Cycling in The Real Algarve
7 Days Starting and ending in Sagres
Visiting: Portugal
Tour operator:
Tour code:
C06AV
Group Type:
Independent
Guide Type:
Self Guided
Age range:
18-99
Special diets catered:
Please inform Exodus of specific dietary requirements
Trip Styles:
Interests:
Tour Overview
Embark on a captivating cycling adventure through the enchanting landscapes of Portugal's Algarve region. This tour offers a perfect blend of serene cycle routes, stunning coastal views, and lush green interiors. Begin your journey in the charming town of Sagres, and pedal your way through picturesque villages, sandy beaches, and historical towns like Lagos, known for its rich maritime history. Delight in the local cuisine with continental breakfasts and evening meals included, and unwind in carefully selected hotels, each boasting its own unique charm and swimming pool. Highlights include visiting Cabo de Sao Vicente, Europe's most south-westerly point, and exploring bird-spotting paradises teeming with endemic and migratory species. With luggage transfers and detailed route maps provided, this tour promises a seamless and memorable cycling experience in the heart of the Algarve.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrive At Sagres
Meals Included: Dinner
Arrive at the wonderful coastal town of Sagres in time for dinner at the hotel. (Staying at Hotel Memmo Baleeira, Half Board)
Day 2 : Sagres To Lagos
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
From Sagres head inland, mostly following the Ecovia, a national cycle trail. Pass shepherds tending their flocks before meeting the coast again in time for lunch. The villages of Salema, Burgau and Luz have great sandy beaches and offer rustic restaurants with al fresco dining; grilled fresh fish with zesty lemon is a favourite dish. You end the day at Lagos and your wonderfully atmospheric 4-star hotel. (Staying at Vila Branca, Half Board)
Day 3 : At Lagos
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Lagos is encircled by C14 walls - the stone work and architecture you'll find hidden within these is a delight. Ornate churches date from the C13, and tangled cobbled lanes lead to new discoveries around every corner. Visit the new marina and the lively fish market (held daily), and join the locals for coffee in one of the many bars. Popular coastal walks lead to Ponte da Piedade lighthouse and from Porto de Mos to Luz, both offering outstanding sea views. (Staying at Vila Branca, Half Board)
Day 4 : Lagos To Pedralva
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
You have a choice of routes today, with both taking you along the promenade at Lagos, before heading inland to Odiaxere where you can choose a shorter option that has fewer climbs and takes you through lovely villages on winding roads, giving you a real insight into local life. The longer route takes you past the beautiful Bravura reservoir and pretty alpine-like hamlets and meadows, meeting the coast in picturesque Carrapateira. Then it's on to Pedralva, a village where each house has been restored to create individual hotel rooms. (Staying at Aldeia da Pedralva, Half Board)
Day 5 : At Pedralva
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Aldeia da Pedralva is a wonderful rural retreat and you could easily spend the day relaxing in the village. If you fancy doing more you can follow one of our routes taking you out along the cliff tops with great views of the coast, or return to Carrapateira to visit the Land and Sea Museum and have a leisurely lunch. (Staying at Aldeia da Pedralva, Half Board)
Day 6 : Pedralva To Sagres
Meals Included: Breakfast
There's two options today but both routes are fairly short allowing you time to visit the lighthouse at Cabo de Sao Vicente and Sagres Fortress, built by Henry the Navigator. The longer route is on off-road tracks passing holm oak forests. Both routes give great views of the Serra de Monchique passing through Vila do Bispo, a nice lunch stop with its beautiful 17th century church. From Vila do Bispo head out across the Vicente peninsula to Cabo de Sao Vicente and the southwestern tip of Europe before following the coast road back to Sagres. (Staying at Hotel Memmo Baleeira, Breakfast Only)
Day 7 : Leave Sagres
Meals Included: Breakfast
The tour ends after breakfast in Sagres.
What's Included
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All accommodation
All accommodation is included in the tour package.
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All continental breakfasts and 5 evening meals
The tour includes all continental breakfasts and 5 evening meals.
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Route directions and maps
Route directions and maps are provided for the cycling tour.
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Luggage transfers between hotels
Luggage transfers between hotels are included in the tour.
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Services of your local Headwater Representative
The services of a local Headwater Representative are included.
What's Not Included
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Travel insurance
Travel insurance is not included in the tour package.
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Single supplements
Single supplements are available on request and are a compulsory supplement.
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Solo traveller supplement
A supplement is required for solo travellers where only one person is travelling on a departure date.
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Visas and vaccinations
Visas and vaccinations are not included in the tour package.
Food
All continental breakfasts and 5 evening meals. The local speciality from the sea is the Barnacle Perceve, this is not taken from the bottom of boats but the bottom of submerged local cliffs, it is harvested by hand using a dangerous and traditional method, which involves one of the two collectors dangling by a rope from the top of the cliffs! They are a bit of a delicacy not too dissimilar to mussels. Away from the sea the dried hams, salamis and chourico are as good as anything that Spain or Italy can produce. The strange sounding bread sausage Alheira is very good, invented by the Portuguese Jews during the Inquisition to avoid persecution, bread and non-pork products are used. 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.
Accommodation
We have hand-picked three wonderful hotels all with their own charm. These include a modern 4 star design hotel perched on a cliff in Sagres, a 4 star hotel in Lagos full of Portuguese colonial charm and a hotel in Pedralva, where the village houses have been rustically renovated to create individual rooms. All hotels have pools with Sagres and Lagos boasting covered ones.
Mode of Transport
The tour involves cycling along peaceful routes, including the Ecovia national cycle trail, with luggage transfers between hotels. The routes offer a mix of coastal and inland paths, providing a scenic and varied cycling experience.
Check out our Q&As
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What type of accommodation can I expect during the tour?
The tour includes stays at three different hotels, each with its own charm. In Sagres, you'll stay at a modern 4-star design hotel perched on a cliff. In Lagos, the accommodation is a 4-star hotel full of Portuguese colonial charm. In Pedralva, you'll stay in a village where the houses have been rustically renovated to create individual rooms. All hotels have pools, with Sagres and Lagos offering covered ones.
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Are meals included in the tour package?
Yes, the tour package includes all continental breakfasts and 5 evening meals. The local cuisine features specialties such as Barnacle Perceve, dried hams, salamis, chourico, and a variety of cheeses. There are also options for good quality meat and fresh vegetables.
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What cycling routes are available during the tour?
The tour offers peaceful cycle routes that contrast the coast with the lush green interior. On Day 2, you will mostly follow the Ecovia, a national cycle trail. On Day 4, you have a choice of routes, including a shorter option with fewer climbs and a longer route past the Bravura reservoir. On Day 6, there are two fairly short routes, one of which includes off-road tracks.
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What are some of the key attractions visited during the tour?
Key attractions include the lighthouse at Cabo de Sao Vicente, Sagres Fortress, the C14 walls and ornate churches in Lagos, and the picturesque Carrapateira. You will also have the opportunity to visit the Land and Sea Museum in Carrapateira and enjoy coastal walks with outstanding sea views.
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Is there a rest day included in the itinerary?
Yes, there is a rest day in Lagos on Day 3, allowing you to explore the town, visit the marina and fish market, and enjoy coastal walks.
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What is the starting and ending point of the tour?
The tour starts and ends in the coastal town of Sagres.
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Exodus has been trading since 1974
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Exodus Adventure Travels allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform exodus adventure travels, 43 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Exodus Adventure Travels requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of exodus adventure travels charges.
Up to 70 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.