Algarve Coastal Route Bike Tour Reviews
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Algarve Coastal Route
7 nights from €1200
Portugal Experience Portugal's 'Ecovia do Litoral', a cycle route linking Vila Real de Santo Antonio on the Spanish border with Cabo de São Vicente (Sagres) in the west. The Algarve is often said to…
- ★★★★★ Dawn &bLawrence
Algarve Bike Ride
Overall we were quite happy with the experience. There were a couple of glitches which the on the ground team was able to rectify to get us on our happy way. The GPS system was where we had the most challenges as they did not always coincide with the written direction given us, which is why I only gave ease of navigation 3 stars and bikes and equipment 4 stars.
Most of the accommodation was excellent and all included breakfast. One hotel in particular The Villa Gale Ampalius was absolutely fabulous and had the best breakfast.
We were not expecting as much off road travel as we did. For the most part they were easy gravel hard packed road however, there are some sections that are for more experienced mountain bike riders which in a younger life would have been ok but certainly not at 70. I may have missed this part of the description of the tour notes when booking the trip in the first place.
Although, it would be a logistical nightmare for the tour group it would have been nice to have options to stay an extra night here or there. I know they do offer this up front. so keeping this in mind you may want to have an extra night in Tavira. The hotel is beautiful and sits in the main area of this gorgeous City making it easy to walk everywhere. We did get to the Real Villa de San Antonio a day before which Bike Tours happily arranged for us.
Our bags were always where they needed to be at the end of the day and the level of communication with the tour group was exceptional even when we needed to discuss some difficulties which, Angie, Fernando and Susana did an outstanding job of making things right. The E-bikes were easy to ride. The gearing made navigating hills easy. Even the hill on the last day was a breeze. The tour suggests what seems to be a much lesser climb however, we took the bigger of the two due to the not so easy looking off road option when we saw it.
The last day reads and seems like a lot however we were surprised at how fast we completed it. After viewing the light house we sat at the first food truck as you enter the beginning of the park and had one of the best burgers ever. Wish I could remember their trucks name. A husband and wife team run it. You won't be disappointed.
Generally speaking It was a nice way to experience the Algarve and now that we've done our first bike trip there will be others to follow.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- First time
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- ★★★★★ Marilyn Bishop
new adventure
It was much better than expected. Not having been an avid cyclist, I was a little apprehensive. The tour company was
very accommodating. thank you. - ★★★★★ Marilyn Bishop
new adventure
the hosts were delightful and accommodating. The scenery was spectacular and we were able to find our way.
- ★★★★★ Chris M.
Best of Portugal
This was a very good tour of the southern Portugal coastal towns. The scenery is amazing and some of the towns like Tavira are beautiful and perfect for their restaurants and artistry. The ride does fluctuate from paved roads to dirt roads with boardwalks providing very nice scenery on day 3 and 4.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- ★★★★★ Mychelle Fitzgerald
An Adventure
This is our 4th ride with this company and the Portugal ride had the most challenges but also was adventurous. The Garmin that they gave us to use was not very good. We also uploaded a Bike App but this was not always dependable as well. Each day was an adventure to find the next location. We did tap into our Google GPS (bike option) as well. We were never worried we would not make it. The hotels they put us in where first class. Each had a swimming pool, balcony views, centrally located and great breakfast buffets to start our day. Our last day we had trouble with one of our batteries on the electric bike. It did not charge properly (even though we had it plugged in all night). When we started we only had 4 our of 5 bars and within 15 minutes it went down to 3 bars. It was our shortest day ride (29 miles) so we didn't pack our charger cord (which we did not require on any of the longer days). We made it within 7 miles of the finish line when the battery went completely dead. It was a very windy and hilly day so we had to call the local tour team to pick us up. They were great to work with and very supportive of our success. The driver even drove us to the finish line so we could see the lighthouse. They took a 6 day ride down to 4 days for us to accommodate our travel schedule. The overall experience was good but the directional devices took my rating from a 5 star to 4 star.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- ★★★★★ Chris M.
Best of Portugal
This was a very good tour of the southern Portugal coastal towns. The scenery is amazing and some of the towns like Tavira are beautiful and perfect for their restaurants and artistry. The ride does fluctuate from paved roads to dirt roads with boardwalks providing very nice scenery on day 3 and 4.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- ★★★★★ Bill Meyer
Best grilled fish in the world
With exception of first hotel, all others were great. Had two flats, bike company repaired both almost immediately…thanks Paul. Loved the routing. What a beautiful part of the world, and biking is a perfect way to enjoy it.
- ★★★★★ Janine
Beautiful and Stressful
We enjoyed seeing and exploring the towns of the Algarve. The beaches were beautiful, hotels were very nice, we had delicious meals. The least enjoyable was the biking. We rented Ebikes. A lot of time was spent on busy roads with traffic and cars and trucks whizzing by. On the no traffic parts, the trail was rocky, gravelly with potholes a good percentage of the time. The trails are unmaintained. We did bike through nature areas along the water which was lovely. We did this trip the third week in April. The weather was perfect- 70’s and sunny. This was our 7th bike trip. We enjoyed our trip to the Algarve and glad we did it, but the biking was not as enjoyable as our other trips and at times very stressful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- ★★★★★ Leslie Wiens
Beautifully planned
We had a well planned route, with marked maps, written details, and GPS all to support us. The route ensured minimal interaction with vehicles. The accommodation were wonderful and the bag transport worked flawlessly. I will be booking more tours in the future!
- ★★★★★ Thomas Rossington
A Sometimes Rugged Ride
Perfect organization for hotel pickup, delivering us to the start point, bike setup, luggage transportation, return to hotel at the finish, and transportation to the train station the next day.
We found some parts of the route in more rural areas were rough trails with hills too steep to climb on regular bikes. Too bad there isn’t a developed network of bike paths along the coast. Saw lots of wonderful scenery, though, and happened upon som great coffee and lunch stops. We did have a couple of times where we had trouble following the Garmins. - ★★★★★ Llewellyn Fernandes
Fabulous Trip
One of the best cycling trips we've done! The weather as perfect, the route was great, the bikes were very good for the varied terrain and the hotels were lovely.
Perfect time of year to go... end May, early June. Warmed up quickly in the mornings, so we headed out early as the afternoons would be much hotter to cycle. Arrived at hotels around noon and enjoyed the hotels and towns were would stay at.
Only a couple of challenging hills (walked a bit), but that was just fine as we were there to enjoy our time....it was not a race. We relied heavily on the GPS as there were lots of twists and turns, and the written instructions were only so accurate. As other reviews mentioned, it did take us down a couple of one way streets the wrong way. Overall not many pure bike paths, but lots of quiet roads and highways with broad shoulders so felt very safe and comfortable. The route sometimes followed a posted EU bike route or the blue line on the road, but this tour doesn't always follow them, so always check GPS for this tour.
Leaving the hotel early like 8 or 8:30 meant not much traffic in the towns at that time. Always stopped for a refreshment along the way...lots of cafes, beaches, etc. Just need to plan ahead so you don't arrive at the hotel too early. Lots of dirt/gravel/cobblestone roads so a good workout on the arms. Make sure you have lots of water as it gets dusty and dry. There was never a long stretch of the same terrain. Each day the views were spectacular!
We brought a change of clothes/bathing suit in our panier bags, since we knew we would arrive at the hotel before our rooms were ready. Most hotels were resort hotels with spas, pools, restaurants. Very, very nice hotels. And located by the beach and/or close to everything you need. The hotels were very accommodating when we would arrive. We just stored out bikes, changed, left our panier bags with reception and went by the pool to cool off and have some refreshments and relax. Some would call us when our rooms were ready and luggage had arrived.
The bikes were really good, built for the varied terrain. Not heavy. Many gears...and needed. And we were given lots of repair equipment ... that we NEVER had to use!!!! (we were three so only took a few things with us...the rest we kept in our luggage)
The towns we stayed in were all different and lovely in their own way. There were always well-reviewed restaurants to go to, and easy to make reservations online. Most restaurants only opened at 7pm for dinner, which suited us fine, as they would get busy later. It was easy to get a reservation, time for a pre-dinner drink somewhere, they weren't crowded, allowed us to enjoy the rest of the evening and then up early for the next day.
This was my sixth cycling tour, and it was the best so far. All aspects from weather, cycling route, hotels, restaurants and towns, were all just fabulous! SHOW MORE
Hope you try this one out...
SHOW LESS- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- ★★★★★ Margaret Penner
Beyond Expectations
Everything was efficient and effortless. We just had to focus on biking and route. Hotels were all lovely with wonderful breakfasts and welcoming hosts. We had no bike issues and all staff were on time and informative.
- ★★★★★ Robert Anderson
The Algarve didn’t disappoint.
The bike tour was a fantastic experience with great views and fantastic food. Cycling through the small fishing towns and visiting with the locals is a great way to explore the cultural. On our first day we experienced some minor issues with one of our bikes. We were able to continue riding and within a short time had a replacement bicycle delivered to us. The local bike tour company was very helpful. The trails and path’s took us by so many amazing sights it was hard to take it all in. The hotels, with the exception of one, were fantastic and had in great locations. The dining options are plentiful and prices were very reasonable. We used GPS navigation which makes the ride much more enjoyable as you don’t have to constantly be stopping to read instructions. We used the Garmin device from the tour company and they also provided the daily route information for us to load in the Ride With GPS app. The last two days we did experience some hills. My wife appreciated the e-bike.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- Five
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- ★★★★★ Sue Collins
Private tour with Fernando
Such a fantastic day touring around Lagos area. Rose about 40km on mountain bikes through beautiful gravel trails and some roads. Stopped for lunch in Luz. Such a wonderful day!
- ★★★★★ Terry Higgins
First class all the way!
Loved everything about this trip. We did a self guided which was a bit challenging at times but just added to our memories. We were fortunate to have good weather and our accommodations never disappointed us. All of the transportations set up for us were on time. Would highly recommend it to friends.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- ★★★★★ Margaret Penner
Beyond Expectations
Everything was efficient and effortless. We just had to focus on biking and route. Hotels were all lovely with wonderful breakfasts and welcoming hosts. We had no bike issues and all staff were on time and informative.
- ★★★★★ John Matthew Schley
Both really great and just OK
The weather in February was perfection. We saw many beautiful sights. Each days biking was varied. We stayed in very large hotels/spas. They were objectively good hotels. We hated them. Really felt separated from environment. Felt I could have been anywhere. Restaurants we visited along the way were all excellent. My wife had a problem with her bike. The team handled it wonderfully. Every person who we interacted with on their team were gracious and helpful. While there are many examples of natural beauty in the Algarve , the amount of development, both miles of very expensive holiday homes, and strips of pizza joints and t-shirt stores made the trip not completely what we hoped for.
- What was the date of your tour?
- February 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
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