Atlantic Coast tour: Porto - Lisbon

In Porto is where the heart of the North beats. The picturesque Old Town with its Baroque church treasure is UNESCO World Heritage Site, the modern Porto shines with lively culture and nightlife, and the shore line presents itself in a Mediterranean style. On the opposite side of the river Port wine is aged in the cellars and uniquely spans the historic bridge of Gustave Eiffel deeply incised Douro. The closely nested old town is dominated by the Baroque Bishop's Palace and the cathedral and beautiful pedestrian streets invite you to stroll. Here you can go to right on the day of arrival to explore and indulge in the special atmosphere of the beautiful city.

Today your cycling trip starts spectacular. You cycle to the picturesque Douro river, across the historic iron bridge to the famous port wine producers and follow the Douro to the wide estuary to the Atlantic. Enjoy wonderful panoramic views of the picturesque old town. On a separate bicycle lane you bike along the beach promenade. Like this you can enjoy the gentle waves of the Atlantic and the wide white sand beaches. In the middle of the dune landscape, you follow the cycle path along wooden walkways. Look forward to Espinho, here you will find the most beautiful beaches south of Porto. Take a refreshing swim or relax in one of the numerous beach bars. In the afternoon you will cycle through the pine-tree forest to the former fishing village of Furadouro with its kilometers of sandy beaches. Take a stroll through the wide promenade and enjoy the day.

The well-developed lagoon landscape of Aveiro, separated from the Atlantic by an extended dune strip, offers a unique biotope with wide shallow waters, small canals, diverse flora and fauna and lively fishing. Enjoy the beautiful fishing village of Aveiro with picturesque canals. In the Art Nauveau dominated old town, colorful traditional boats offer small canal cruises. Dive into this picture-book town, visit the cathedral and enjoy the evening in one of the numerous restaurants of the old town.

In Ilhavo you can admire the museum and the historical factory area of the Vista-Alegre porcelain factory, where noble porcelains of world renown is produced. The Spanish and Belgian royal houses, the White House and many museums are among the customers. Take a break at the coast in the town of Costa Nova with its countless colorful painted houses (palheiros), which now houses pretty holiday houses, cafés, restaurants and nice shops. Kilometers of dunes, the foothills of the lagoon landscape and a variety of bathing facilities will accompany you all day. The seaside resort of Praia de Mira, with its fine beach promenade and typical small restaurants and fishermen's houses, can be reached on separate cycle paths away from any traffic.

Today quite different landscape impressions characterize your day. You cycle through the wide state forest with beautifully scented pine trees. A separate cycle path leads you along densely wooded streams to historic water mills and small lakes. Afterwards, you will cycle along small streets through dreamy villages, colorful fields and green forests. Enjoy the well wooded track, as just before your reach your destination you have to master 200 meters height. Reward yourself with a "stopover" and look forward to the deserved descent down to the coast to the wide dream beach of the fashionable seaside resort Figueira da Foz. Enjoy the end of the day at the beach or in one of the nice restaurants.

Today you will cycle on the new bike path along the river Mondego (optionally by train) to the impressive castle complex of Montemor-o-Velho. This widely visible fortification complex on the top of the hill will be reached by using three escalators in the narrow old town. Enjoy the fantastic panorama without effort. After leaving the town, you have to master 100 meter uphill before you will roll on small roads along the edge of the Mondego valley. Follow the river to the old town of the venerable university town of Coimbra, which is located majestic on a slope.

Today you can spend your day in the lively old town of Coimbra, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013. It is particularly worthwhile to visit the university with the historic Baroque library. Enjoy your day in the narrow streets of the old town with its numerous impressive Renaissance buildings and the pretty shops.

After a short bus transfer you hop on your bike in Verride - you cycle towards the coast! Initially dominated by the fertile plain of the Mondego River, the bike path "Via Atlantica" leads you through gently rolling pine forests to the wide sandy beach of Praia de Pedrogão with the hotel only 200 m away from the beach. In the evening, the sunset and typical beach bars and nice restaurants attract many guests. Enjoy the evening!

On the longest cycle path in Portugal we continue along the coast through the typical pine forests. First destination is the seaside resort of Sao Pedro de Moel with the lighthouse visible from afar, from which a phenomenal view over the rugged cliffs pays off. The sheltered bay invites you to take a break, but four more sandy beaches are on your way to the daily destination, including the famous beach, Praia do Norte ', where the Hawaiian Garrett McNamara 2012 surfed the 30m height of the largest wave in the world. Finally, enjoy the picturesque fishing village of Nazaré, whose historic center with the pilgrimage church is located on a rocky plateau above the town. Since 1889, a cable car has been very conveniently located there, so you can end the evening both on the beach and stroll through the old town.

In the morning you cycle along the cliffs to the beautiful coastal town of São Martinho do Porto with its unique lagoon. Connected only by a narrow opening to the open sea, the lagoon's water is swimming and bathing suitable for most of the year. The adjacent huge sand dune is surrounded by steep cliffs - a real feast for the eyes. After another break in the seaside village of Foz do Arelho you cycle through a small wine growing area inland to Óbidos, the Portuguese "Rothenburg ob der Tauber". If the crowds of visitors have left the picturesque place in the evening, you can still enjoy all the highlights with leisure: the small decorated streets, the imposing castle complex, the idyllic mountain panorama and the preserved city wall, on which the historic city can be completely surrounded.

After a short downhill ride you cycle on well-developed cycle paths directly on the shores of the wide lagoon landscape of Óbidos back to the cliffs. This is dominated by the spacious glammorous hotel complexes before the scene changes completely on the Baleal peninsula. Known as a Mecca for the international surfing scene, there are colorful VW Bullis with colorful surfboards on the beach and in all the cafes and shops there is only one topic. For hours you can watch the hustle and bustle on the water here and also on the way to Peniche this picture does not change, because everywhere it says: Surf is Up!

From one surf hotspot to the next: Along a magnificent cliff landscape today's day's stage leads through the hilly, coastal interior. This longest stage also holds the most climbs for you, so it is worth taking a cooling bath break on the white beach of Praia da Areira Branca, before following the river Rio Grande on side roads. Shortly before your destination of the day, the surfing and fishing village of Ericeira, you have to pedal hard again, then roll into the lively streets of the old town, which promises a relaxing evening with many bars and restaurants.

Today's stage is kept very short, leaving plenty of time for the enchanting Sintra, with its ancient castles and magnificent palaces that have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1995. The absolute highlight is the vividly painted Pena Palace, one of Portugal's greatest attractions, with an impressive mix of North African influences and medieval Gothic. But the National Palace, the Moorish castle and other extravagant palaces with sophisticated parks are on every visitor list and let the day go by way too fast.

In the morning enjoy a great descent through the green mountains of the Serra de Sintra and along the shallow coast to the pretty town center of Cascais, the historic summer destination of the Portuguese kings. Right on the sea promenade you cycle to the fashionable seaside resort of Estoril with the first casino of Portugal, before you follow the coastal road (partially bike path) to Belém with the UNESCO World Heritage listed Jerónimos Monastery whose entire limestone facade is artistically designed. A short stop at the neighboring pastry shop to taste the famous Pastéis de Belém pudding tarts - and then quickly on the bike path right on the water into Lisbon. Alternatively you can shorten today's day's stage by train several times.

Today your beautiful bike trip ends. Alternatively you can go on a discovery tour in Lisbon. We recommend to spend some extra days in this wonderful city.