Cycling the Algarve's Rota Vicentina

8 Days Excluding Flights

8 Days from

£ 1229

£ 1259

Cycling

Activity Level

Moderate

Ways to Travel :

Self-Guided Holidays

Activity :

Cycling

Ages :

14+

Trip Code :

C07RV

Cycle in the most beautiful and well-preserved coast of Europe.

From the Alentejo region to Cabo de Sao Vicente which marks the most south-westerly point of Europe, follow the ‘Rota Vicentina Historical Way’ by longing rugged coastline with amazing views over cliffs and large sandy beaches. Stop and relax in quaint peaceful fishing villages to taste the rich local cuisine that serves the best the sea has.

This ride leads you through a natural reserve and the ‘Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina Natural Park’. Longing the ocean, you can fully enjoy the landscape and appreciate the surprises nature has to offer, such as wild flowers, bird watching. Admire breath-taking view and relax on one of the unspoilt beach or inlet.

End your trip in the Algarve region, along beautiful coastlines enjoying a mix of golden sandy beaches and rugged cliff tops, and pass through pretty villages, some of which seem unaffected by the outside world.

Highlights

Follow the cycling path Rota Vicentina from Setubal to the Cape Sao Vicente
Cycle the most beautiful and well-preserved coast of Europe (Natural Park)
Wonderful peaceful beaches, quaint fishermen's villages and delicious regional cuisine and seafood

Key Information

7 nights hotel to hotel accommodation in a mix of 2-star, 3-star and 4-star hotels
E-bike hire available on request (supplement applies)
Management by a local appointed Headwater agent

Countries visited: Portugal

What's Included

All Breakfasts
Headwater Navigation App
Mountain bike
Luggage transfers between hotels

What's Not Included

Travel insurance
Single accommodation (available on request)
Visas or vaccinations

6 Days of Cycling

Day 2

62 km / 38.5 miles

Day 3

55 km / 34.2 miles

Day 4

63 km / 39.1 miles

Day 5

37 km / 23 miles

Day 6

48 km / 29.8 miles

Day 7

35 km / 21.7 miles

TRIP

C07RV - Cycling the Algarve’s Rota Vicentina

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Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.

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Itinerary

Setubal Vila do Bispo London London

Transfer from Lisbon airport to your hotel.

Located on the Sado river bank, explore Setubal and wander in the town centre to the convent and the fort where you can enjoy fantastic views over the city and the river.

Meals included: Breakfast

Start with a ferry crossing through the Sado Estuary Natural Reserve. Enjoy bird watching during this short journey. This reserve is a protected area for many species such as storks. The most friendly local inhabitants and symbol of the Nature Reserve are the dolphins. It’s rare to find them in Europe, freely swimming in their natural habitat, but here is an important colony.

Then, cycle through rice fields and along beaches. Right by Santo Andre Lagoon, and part of a Nature Reserve, the Costa de Santo Andre Beach is a long stretch of sand with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the calm waters of the lagoon on the other. Surrounded by golden dunes, this beach with its challenging waters is very popular among surfers.

Distance covered: 39mi (62km)

Meals included: Breakfast

Ride through quaint villages until Sao Torpes Beach very popular for surfing. Continue your ride on the coastline before reaching Porto Covo, a picturesque fishermen’s village which is a mix of whitewashed cottages, cobbled streets and pretty squares perched on the low cliff tops of the Alentejo coast. In the village, all roads lead to the little fishing harbour which clings to the side of a deep natural inlet.

Then arrive in Vila Nova de Milfontes located on the Mira river banks and offers large beaches on the coastline and is surrounded by unspoilt rural countryside.

Distance covered: 34mi (55km)

Meals included: Breakfast

Follow the ‘Rota Vicentina Historical Way’ punctuated with many highlights such as Almograve, a quaint village. Almograve Beach with red cliffs and dunes is one of the most beautiful beaches along this rocky coastline and is part of the Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina Natural Park.

Continue to Sardao Cape a natural and unspoilt site offering stunning views; Then, ride to Zambujeira do Mar, a quaint fishing village. This place offers an excellent view over the beach, and is a small and very peaceful village. The beautiful beaches are one of the main attractions as its natural environment is one of the best preserved of this region.

Distance covered: 39mi (63km)

Meals included: Breakfast

Today you have a choice of routes; both routes take you first to Aljezur, with its Moorish castle; from there the shorter route takes you directly to your hotel, allowing plenty of time to visit the nearby beach; the longer route takes you on a coastal loop past several beaches on a variety of tranquil gravel tracks.

Distance covered: 23mi (37km)

Meals included: Breakfast

Cycle towards the village of Carrapateira and enjoy breath-taking views over the cliffs that will mesmerize your memory; take a break at Bordeira and Amado beaches before heading for a seafood lunch in Carrapteira. Head inland along sandy tracks to arrive in Vila do Bispo, a peaceful village full of narrow streets and whitewashed houses.

Distance covered: 30mi (48km)

Ride to Cordoama beach overlooked by cliffs. Surrounded by foaming Atlantic waves, Cabo de Sao Vicente marks the most south-westerly point of Europe. The path to the edge of the continent should prove to be one of the highlights of your week! You are spoilt with amazing coastal scenery on this wild and unpopulated route that follows sandy paths and gorse-strewn meadows to the very edge of the Iberian Peninsula. At the Cape there is a lighthouse, museum and small bar, offering wonderful photo opportunities.

Distance covered: 22mi (35km)

Meals included: Breakfast

Transfer from your hotel to Faro airport.

Meals included: Breakfast

Essential Info

Is this trip for you?

Classification: Self-Guided
No. of days Cycling: 6
Terrain: Mostly gently undulating with a couple of short but steepish descents/climbs on most days. Rides are on coastal routes and tracks following the Rota Vicentina.

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 accommodations, provide you with GPS route directions so that you can cycle at your own pace.

As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. There may be others on the same departure date as you, but you will not be organised together. The route notes contain a 24-hour emergency assistance telephone number should you need it and in emergencies.

Joining Instructions

Standard transfers
For flight inclusive bookings transfers are included from Faro airport. Transfers are available at a supplement for land only bookings.

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).

Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.

Location start: Setubal
Location end: Vila do Bispo

Vaccinations and Health

Portugal

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus and rabies. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Visa

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

Food & Drink

Taste the delicious regional cuisine, seafood, fresh fish and the appetising dishes. In the Alentejo, a meal starts with a variety of appetizers. Cured ham, or Presunto de Barrancos, are local delicacies, and goat and sheep cheeses usually accompany thin slices of cured ham. Olives, whether black or green, harvested from olive groves throughout the Alentejo are a staple.

Other Alentejo specialties include roasted peppers, bread stews and octopus salad flavoured with onion and peppers seasoned in olive oil. On the fish side, there is rich fish stew, fresh crab, grilled fish and octopus.

Good quality meat is also on the menu, beef and pork are of a high quality and lamb in season is superb. Vegetables are plentiful and with big harvests of almonds and oranges, fruits are in good supply alongside another local vegetable, the sweet potato.

The Algarve’s other surprise is the quality of cheese; from mild to strong using cow, goat or sheep milk there is a great range of cheeses for all tastes, Queijo de Cabra do Algarve, is a particular favourite.

Weather

Coastal areas of Portugal can be known to be quite windy.However, 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.

TRIP

C07RV - Cycling the Algarve’s Rota Vicentina

Departure Date

Number Of Passengers*

Message*

To enquire about an existing booking click here

First Name *

Last Name *

Email *

Phone *

Keep me up to date with news and offers from Exodus by email.

Thank you for contacting Exodus Travels.

Find out more about how we use your data

Request a Brochure

Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.

View Trip Notes