Porto to Lisbon Atlantic Ride

Trip May/June. Cycling generally leisurely with only one notable hill. Route follows the coast on quite roads and/ or cycle lanes for much of the way. (Poor road surface on one day) Hotels generally good 4 star quality, cafes and lunch / picnic stops were an excellent mix with evening meal venues being fantastic quality. Rubén’s and Rogerio were excellent guides who were very knowledgeable, helpful and good company, just a pity they had no control over the unusually inclement and windy weather. Recommend the trip.

Well organized, well lead, and great way to maximize exercise, viewing and discussion of the northern coast of Portugal with a small group of likeminded travelers

A relatively short trip from Porto to Lisbon - only five days cycling but excellent nonetheless. It helped that I was with a terrific group of people who all enjoyed each other’s company and the tour leader, Cristovao and support driver Joao were probably the best team I’ve encountered on my many trips. The ride is fairly easy, with one ‘mountain’ and a few minor hills but an absolute doddle on an E-bike. The Atlantic coastal scenery was breathtaking and we rode for 99% of the time on secure bike paths. Portugese cycling infrastructure is very good and whenever we approached a small town, car drivers always gave way to cyclists - quite a treat after riding in the UK where many drivers treat cyclists as a nuisance. Some of the pathways were unmade - in other words, rocky and bumpy and the cobbles in town were a nightmare, although, in fairness, we only encountered them a few short times. We rode through nature reserves on boardwalks and through forests, some regenerating after recent forest fires. There were lagoons, rivers, lakes and a short ferry crossing. We spotted flamingos and storks nesting on telegraph poles and plenty of wildflowers and butterflies. But the beaches with dramatic waves were the high spot for me and it was glorious riding along for miles with the Atlantic in sight. All the hotels were extremely comfortable with varying degrees of facilities like kettles and refrigeration in the rooms. We ate out every night and enjoyed a variety of meals, not to mention wine. Unsurprisingly, Port is quite a feature and we went to a tasting in the first evening which was included as part of the trip. We had two picnic lunches provided by Joao which were really sumptuous and it was hard getting back on the bikes after over indulging. (It wasn’t mandatory, but the food was so good…)

The ride, accommodations, and dining were superb. Armando Nava is an excellent guide who provided many insights along the way. Beautiful ocean towns and ocean sights. There was a nice north to south tailwind for the whole ride; you would not want to do it in the other direction! The Level 2 designation is appropriate. Porto, Lisbon, and Nazare are fascinating towns (cities) . Highly recommend.

Sunshine, hurricane, autumn rain, glorious food, great company and the most wonderful guides. What else could one wish for in this diverse, friendly and scenically beautiful country. And the bikes were first class as well!

This trip was absolutely amazing! I can't think of a better way to experience a beautiful country like Portugal. The people were friendly, the views breathtaking and the food, coffee, wine and beer were amazing. Our guides, Ruben and Armando were excellent. They were organized, knowledgeable and enthusiastic and went out of their way to provide us with an exceptional experience. I chose to ride a regular bike and would recommend choosing an e-bike if you are not an avid biker, regardless of fitness level.

The trip followed the beautiful coastal route, the hotels were excellent and the restaurants and food was great. The guides were perfect: considerate, helpful, fun, informative and extremely attentive to all of our needs. There was variety in the route as well, we rode through villages, along the coast, through forests, and through marshes. Like minded people tend to do this tour so many friendships were made along the way. I opted for the electric bike and never regretted the choice - I was able to select how much effort I wished to make and was therefore not intimidated by the climbs and was able to enjoy the scenery.

This was a perfect way to meet new people (you guys rock by the way) and see a new country. The tour was expertly organized and the guides made the experience all the better. While there was some "cycling" to be done the pace was manageable and we still got time to relax and do a little scouting at each of our destinations in the afternoon. There were regular stops during the cycle which allowed us the opportunity to catch our breath and have a snack. At each stop we also got to see a little more of the area or interact with some of the locals. The logistics were all perfectly handled and each nights accommodation was great. The food was also really good and most of the restaurants we went to were excellent with the exception of maybe 2, however these in no way detracted from the tour getting a full 5 stars! If I could take this group and these guides to other parts of the world for similar tours I would be signing up immediately.

Overall this is an amazing trip which is very scenic and on a lot of cycle paths. We were unlucky to get rain and a head wind for the first few days which made it more difficult. The hotels were great and the other people in my group were good company and supportive. Excellent organisation and support from three guides. I treated myself to an e-bike on the last day as my legs were tired.

It's incredible that you can cycle along the coast from Porto to Obidos on mostly cycle paths. The views are great for the most part. It's a shame about the destruction of the once beautiful pine forest by fire. The 5 km hill on the 3rd day was quite a challenge and several experienced cyclists in our group felt that this trip should be rated higher than it is. (There were a few other challenging hills in subsequent days). Our group always had the opportunity to ride in the van and e-bikes were available for an extra charge. Breakfasts and lunches were very good. Our van driver put on wonderful picnic spreads for us. All in all this is a great trip with a reasonable length of 5 days cycling. I felt most of us were 'done' by day 5. If you can add some days on at the beginning/end to relax and enjoy Portugal.