Portugal (local)

Ecopista do Dão - Cycling in central Portugal along an abandoned railway line, 49 km.

The first part of this path runs along the banks of the river Dão. Every bend in the river is followed by a bend in the Ecopista, with stannic views.

Later on, the Ecopista leaves the river, but the landscape remains very beautiful, with views of mountains and valleys covered with oaks, cork oaks and chestnut trees, but also some vineyards, cultivated land and small villages.

I achieved this journey in August 2013, by myself, with the aim of living new thrilling experiences. It also allowed me to train at cycling in order to prepare future long distance triathlons (IronMan, Embrunman, ...).

A wise man told me one day "You can't see all the wonderful things that exists on this vast planet in one lifetime but you can decide anytime to rest for a few moments and appreciate the present moment." I am listening at his advice, I am not trying to cycle the faster I can (whenever I am travelling); what purpose, I would be the only witness. I take my time, I stop whenever I see something that intrigates me. In the end, we've all always been explorers, aren't we? About my route, I had the choice of either starting with the North and finish at the South, or the opposite. After having compared the flight prices and established my approximate itinerary, I decided to start with Porto (North) and to finish at Faro (South). Halfway, I've let my bike at Lisbon and I went to relax for 2 days at Madeira, island of Portugal.

Trip made in 2007 from Oporto to Lagos: 663 kms cycling and discovering the Portuguese coast.

We have a fantastic climate, beautiful landscapes, tasty meals... If the Portuguese coast was provided with a bike path in its totality, it could become one of the best cycle-tourist itineraries of summer.

Anyway, I promise you: if you try it, you‚ll want to repeat it!

We cycled from Lisboa to Porto! Great weather, nice beaches and intresting citys!

Die zweite Tour 2008 führte mich von Lissabon, entlang der Steilküste im Westen bis in die Sierra de Monchique. Hier regnete es sehr stark, deswegen fuhr ich wieder zum Meer um schließlich den südwestlichsten Punkt von Europa zu besichtigen. Ein Felgenschaden musste am vorletzten Tag in Lagos repariert werden. Die Algarve im nördlich umfahrend erreichte ich nach 680 Kilomtern mein Ziel in Faro. Auf diesem Kurztrip wurde ich mehrmals zum Essen eingeladen und lernte den ursprünglichen Teil Portugal fernab der Touristenströme kennen.

The website includes maps and data on the route followed and photos of some of the people we met and the food we enjoyed, including Porto's famous speciality the Francesinha. This is the ideal food for cycle tourers.

Lisbon's trams are something special - You meet the nicest people in the pouring rain - A ride to the Foia Summit - Islam plays a big historical role here - From the Rainy Coast to the Algarve Coast - Cabo de Sao Vicente - the High Algarve versus the Low Algarve- Was that a mountain lake or a large puddle ? - the Moorish castle next to the Catholic Church.

Our last day of riding, from Alcobaca to Obidos, was a dream come true for touring. We rode to the Atlantic coast, where cliffs drop hundreds of feet to a rocky shore. Old windmills line the cliffs. Intense colors, wind whistling through the windmills, spectacular views, and a small winding road made for a memorable day.

A brief description of a bike tour which we undertook in Portugal in September '94. We started from Faro at the Algarve coast, proceeded via Sagres to Lisbon and terminated our journey in Coimbra in middle Portugal. [...] The overall distance was about 800 km. We took (including rests) three and a half week with 16 days of cycling. As a whole, the trip was one of the most magnificent and wonderful holidays we ever had ! If you plan to do something similar, do it as soon as you can!