Porto to Coimbra Cycling

Activity Level

Easy & Moderate

Activity

Cycling

Overview

On this nine-night, self-guided cycling holiday you’ll enjoy wonderful, relaxed cycling along the idyllic coastline south of Porto and the beautiful Aveiro Lagoon.

You begin in UNESCO-recognised Porto, a beautiful mix of winding, medieval streets, impressive architecture and the serene Douro River, packed with brightly coloured rabelo sailing boats – it’s also home to some world-famous wine cellars. From here you’ll head south, past sandy bays and beaches, to your luxury hotel in Furadouro right on the beachfront, before heading via the Aveiro Lagoon, to ‘Portugal’s Venice’, Aveiro. Here, the latticework canals are overlooked by grand buildings and inviting restaurants, while pretty moliceiro boats sail leisurely along the water. Returning to the ocean you’ll pass high sand dunes and fragrant pine and acacia forest, on your way to Praia de Mira, before continuing along the Silver Coast to Figueira da Foz. Your final stretch takes you to Coimbra, Portugal’s former capital and now a cosmopolitan university city. With 2 nights here there is plenty of time to explore its charming cobbled alleyways, bustling markets and wonderful architecture such as the 16th century aqueduct and the university’s sublime Baroque library, perhaps rounding off with a traditional fado evening in one of the local bars.

Key Information

Trip Code: C09OP
Ways to Travel: Self-Guided Holidays
Countries: Portugal

What's Included

All continental breakfasts and 1 evening meal
High Quality Bikes
Standard transfers at the start/end of the trip (if booking inclusive flights)
Luggage transfers between hotels
Port wine-tasting day 2
Airport transfer to the hotel in Porto

7 days of Cycling

Terrain:

The suggested cycle routes follow a mixture of dedicated cycle paths, which are either beside the road or separate from the road and some tracks.

Day 2: 20 km / 12.4 miles
Day 3: 30 km / 18.6 miles
Day 4: 34 km / 21.1 miles
Day 6: 33 km / 20.5 miles
Day 7: 60 km / 37.3 miles
Day 8: 53 km / 32.9 miles

Highlights

Superb varied cycling: riverside and forest routes; beaches and sand dunes; charming cities
Taste wine in Porto's famous wine cellars and in the superb Bairrada wine region
Aveiro's Venetian canals; UNESCO-recognised Coimbra
Coastal and lagoon wildlife: pink flamingo, purple heron, kingfisher and sandpiper
4-star hotels throughout in beachfront, town and country locations

Itinerary

First Destination: Porto
Next Destination: Porto

Meals included:None

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:None

First Destination: Porto
Next Destination: Porto

Arrive at your hotel in Porto. After a briefing with our agent you can enjoy dinner on the Douro riverfront, choosing from a wide range of restaurants.
You stay at the Hotel Vila Gale

Today you could opt for a return cycle ride, taking you north of Porto and along both the Douro River and the ocean front, passing glorious beaches, the 16th century castle of Sao Joao da Foz, Matosinhos – with some great seafood restaurants – and the Boa Nova Tea House which belongs to the Portuguese Masterchef’s Rui Paula. If you’d rather spend the day exploring Porto, why not enjoy a stroll along the riverfront, wander the narrow, winding streets or explore the historic Ribeira district, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For dinner this evening you can choose from a number of fine local restaurants.
You stay at the Hotel Vila Gale (breakfast included)

Meals included:Breakfast

This morning, enjoy a relaxed ride along the Douro River’s south bank, full of brightly coloured rabelo boats. You could stop for a tasting in one of the famous port wine caves before following an idyllic waterfront path from the Natural Reserve of the Douro Estuary – a great spot for birdwatching – to the Atlantic coast. Heading onwards, you’ll pass some beautiful sandy beaches – perhaps stop for lunch in one of the seafront restaurants and relax on Espinho’s gorgeous golden sands – before following a cycle path through pine forest to your beachfront hotel in Furadouro.
You stay at the Furadouro Boutique Hotel (breakfast included)

Meals included:Breakfast

Head south from Furadouro along the protected Aveiro Lagoon, one of Europe’s last pristine coastal marshes and a haven for many bird species including plover and sandpiper – you can discover more about the area by joining the canal and paying a visit to the BioRia Interpretation Centre. It’s then on to Salreu where you’ll take a short train journey (10 mins – pay locally) to Aveiro, your home for the next two nights. There are plenty of good fish restaurants to choose from for dinner, within easy reach of your luxury hotel.
You stay at the Hotel Moliceiro (breakfast included)

Meals included:Breakfast

Aveiro is known as ‘Portugal’s Venice’, with a picturesque network of canals weaving their way through the city, lined with grand buildings and former fishermen’s houses and filled with gondola-style boats making their way leisurely along the water. Charming alleyways are lined with churrasquerias for lunch, while a bustling fish market takes place every day. Visit the impressive Jesus Monastery and Aveiro Museum, along with the beautiful cathedral which dominates the town square.
You stay at the Hotel Moliceiro (breakfast included)

Meals included:Breakfast

Cycle southwards today and visit the factory and museum of Vista Alegre, Portugal’s oldest fine porcelain producer, based in Ilhavo, before crossing the Aveiro Lagoon to meet the ocean again in Vagueira. From here you head north to Costa Nova, home to a lovely sandy beach lined by colourful candy-striped houses, before cycling back to Vagueira and along the coast. Turning inland, you’ll make your way to your 4 star beachfront hotel at Praia de Mira, passing fields of pears, lemons and strawberries en route.
You stay at the Macarico Beach Hotel (breakfast at the hotel, evening meal in a local restaurant)

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Today’s ride continues along the Silver Coast, through one of the biggest dune systems in the area, covered in pine tree forest. There is a final short but fairly steep climb up the beautiful Serra da Boa Viagem shortly before reaching the seaside town of Figueira da Foz.

You stay at the Exe Hotel Wellington (breakfast)

Meals included:Breakfast

Your final ride takes you inland along the fertile valley of the Mondego River. Stop at Montemor o Velho, midway along your route to explore the ancient castle, a monument dating back to 1088. Continue on to the UNESCO city of Coimbra and head out in the evening to enjoy a range of restaurants and lively fado bars!
You stay at the Hotel Vila Gale Coimbra (breakfast included)

Meals included:Breakfast

Explore the University town at your leisure. There’s so much to discover in this beautiful riverfront city, including the historic university with its spectacular Baroque library, the Museo de Castro, whose art collection in the Bishop’s Palace is one of the finest in Portugal, not to mention the interest-packed streets and leafy plazas just perfect for exploring.
You stay at the Hotel Vila Gale Coimbra (breakfast included)

Meals included:Breakfast

The tour ends after breakfast in Coimbra.

Dates & Prices

Skip the hassle: We’ll handle your trip from start to finish, with competitive flight prices, deposit-only payments, and full ATOL protection available.

Call us on 0203 733 5948

Your Group, Your Adventure

Want to choose your travel companions? Gather your family and friends and let us create a Private Adventure just for you.

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Accommodation

Hotels

We’ve picked some rather special accommodation for you including luxury 4-star hotels in art-deco and historic buildings in Porto and Aveiro respectively; a design hotel in Praia de Mira with a rooftop pool boasting fabulous ocean views and a stylish spa hotel Coimbra. We’ve included one evening meal for you on this holiday allowing you the freedom to choose from some great local restaurants.

Essential Information

Cycling Conditions
Classification: Self–Guided
Activity Level: 2 (Leisurely/moderate)
Average daily distance: 31.4km (21miles)
No. of days cycling: 6
Terrain and route: The suggested cycle routes follow a mixture of dedicated cycle paths, which are either beside the road or separate from the road and some tracks.
Vehicle Support: This is a self-guided trip for those who prefer to cycle independently, but with our assistance to take out the stress of the logistics and planning. We arrange your accommodation, provide you with a map and route notes so that you can cycle at your own pace, while your bags are transported from one hotel to the next.

It is important that you are happy reading maps and following route notes, we make these as accurate as possible and they are regularly checked.

As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. There maybe others on the same departure date as you, but you will not be organised together. The routes notes contain a 24-hour emergency assistance telephone number should you need it and in emergencies, the hotels are normally able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may wish to charge for this service.

Alternative Air Travel
Alternative flights, onward rail to your holiday area, and connecting private transfers can be arranged from most UK airports.

Alternative transfers
If you require alternative transfers (because you will be arriving at a different time to our standard flights), then we can usually arrange these for you (there may be an additional charge).

Portugal

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Portugal. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/portugal
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/portugal
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/portugal/entry-requirements
• USA:  www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Portugal.html

Portuguese cuisine is wholesome, hearty, and rarely fancy and relies heavily on the use of different herbs and spices due to its Moorish influence. Fish dishes are more predominant in the south, although northern regions often offer delicious freshwater fish dishes.
The region is also famous for sticky desserts that use egg yolk. During the Golden Age (15C and 16C), the area was very rich because of all the treasures that were brought back from the discoveries of the New World. These riches paid for many convents. The nuns needed egg whites to starch their habits so they used the egg yolks in many gooey desserts that have curious names like monk’s breast and nun’s stomach.
The Alentejo is also a highly respected wine region. The Romans were the first to start cultivating vines here. You’ll find a whole range of different vintages to try en route, the best known ones include Roupeiro, Rabo do Ovelha and Antão Vaz (white) and Periquita, Trincadeira and Aragonez (reds), although many small family run vineyards produce their own versions as well. The majority of the wines served in Portugal come from this region. If you enjoy a very young wine, try Vinho Verde from the North. Calcos do Tanha from the Douro region is a good red wine as are Cozinha Velha, Esporão and Ma Partilha from Terra do Sado. Try one of the many excellent ports as a digestif.

Porto has a temperate maritime climate with a strong Mediterranean influence. The climate here is long, warm summers and mild winters, with most rain falling in the winter months, but possible in all other months. Seasons are marked, with pleasant temperatures in the spring, in the summer and in the autumn. Heat waves can push up temperatures between mid June and September.

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.