Portugal Bike Tour Reviews page 3
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★★★★★ Chuck1
Great adventure !!!
Algarve Coastal Route
This was a wonderful trip.
Other than 2 issues I thought this was a well planned trip, great hotels / flawless luggage connections / good route aided by supplied GPS.
The 2 issues were :
The bicycles were not very good. Shifting was erratic as they obviously hadn’t been tuned prior to our trip.
The other issue was the promosed transfer to the airport at the end of the trip did not happen, we waited almost an hour in the hotel lobby only to hear through the consierge that the ride to the airport was not happening forcing us to catch a cab and rushing to make our flight connection.- What was the date of your tour?
- Oct 1st thru 7th
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Betty Ngan
An adventure
Algarve Coastal Route
We have previously done the wonderful Danube tour and a guided boat bike tour in the Netherlands. We rode e-assisted bikes with the exception of 2 riders in our group.
The Algarve bike tour was very different, and should be rated a 2 or 3 because this trail system is not as well developed. We found it challenging even with e-assist bikes. The tour has paved, gravel and dirt roads and even a boardwalk with gates. The segments of the trail were sometimes hard to locate on the gps and sometimes the maps did not agree with the gps. On the first day we followed the blue line on the map and rode over rough gravel roads until we encountered Angus, our coordinator, who informed us that that this was not the main route. But it wasn’t marked as an alternative route on the map.
We loved the food that we found along the way. A lunch at a seaside restaurant between Tavira and Olhao was the highlight of the tour. We enjoyed the old Portugal that remains, but much of the area west of Faro has been developed for tourism, so there are large resort areas for golf and boaters. We loved the very sweet Hotel Belavista da Luz in Praia da Luz.
We would recommend this self guided tour for younger more adventurous folks who can navigate and who don’t mind riding in rough loose gravel roads and highways with some rather harrowing highway crossings. The highways in the western part of the coast were not as busy, and we found drivers were generally respectful in the roundabouts. As our mileage increased we grew stronger over the 6 day ride, and we were proud to have made it to the 6 day when a broken chain stopped our progress.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Bamboo
Great trip along the Algarve
Algarve Coastal Route
We loved visiting the Algarve towns and beaches by bike and it was exciting to discover our next guesthouse with our luggage at the door.
Next time, we would have used mountain bikes instead of crossovers, which were heavy and not as smooth on the trails and cobblestones.
The maps were clear and we were able to self-guide without any problem.
Loved the feeling of biking from the spanish border to the westerly tip.- What was the date of your tour?
- March 16th
- How many tours have you completed?
- First tour
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Paul Crisafulli
Beautiful beaches, caves and countryside!
Algarve Coastal Route
The perfect way to see all that Portugal offers! Great people, great food and beautiful sights. Tour guide company provided best hotels, great towns to explore and great service.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Dan Q. And Heather C.
Amazing country!
Gravel Biking from Alentejo to the Algarve
The gravel riding was different than anticipated but the support from the local bike tour operator was first class! The hotels we stayed at were 4-5 stars with great food and accommodations. We’d do this trip again! Highly recommend this trip for mountain bikers who want something more relaxed or road cyclists who want more challenge.
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★★★★★ Neil Gordon
A mixture of old and new
Algarve Coastal Route
A very nice mixture of quaint fishing villages and modern tourist towns. The cycling is mostly a mixture of unpaved trails and back roads, but there is some heavily traveled roads to navigate. Hotels are all 4 and 5 star. Bikes are heavy, buy designed for terrain. Excellent support.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Karen Burnham
Self Guided Algarve Tour
Algarve Coastal Route
The connections at the beginning and end of the trip with the bike company went very smoothly and the bikes and GPS were of great quality. Our favorite towns were Vila Real and Tavira, and the paths the first 3 days were delightful. Day 4 was grueling with all busy road traffic. We wish this day could have been avoided via rerouting. All the hotels were fantastic, and the breakfasts were wonderful. We would have liked to spend 2 nights in Lagos so we would have had time to explore. Reaching the lighthouse at the end of the week was such a feeling of accomplishment! Portugal is a great place to visit, so be sure to spend more time after the bike ride to explore.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- Two
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Thomas
This is a fun trip
Castles and Wines of Portugal
Weather in October was pretty good , but we did get one day of 90oF which was unusual. The biking is not particularly strenuous, but the road conditions vary between paved and dirt so you are going to be riding double duty touring bikes that can handle the range. These make the 30 mile days feel longer than they would on a carbon road bike. There are lots of stops along the way at small farms, cafes, businesses and museums, neolithic sites, and of course, wineries and castles. I felt like we were exposed to Portugal in a way I would not have been otherwise.
As much as I like cycling, I like food and drink even more! This is where this tour really excels. The picnics every day were great, The organized meals at night were wonderful, and when in Evora without included meals there are great restaurants everywhere. Wine flows freely and is delicous. Everwhere you turn there seems to be something from the 15th or 16th century, and you don’t have to try too hard to find things from Roman times. The hotels are very nice and usually interesting historical buildings. The towns of Evora and Monseraz are especially striking. This is a fun tour and Teresa was a great guide with loads of historical and agricultual knowledge.- What was the date of your tour?
- Mid October 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- First guided tour
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Brittany
As much as I like cycling, I like food and drink even more!"- I couldn't agree more with your sentiment. We're so glad to hear you had a great time on tour. Experiencing the best of Portugal by slow travel is hard to beat. Your pictures are fantastic, and we hope to help you again in the future!
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★★★★★ Gail Skutezky
Best bike trip ever - so much history! Beautiful weather
Castles and Wines of Portugal
The trip was very interesting, lots of very beautiful scenery, warm weather, we saw places that you cannot get to by car. An incredible marble quarry, beautiful cork oak tree forests and chromalechs you don't see from a car road. The cafes were so quaint and welcoming. The hotels were 15th century convents, and a beautiful farmhouse with animals, one night we stayed in a beautiful palace attached to a castle that you could climb.
The bikes were excellent. We had ebikes and they were very light. The food was excellent. The Portuguese love to please you!- What was the date of your tour?
- September 24
- 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, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ A. Anderson
Fantastic service for a glorious holiday!
Custom and Private Bike Tours in Portugal
Biketours.com crafted our ideal cycling holiday in Portugal flawlessly. The route, dinners, and hotels surpassed our expectations, making for an unforgettable experience. We wholeheartedly endorse their services and eagerly anticipate our next adventure with them.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Dan Q.
First trip to Portugal, won’t be the last!
Gravel Biking from Alentejo to the Algarve
The local tour company was amazing! Checked in with us every day since we self guided. Bikes were great as were the hotels. We would highly recommend this tour for mountain bikers who who want less challenge or road bikers who want more.
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★★★★★ Kenneth Crossman
Portugal Adventure!!
Castles and Wines of Portugal
We enjoyed our ride! The vistas, the accommodations and all the people we met along the way were great!! Wish it had not rained our last two days, but what can you do. We were able to ride with our luggage the day it was unsafe to ride our bikes, which was very much appreciated. Overall, a wonderful experience.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Christy Porucznik
Excellent way to see a part of rural Portugal
Castles and Wines of Portugal
It happened that my husband and I were the only ones on this self-guided itinerary. We were able to follow the provided maps and GPS tracks with the occasional assistance of Google maps. The lodgings were excellent, likely nicer than we would have selected on our own, and the provided breakfasts ranged from adequate to amazing. I should not have been surprised about the hills, after all, castles were built on hills, but I have never spent so much time in first gear. I was glad not to have my kids along on this trip because the cycling was sometimes difficult, and we had to ride with traffic sometimes. Other times were on eco-trails and quiet country roads, so it wasn't constant traffic stress, but there was some riding with cars each day. There was also frequent riding on cobblestone and bumpy village streets, could be tough on tender joints. The provided bicycles were not fancy, but they got the job done, and once we got into the rhythm of when people eat in Portugal it wasn't hard to plan for coffee breaks and lunch. It happened to be quite hot the week we rode, and the sun is intense without much shade for breaks. Overall the support and logistics were well done, and I would recommend this itinerary for someone in fairly good shape who is interested in wine, neolithic sites, castles, and spending time in rural Portugal. It was a shock taking the bus back to Lisbon at the end.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Robert Alexander
Great trip, great guides.
Castles and Wines of Portugal
Tons of fun (notwithstanding that we got COVID on the trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2022
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Lieve v
Amazing experience!
Castles and Wines of Portugal
This trip really was the perfect way to explore the region of Portugal. We saw the true heart of the country! The food and wine stops were amazing, the guide (Maria) was exceptional. Riding the bikes was a bit more challenging than anticipated due to the many undulating roads (stretched out hills and climbs), but it was a rewarding experience to have ultimately been able to accomplish it. The trip offered a wonderful mix of history and architecture, food and nature. Our only disappointment was a last minute change to the itinerary, which had us staying at a company owned farm for two nights, about a 20 minute cab drive from Evora. Part of the group had accommodations downtown Evora, which would have been much preferred for us too since the farm was in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was the first one!
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ scbythesea
Highly recommended tour of an interesting part of Portugal.
Castles and Wines of Portugal
Our local guide was wonderful, very knowledgeable, helpful, and fun. The cycling was great in this part of Portugal, and we loved the charming towns and pousadas we stayed in.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 14-21 September 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ senorbogus
Rolling through beautiful Alentejo
Castles and Wines of Portugal
Our self-guided tour was a wonderful experience. We were very happy with all of the rich, multi-sensory stimulation we experienced every day on the trip. Lots of variety and interest, especially for us who are very interested in history and local culture. Highlights were getting to visit up close and in a very informal and uncrowded manner the many historic sites - castles, prehistoric graves and boulder installations, village crafts workshops, medieval churches and cathedrals as well as the pleasant agricultural countryside. We particularly liked it that we experienced zero crowds of other tourists. By the way, the castle that you show in your photo was where we had lunch one day. We were the only persons there. It was our hottest and longest day, so we really needed the rest, refreshment and tranquility. Special highlights were the beautiful, historic inns where we stayed - converted palaces and convents several hundreds of years old. It almost made us feel like royalty, and for a modest price, too.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Oct. 6-13, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Isaac
excellent guided bike trip
Castles and Wines of Portugal
I am participating bike trip almost 30 years and this was the best one .
The service , very good guided tour explanations in every spot we visited .
The food ,restaurants are great. Worth every penny.- What was the date of your tour?
- 21May ,2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 15
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Whatever
Castles and wines
Castles and Wines of Portugal
The company Turaventur was one of the best that we have worked with anywhere. The bicycles we rented were excellent with front suspension and a suspension seat post they were perfectly suited to the varied terrain (dirt roads, asphalt, lots of cobblestone) we covered. I also appreciated the female specific gel seat. The routes they chose were really beautiful countryside, small towns and directions were well written and easy to follow. Their support was outstanding, they were available by text, email or phone seven days a week and were always very responsive The castles we visited were just phenomenal and though it was hard to believe after one gorgeous site after another, they just kept getting better! I was only able to do one of the wine tastings and enjoyed it a lot. my suggestion is to be sure to sign up earlly as they seem to fill up ahead of time.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ sandyp
Wonderful family vacation!
Castles and Wines of Portugal
Our self-guided tour lived up to our expectations and provided us with a great family vacation. They tour company did an excellent job of responding to our questions and requests. The countryside was beautiful, the bike ride was the right level of both challenging and gentle hills, and the people we met were friendly and helpful. I would highly recommend this tour if you want to chill out....
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
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