A bike tour in Alentejo is a celebration of simple and tasteful traditions, fit for riders of different experience levels who want to discover the authentic Portugal. Here, you'll get to ride to the top of fortresses, where medieval castles overlook the never-ending plains, immerse in a melting pot of pre-historic, roman, moorish and medieval cultures and enjoy the rural setting where wine, olive oil and cork are kings. The region's laidback atmosphere and countryside back roads provide the perfect setting for a journey back in time - Alentejo's rolling hills are gentle on the legs and the spirit.
After we were picked up from the airport and driven to the hotel, the magical adventure began. Riding the Douro Valley was just magnificent. The scenery and landscape could not be compared to anything I've seen before. Riding consisted of 35 to near 50 miles each day with elevations of 3,000-4,500 feet gain at an average 5-8% grade. On the last day of riding, the most difficult of all, we experienced a 16% grade that seemed to go on forever. Every day presented itself with great challenges wonderful pleasures and fantastic downhills that would go for 6-7 miles at speeds of 25+ mph. WOW!!
Our group was small with 7 riders plus 2 guides. The locations we stopped at were local places giving you a sense of real Portugal.
The people running the tour couldn't be better. They address every need from the group. We used carbon bikes from Scott that performed flawlessly even when riding on cobblestone which was in almost every town or village.
I can't speak highly enough about this adventure. However, that said, be sure to come well trained with lots of hill climbing under your seat because it's challenging everyday.
This was my first bike tour trip and it was the best vacation I have taken. Despite having biked recreationally in many different places, I greatly underestimated the joy I would feel from cycling as a mode of transportation while on vacation. Traveling town to town, over varied terrain including beach boardwalks, medieval cobblestone roads, dirt paths, rocky trails, and cruising through small towns, thriving cities, beautiful agricultural lands and vineyards, and bisecting gorgeous pine forests, fed all my senses. Each day led to a different challenge with unique rewards along the way and at the finish line. My biggest concern going into this trip was not having enough time to explore each town once we arrived by bike. Fortunately, this was not an issue, we arrived each day with plenty of time and extra energy to really enjoy the scene.
The boutique hotels Live Love Ride chose for us were each special in their own way. Whether it was a lushly landscaped garden, a castle walled courtyard, or a cozy hotel bar, arriving to a beautiful stone walled manor at the end of the day’s ride was always a great surprise. The luggage transfer service was very reliable and well worth it. In addition to the exceptional customer service and outstanding hotel choices, we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the restaurant recommendations; I strongly suggest going with their choices.
Portugal and Spain are each beautiful countries and the culture changed more than I expected as we moved along the route. Experiencing the region on two wheels gave us the opportunity to experience these countries using all five senses, at a perfect pace to take it all in. We Lived. We Loved. & We Rode our way through one of the best experiences of our lives.
