Alentejo by bike

Small historical villages, cork oaks, olive trees and vineyards! That's Alentejo!
October, 2024

Let's experience the wonders of Alentejo, Portugal, on an electric bike! We will cycle through the picturesque Alentejo, a small paradise in Portugal, on the edge of Europe, through its extensive vineyards, cork and olive groves, and through the villages with their traditional whitewashed houses.

The Alentejo people are known for their hospitality and openness to other cultures. Although it rarely gets too hot, the sun is present all year round and the rainy season is short and not very harsh.

This is a bicycle trip with a low level of difficulty and short distances. Therefore, it is mainly recommended for those who want a fairly leisurely trip.

Considered one of the best wine regions to visit in the world, Alentejo offers formidable wines! From warm, full-bodied reds to fruity whites, the offer is varied and matches perfectly with the diversity of cheeses available in the region.

It is a highly varied trip, from mountainous Marvão to the plains of Aviz to Alqueva, the largest artificial lake in Western Europe, to Évora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site! It is a charming region with a rich gastronomy and great wines! Let's go?

BASIC INFORMATION

starting from 3280€

Country

Portugal

Departure

Lisbon

Arrival

Évora

Total Distance

229 km

Nº of Days

8 days
7 nights

Participants

10 - 12

Cities
Distances
Highlights
Included Services
Prices

Lisbon
Marvão
Portalegre
Castelo de Vide
Crato
Alter do Chão
Estremoz
Monsaraz
Arraiolos
Évora

1º dia: –
Day 2: 20 km
Day 3: 45 km
Day 4: 40 km
Day 5: 42 km
Day 6: 45 km
Day 7: 47 km
8º dia: –

7 nights in 4* plus hotels with breakfast included
Guided tours according to program
Guide by bicycle according to the program
Additional tour escort for groups with more than 10 participants
Support van with driver and transfers according to the program
Luggage transport
Tourist tax
3 dinners
3 lunches or picnics
2 wine tastings
Boat ride on the lake
A surprise!

Price per person:
3280 € em quarto duplo
acréscimo quarto individual: 480 €

*minimum of participants for these prices: 10 persons

normal bike: 190 €
E-bike: 290 €

*helmet and bag included in the bicycle prices

Day 1: Arrival in Lisbon

Arrival in Lisbon!

Around 5:00 p.m. we meet our guide at the hotel lobby and head out for a short walking city tour of the vibrant historic center of Lisbon, full of history, squares with beautiful statues and old buildings everywhere.

Little by little we get to know our fellow travelers and at 8:00 o.m. we have our welcome dinner.

Day 2: Lisbon – Marvão

At 9:30 a.m. the van will meet us at the hotel in Lisbon and take us for about 2 hours to the city of Marvão, in the Alentejo region.

On the way we will have a picnic and collect our bikes. After a little training on our electric bikes, we set off for the first few kilometers of our bike tour, about 25 km to Marvão. Don't worry, as our support van will always be as close as possible, should you need it.

We arrive at the lovely town of Marvão. How about strolling through the town's narrow, cobblestone streets or visiting its 9th century castle and cistern? Or simply admire the incredible views of the Serra de São Mamede. In favorable weather conditions, we can catch sight of the Spanish lands.

We will have a nice dinner at our hotel restaurant that has a breathtaking view from the top of the town of Marvão.

Distance: 25 km

Day 3: Marvão – Castelo de Vide – Crato

After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, we get our bikes and start our cycling trip through the Beirã region, towards the fortified medieval town of Castelo de Vide, a mandatory stop for a coffee and to further delight our eyes with the charm of this village.

Castelo de Vide looks like a postcard, with its white-walled houses and orange roofs. Although it is not as old as Marvão, its well-preserved medieval streets, lined with dozens of different flowers, enchant every visitor.

We continue our ride through the Alto Alentejo region and its rolling hills until we reach Flor da Rosa, where our hotel, the Pousada do Crato, is located.

Rest of the afternoon at leisure to relax in this charming hotel.

Distance: 45 km

Day 4: Crato – Alter do Chão – Estremoz

Após o café da manhã no hotel, iniciamos novamente nosso pedal em direção a Estremoz, onde iremos pedalar nas colinas ondulantes do norte Alentejo até ao topo da vila fortificada de Estremoz, a histórica cidade branca. Essa é a região do mármore alentejano.

How about a picnic with regional products in a lovely place? Delightful! Picnics are always joyful and relaxing. And after the relaxing picnic we continue cycling slowly, enjoying this landscape in the direction of Estremoz.

We take the afternoon to visit this very curious village, surrounded by two walls, one from the 17th century and the newer one from the 18th century.

O nosso hotel é a Pousada Rainha Santa Isabel, maravilhosamente localizada, dominando toda a planície alentejana.

Distance: 40 km

Day 5: Estremoz – Alandroal – Monsaraz

We start our ride today heading towards Monsaraz, passing through the villages of Redondo and Alandroal, until we reach Monsaraz. This is a very remote region of the Alentejo, where the landscape is dominated by the olive groves and cork oaks of the Alentejo. Beautiful as far as the eye can see.

Ao final do dia faremos um passeio de barco no Alqueva, o maior lago artificial da Europa e durante o passeio, faremos uma gostoso lanche com produtos da região.

At night we will have the unique opportunity to observe the stars. The official Dark Sky® Observatory, located at Cumeada, is equipped with state-of-the-art telescopes for solar and astronomical observation, which allow a unique visual experience, from planets, to the craters of the Moon, to the deepest sky, with a cosmic journey through the nebulae, galaxies and star clusters that rise above one of the clearest skies in the world.

Distance: 40 km

Day 6: Monsaraz – Reguengos de Monsaraz – Évora

After breakfast we start our cycle tour towards Reguengos for a privileged view of the Alqueva and the birthplace of Herdade do Esporão, one of the most renowned wine and olive oil producers in Alentejo. Then we continue to Montoito through roads with almost no traffic until we reach Évora.

Évora is the capital of the Alentejo region and is a city that is a Portuguese art history book. Its long history and the fact that it has preserved a representative urban ensemble from the 16th to 18th centuries to the present day, led UNESCO to classify Évora as a World Heritage Site.

A local guide will lead us on foot through its narrow streets of white houses and allow us to discover the monuments and details that reveal the history of Évora and the richness of its heritage.

Our hotel Mar D'Ar Muralhas is located within the walls of the historic city.

Distance: 45 km

Day 7: Évora – Arraiolos – Évora

Today the bicycle becomes optional, since we will not change cities. But it would be a loss if we didn't cycle to Arraiolos.

Arraiolos is a fortified town with its typical white houses, a short distance from Évora and famous for its woolen carpets. We will ride through the central plain of Alentejo and enjoy the views of the cork and olive groves on the estates around these two towns.

We will have lunch in Arraiolos and our afternoon will be free to visit the magnificent monuments of the town, do some shopping or even have a coffee watching the flow of the city.

Tonight is our farewell dinner which will be at the Fialho restaurant, an institution of Alentejo fine dining. The restaurant is an ambassador and defender of Alentejo gastronomy all over the world. Founded in 1945 it has become a world reference place when it comes to "awakening the senses" of good food, in this case Alentejo food.

Distance: 48 km

Day 8: Évora – Cromeleques de Almendre – Lisboa

Today our trip really comes to an end, but we can still take one last ride to the Cromeleque dos Almendres, the largest group of menhirs in the Iberian Peninsula, dating from the 6th century b.c.e.

We will surely miss you!

If you wish, you can make the trip by van and after the visit, we leave in the direction of Lisbon, where our trip ends.