Portugal: Along the Atlantic Coast Bike Tour - Lisbon to Lagos
9-Day Inn Portugal Bike Tour
Tour Information
The southern half of Portugal’s Atlantic coastline is a magical place filled with dramatic cliffs, golden beaches, charming fishing villages and plentiful seafood. This bike tour also includes hiking the famous Fisherman’s Trail and exploring grottos and caves by boat. Come ride the Costa Azul, or Blue Coast, with us!
Consider pairing this adventure with our Portugal: Along the Atlantic Coast Porto to Lisbon tour that runs May 17-26, 2025. Spend the spring cycling the entire length of Portugal with us!
Moderate
Rolling hills on mostly back roads. Moderate cycling level. Easier with an e-bike.
8 nights lodging, 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 5 dinners, cave boat tour, winery visit, guided hike, luggage transfer, SAG support, electronic GPS files, hybrid rental bike, and trained bilingual guides.
Hybrid bicycle is included.
Electric-assist e-bike is $450.
Accommodations are subject to change.
Coming soon!
Fly into Lisbon and fly out of either Lisbon or the Faro airport on the last day of the tour.
Laurie Collins
Tour Leader
How do I sign up?
You can Register / Sign-up for a Tour online. . You'll need a Visa, MasterCard, or Discover card or a check for the deposit. If you sign up within 30 days of the start of the tour, we require payment in full. Then, we’ll send you a tour confirmation packet with many more details about your trip, including travel arrangements, a packing list, and an optional training schedule. Most of our tours fill completely and have waiting lists, so don’t wait too long before deciding to join us!
What if I have to cancel a tour outside of the USA?
We understand that personal circumstances sometimes force women to cancel their travel plans. Therefore, we have tried to be as generous as possible with the following international tour cancellation policy:
- 120+ days before tour departure: forfeit $150 of your deposit.
- 75 - 119 days before tour departure: forfeit 25% of the complete tour price.
- 50 - 74 days before tour departure: forfeit 65% of the complete tour price.
- 30 - 49 days before tour departure: forfeit 85% of the complete tour price.
- 0 - 29 days before tour departure: forfeit 100% of the complete tour price.
- No refunds are possible after the tour begins.
Portugal Bike Tour Itinerary
DAY 1: Our tour starts in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. This city of seven hills features ubiquitous mosaic sidewalks, creamy pastel de nata pastries and romantic fado music. After an orientation, we’ll have an authentic fado dinner followed by an evening walking tour of this fascinating city.
DAY 2: We will shuttle out of the city in the morning to the historic village of Azeitão, where our first activities will be visits to a small handmade tile factory and then to one of the long- established wine estates in the area.
We’ll have lunch at the Casa das Tortas, where the local sweets made with eggs are the specialty. Then it’s a short shuttle to the seaport town of Setubal where we’ll be fitted with our bicycles. We’ll take a warm-up bike ride through town. Then you can continue to explore on foot as dinner is on your own tonight. 5 miles ±384’.
DAY 3: We start the day with a ferry to the Troia Peninsula where we’ll begin our bike ride. The prevailing wetlands are an inviting place for storks, flamingoes and other bird species, and the air is thick with the fragrance of Scotch broom, wild thyme and lavender. At the southern end of the peninsula, the delightful Praia de Comporta is a large, quiet beach where you can snack on seafood and drinks at small fishermen’s shacks.
In the nearby village of Comporta, we will look for stork nests on top of chimneys and houses. These white storks communicate not by song, but by snapping their beaks. Our route continues through Alentejo’s fertile farmlands until we reach Santiago do Cacèm, our home for the night. 40 miles +1991’/-1145’.
DAY 4: Many peoples came through and claimed Portugal as theirs throughout the centuries. Today we’ll pedal to Miróbriga, an important archeological site where you’ll see the remains of Roman temples, thermal baths, hippodromes and more.
By lunchtime we should be at Praia da Illha and its wonderful seafood eatery, conveniently located next to the ruins of a 16th century fort. It once protected the coastline from marauding Algerian pirates. A nearby island holds more Roman ruins and another fort.
We call it a day when we get to Vila Nova de Milfontes, situated on the estuary of the Mira River. It is said that the Carthaginian General Hannibal took shelter in this pretty coastal town, and we will too, for two nights. 34 miles +1181’/-1772’
DAY 5: Off the bikes! On to a hike! We will tackle a section of the Fisherman’s Trail, considered one of the most spectacular coastal hiking trails in the world. The sandy path was created by locals to get to their favorite beach hangouts and fishing grounds. We’ll feast as a group this evening, resting our tired feet. 6 miles hiking.
DAY 6: Leaving Vila Nova de Milfontes, we’ll continue south on back roads through fields of oats, wheat and lupine. When we cross the Rio Seixe, we’ll have said goodbye to the Alentejo province and hello to the Algarve.
The first notable difference is the houses, with their flat roofs and decorative white chimneys, an architectural holdover from Portugal’s 500-year Moorish era. Farther south, the treescape gives way to fig, carob, almond and strawberry trees. The berries from the latter are the foundation for Mendronho, a sweet, boozy brandy. The ride ends in Odeceixe, a village with a windmill that is still used to mill corn and wheat. Dinner is on your own. 35 miles +1529’/-1427’.
DAY 7: Today’s ride takes us to Lagos, a favorite city in the Algarve that you’ll want to explore. The historic quarter’s Church of St. Anthony is noted for its gilded woodwork, while the Museu Municipal next door has an eclectic collection of art, archeological samples and coins. Inside the Fort of Ponta da Bandeira, accessible by a bridge that crosses a moat, you can learn all about Portugal’s Age of Discovery. 34 miles +2300’/-2543’.
DAY 8: We’ve been admiring the ocean from cliffs and beaches all week. Today, we’ll get a different perspective, taking a leisurely boat ride through grottos and caves along the coast. We’ll celebrate our trek along the Atlantic Coast at our final group dinner. 0 mi
DAY 9: We will provide a complimentary shuttle to the Faro airport arriving by 11:00am. Or you can leave later on your own after spending more time exploring Lagos. Viagens seguras!