Atlantic Coast tour: Porto - Lisbon sportive

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. From many European airports, there are inexpensive direct flights to Porto and Lisbon is only a 3 hours train ride away.

Your first 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 Ocean. 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. If the stage is too long for you, there are several places where you can switch to the train (on your own, payable on site).

In the morning you start biking back in direction of the coast. 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. 12 km you cycle through the wide state forest with beautifully scented pine trees. A separate cycle path leads you idyllically 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. 
You can shorten this stage by taking the train (on your own, payable on site).

In the morning, a transfer will take you to Marinha das Ondas. From there, you will first follow the Mondego River, then the well-developed “Via Atlantica” cycle path through hilly pine forests to the wide sandy beach of Praia de Vieira and the seaside resort of Sao Pedro de Moel with its imposing lighthouse, which offers a phenomenal view of the rugged cliffs. The sheltered bay invites you to take a break, but four more sandy beaches beckon today, including the famous Praia do Norte beach, where Hawaiian Garrett McNamara surfed the world's largest wave, measuring 30 meters high, in 2012. Finally, look forward to the picturesque fishing village of Nazaré, whose historic center with its pilgrimage church is located on a rocky plateau above the town. A mountain railway takes you up there in comfort, so you can stroll through the old town before ending the evening on the beach.

Follow the path along the cliffs to the beautiful coastal town of São Martinho do Porto with its picturesque 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. Unique are the well-developed cycle paths directly on the shores of the wide lagoon landscape of Óbidos before the cliffs are dominated by the spacious glamorous hotel complexes with well-maintained golf courses. But shortly after, 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! 
(The day's stage can be shortened at the end).

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, than 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.

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.