level

Easy with
some Hills

45KM Daily Average

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

2 main Portuguese cities – Lisbon and Porto – in one trip
Accommodation at lively towns by the sea, some facing the beach
Golden beaches, countryside, forests and lagoons
Ride through the protected Natural Park of the São Jacinto dunes
Daily Atlantic catches of unbeatable fish and shellfish
Famous wineries and wine tastings
Towns rich in Roman, Baroque and Neoclassical architecture

THE CC ADVANTAGE

We’ve have a personal connection to Portugal and absolutely love exploring it on 2 wheels!

Enjoy as we do, the fascinating history and culture of this country that once ruled the world and read up on it in your personal CC guide book.

Ride this coastal area on a comfortable hybrid or an Electric assist bike.

Portugal! The cycling was great and the scenery first class. Lots of interesting things to see en-route with some fantastic accommodation to enjoy along the way. The food was so good, especially the seafood. We seemed to get a taste for the Vinho verde wine – so refreshing after a day’s ride!

This was our second bike tour with Cycling Country and Portugal did not disappoint. Thank you again.”

J. & S. Williams

Birmingham, England

Route Map

itinerary

Day 1. PORTO ARRIVAL

Arrive into Porto (airport pickup available) and to your hotel in this historic and fascinating city. Creating a bit of a buzz for itself, Porto has become a popular cultural place and you will enjoy your day exploring the Ribeira, the medieval centre and its many interesting buildings, cafes, galleries and shops. Pick up your bikes and even take a ride riverside, seeing the Eiffel bridge or over to the Port Wine lodges on the southern bank, but be careful on your ride home! Don’t over enjoy those lodges. A UNESCO Heritage city, you will be spoiled for choice here for what to do and that is true especially so for dinner, as the city has many fine Portuguese spots to dine.

Day 2. PORTO TO FURADOURO

Ride: 42 km | Elevation Gain: 77 m

It is always nice to get out of the big city and your cycle today is a nice flat one, in which you will just fly along. Via many small towns hugging the coast with Umbrella fir trees and sandy beaches it is a pleasant ride. Heading towards Furadouro, surrounded by pine forests, you will enjoy this quiet ride and the town itself is a good base for the night.

See more

Day 3. FURADOURO TO AVEIRO

Ride: 40 km | Elevation Gain: 40 m

Another great day of flat cycling and through the nice Natural Reserve of Sao Jacinto with a small boat transfer. Aveiro is a popular day trip from Porto and it known as the Portuguese Venice with so many inlets and canals with brightly hand painted colourful boats called Moliceiro, used for collecting seaweed bobbing in the marinas. A thriving port through the Middle Ages due to vast sea salt pans which supplied the entire country, you still can visit these salt dunes today and soak in these medicinal properties.

Very handsome pastel coloured homes line the streets and the old town is pretty around the fish market. Homes there are attractively tiled in those famous Portuguese Azulejos and there are some very nice examples of Art Nouveau in the town.

You might want to try (or not!!) the town’s specialty of eels which are from the town’s lagoon.

Day 4. AVEIRO TO FIGEIRA DA FOZ

Ride: 35 km | Elevation Gain: 124 m

A little bit harder cycling day today on your way to Lisbon with a small climb near the end of the day, but a lovely cycle nevertheless. You leave along the canal and reach the town of Mira and its quaint beachside fishing village. The coast is long and impressive and stretches for miles here and you can have some marvellous seafood whilst you wait for your transfer to Figueira da Foz. Based on the Rio Mondego, it is a popular place for tourists due to its huge beach and has a lively atmosphere with its many outdoor plazas of cafes and restaurants.

Day 5. TO SAO PEDRO DE MOEL

Ride: 65 km | Elevation Gain: 233 m

This is a wonderful ride today (although your biggest day yet) along the sparkling Atlantic coast, and via what was the Pinhal de Leira pine forest. This “Royal Pine Forest” track was originally built in the 14th century by King Dinis, known as the farmer king, in order to build a barrier to the encroaching beach sands. It is a nice area of wildlife and an air infused with pine and sea saltiness. It is growing back after forest fires of years past but still a pleasant area to cycle.

Today’s rolling route follows the Atlantic Road, designated cycling route, past the sentinel lighthouse to the pleasant town of São Pedro de Moel, which is set on a little bluff and famed for its surfing as the breakers can come in quite big on this beach stretch of coastline just below the town. Try a fish dinner tonight, as it won’t come fresher than those served here.

Day 6. TO ÓBIDOS

Ride: 69 km | Elevation Gain: 731 m

This is an exciting day of cycling starting along the Atlantic coast with a more touristic bent included. There is some climbing to do today and your route takes you through the Costa da Prata (Silver coast) to Nazaré, Portugal’s famous fishing town but one now most known for the massive waves that International surfers make their names on. Incredible views of the goliaths that come storming in, is from the upper part of town overlooking the Atlantic. The fishing boats are very pretty with their curved bows, reminders of a Phoenician past and the beach village was only settled in the 19th century due to piracy threats onwards from the Vikings.

A charming route with beautiful vistas. You continue inland to Óbidos, with a most enchanting blue and white tiled entrance, the Porta da Vila, through its solid fortified walls. The narrow winding cobbled streets lead up to the beautiful castle with its lovely rounded turrets. The village itself is delightful with flower pots spilling out of windows and bright colours on white-washed walls. Even in medieval times this place was so loved by the wife of King Dinis, he gifted it to her.

Day 7. LISBOA!

Get up early to wander this atmospheric place of Óbidos before your 11am transfer into the Capital city of Lisbon which rests on the Tagus river. One of Europe’s most vibrant and exciting places appealing to all with its romantic Alfama hillside district where the houses rest on top of each other in a most photogenic way and the modern day “medieval” castle tops it. The sights are many in this lovely city of World War II intrigue, medieval legends, art galleries galore and museums for everyone and without doubt, some world class food opportunities. Catch a tram over to the district of Belem and enjoy the stupendous UNESCO Heritage sites of the Jeronimos Monastery and 16th century Belem Tower the launch marker from which many Portuguese explorers left.

Wander over and get a delicious Pastel de nata, cream tart, a real Portuguese favourite and perhaps visit the botanical gardens or even intriguing Carriage museum. This full day doesn’t even factor in, enjoying late night Fado music, a true cultural treat of this city!

Day 8. LISBON TO LISBON AIRPORT

We hate to say goodbye, and so will you for leaving this place really is a heartbreak. Or don’t stop and join us on our guided tour of the beautiful and traditional Alentejo area or keep self guiding all the way down the Blue Coast to the Algarve! The choices are endless. Boa Viagem and we hope you enjoyed your trip down the West Coast!

Transfer to Lisbon airport included today if required.

Trip details

Leisure Cycling Tour : Self-Guided

Bikes : Hybrid or Ebike

Route : Porto, Aveiro, Óbidos, Lisbon

Group Size : Minimum 2 people

Riding Level

Easy : Daily average of 40 km over flat/rolling terrain. The tour is suitable for leisure cyclists of all ages who have a good level of fitness and enjoy leisure biking.

Accommodation

7 nights in 4 Stars Boutique Hotels | All bedrooms are en-suite | Breakfast included

Food

All breakfasts

Extras Included

Pre-tour information & support on tour

Map, Guide Book of history, customs & where to eat,

Helmet Bag, Water Bottle & Tee-Shirt

Luggage moved on daily

Toolkit, first aid kit, puncture repair kit, pump, and spare inner tube and Pre-paid mobile phone

GPS loaded with the tracks and a roadbook with detailed information

7 nights Accommodation & Overnight storage of bicycles at the hotels

5% off on your next tour with Us!

Not Included

Guide and support vehicle

Meals, wine experiences and cooking experience

Travel Insurance . we suggest Nomads / Worldwide / Colombus

Good Quality Bike Hire – Specialized Hybrid Bike (or similar) (€95) | CUBE Reaction HPA e-bike (or similar -*if step through wished, please ask specifically) (€140)

Porto Gastronomy & Aveiro Boat Experience: €45 per person. Details: ▪ Day 1 – 1 Port Wine visit and tasting, at a historic Port Wine cellar in Porto* (only available for clients arriving before 15:00h this day, because the last possible visit to the cellars is at 17h45 – subject to availability) | ▪ Day 3 – 1 Moliceiro boat trip in Aveiro | ▪ Day 3 : Aveiro’s speciality tasting, including 1 pastry, 1 liquor and biscuits

Special Wine & Dine package with 2 dinners: €140 per person. It includes: ▪ Day 1 – Gourmet dinner at Porto with three courses & wine – in Porto

▪ Day 7 – Fado dinner & soirée, three courses menu & wine with typical music Fado show – in Lisbon

Picnic package: €95 per person. Includes 5 light lunch meals to carry on bike in riding days.

Custom Portugal Cycling Jersey – €47

Extra nights

Transfers

Fom Porto airport on the first day and back to Lisbon airport on last day.

Terrain

Quiet country and coastal roads. Some unpaved Bike Paths

Lodgings

A delightful collection of hotels accompany you on this bike tour along the Atlantic. An important part of the journey is where you lay your head after a great day’s cycle. Luckily these 4 star town and city hotels and historical family run spots will not disappoint.

The great stretch of beach outside your hotels, the charming villages to explore once you finish your day’s cycle trip, all will be an exciting part of your daily routine.

You will want to keep cycling on this Atlantic bike ride down Portugal’s beautiful coast!

View of Hotel restaurant on bike tour to Lisbon.

Cycling from Porto to Lisbon - Porto hotel

Reviews

“My wife and I really enjoyed our Porto to Lisbon bike tour- a great way to see Portugal’s coast and explore some great cities like Aveiro. Well organized, good equipment, and lovely hotels. We had good weather in mid-October.”
T. Gainer – Portland, OR, USA – October 2021

“Amazing experience!
My husband and I are back from our biking trip in Portugal with a suitcase full of wonderful memories.
I would like to thank Cycling Country for the amazing organization that they provided to make our trip go as smoothly as it did. The bikes were very comfortable and in great condition (thank you for the special Dutch-style bikes – they were great!) and well equipped with emergency tools. They really thought of everything we might need along the road. The “Ride with GPS” navigation was very easy to follow and had lots of interesting tips and useful information. Also the hotels were all very nice and in great locations. In addition, the support we received before and during the trip was first class. Above all, the scenery was fantastic and the trails very varied along the coast, through beautiful parks and interesting places. I highly recommend both the trip and Cycling Country as the organizers.”
E. Brager – Bethesda, MA, USA – September 2021

“Self-guided Porto to Lisbon tour – Great experience and very well organized!
The selection of cities/towns and routes through Portugal’s central coast is varied and interesting. The route was not very challenging (mostly flat) and great for those who want a laid back ride, and kept us off main roads ( love not having to negotiate much car traffic!). Cycling Country was reliable, friendly and accommodating with good attention to detail. Hotels were solid, with some nice touches, like a few with spa amenities.
We were especially grateful for their help with finding places for Covid tests for our return flight to the US. Our flight got canceled and they graciously made accommodations for us, much appreciated!”
T. Eggers – Piedmont, CA, USA – July 2021

Testimonials from previous cyclists are always available and we enjoy receiving the feedback after tours. It helps us improve our services and offer you an even better experience. Please feel free to contact us if you would like a reference to talk to. Others have also posted reviews on the independent travel website .