6 days
Duration
2/5, 3/5
Activity Level
2-14
Group Size
Lisbon
Starting City
€ 3,199
Price

Cycle through history, over Roman bridges and by medieval monasteries along roads winding through the picturesque rolling Alentejo plains region of Portugal and into the neighboring sun-baked Extremadura, Spain.

Our new 6 day cycling trip will give you a rich introduction to one of the most beautiful regions of Portugal and its close ties to life across the border in neighboring Spain. Cycling in the Alentejo is ideal because it combines a complex history with quiet country roads winding through olive orchards, vineyards and fields of grain. Every day is filled with picturesque rides, visits to historical points of interest and good food and wine. Explore Evora, the former capital of Portugal and taste wine and have lunch at a local winery estate. In the town of Vila Viçosa, once home to the royal family, you’ll learn about the significance of the local marble industry. And venture across the border to Olivenza, Spain and learn about its fascinating history and how it was once a Portuguese town. Head down to a Lusitano horse breeding farm and wander the cobbled streets of a border village where the Jews took refuge during the Inquisition. Finally climb up to the impressive castle town of Marvão high above the plains with panoramic views of the entire region. This is a once in a lifetime trip that must not be missed!

Trip Highlights

  • Spin along the quiet country roads of Portugal’s Alentejo and Spain’s Extremadura regions (including a former smuggler’s route) through golden plains dotted with statuesque cork and olive trees, fields of wildflowers and impressive castle towns
  • Discover the fascinating, intertwined histories of Portugal and Spain
  • Visit the fortified town of Elvas, with its towering aqueduct and Olivenza, a former Portuguese village in Spain
  • Cycle to a traditional Portuguese wine estate for delectable lunch and wine-tasting
  • Stay in the beautifully preserved UNESCO World Heritage City of Évora and visit the Gothic Cathedral and famous Temple of Bones

Activities – Cycling, Walking

Activity Level 2, 3 or 4 – Moderate Plus. You need to be in good physical shape to best enjoy the trip activities and to avoid sore muscles. We recommend you prepare your body by exercising regularly for 2 months prior to departure. Walking/hiking, running and regular cycling as well as cardio and weight training will all be beneficial. The better shape you are in, the more you’ll enjoy everything your tour has to offer. In this case, the tour is Level 3 (Moderate), with extra optional sections that raise the activity level to Level 3-4 (Moderate Plus).

Bike rides: 6 + 4 optional rides | Total 246 mi. / 397 km (41 mi. / 66 km avg/day) | + 15,977 ft / 4.870 mt ELE GAIN (2,664 ft / 812 mt avg/day):

DEPARTURE/RETURN LOCATION: Hotel Lisboa Plaza, Lisbon
DEPARTURE TIME: Please arrive by 9:00 am for a welcome brief and departure at 9:45 am.
RETURN TIME: Approximately 6 pm.
WHAT TO WEAR: Comfortable cycling gear such as shorts and jersey, shoes with clips if desired.
INCLUDED:
Guide services
Transfers during the course of the trip
Lodging & meals as indicated on the daily itinerary
Wine with lunches and dinners
Entrance fees to historic sites, museums, parks, and other attractions
NOT INCLUDED:
Airfare or transportation to trip starting point
Guide gratuities
Travel insurance
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: € 80 / night (2023)
Day 1

Alentejo cycling and winery lunch, walking tour to the Temple of Diana and other Évora attractions.

Highlights:

  • Wine tour & welcome lunch at a local winery
  • Walking tour around the UNESCO World Heritage Site City of Évora

Our guides will meet you in Lisbon, Portugal at 9am for a short brief and to get acquainted with the group. Then we’ll head east towards the Spanish border to the Alentejo region and the former Portuguese capital of Évora. The Alentejo is a world away from busy, hilly streets of Lisbon, with rolling hills of golden plains and wildflowers, cork tree estates, generations-old olive groves, and sheep and cattle dotting the meadows. After arriving at our hotel and completing a bike fitting, we’ll cycle leisurely to a tiny village called Arraiolos, known for its handmade carpets and on to a traditional local winery for a delicious lunch and wine-tasting. We’ll hop in the van and return to Évora to refresh before heading out for a walking tour of the local sites. Tonight we dine on Alentejo specialities in a delightful local restaurant.

Biking: 16 mi | 1hr30 | + 557 ft elevation gain.
Walking tour: 1hr30
Driving: 1hr45
Meals: Lunch / Dinner
Hotel: Hotel M’ar de Ar Aqueduto | Évora

Day 2

Border crossing: explore Vila Viçosa the marble capital and cycle to Elvas and across to Olivenza, Spain.

Highlights:

  • Stunning facade of Vila Viçosa palace, located in the heart of the marble country
  • Elvas and its towering 16th c. aqueduct
  • Ponte de Ajuda bridge, a relic of the war
  • Olivenza, a Portuguese village in Spain

Today we’ll hop in the van for a short transfer to Vila Viçosa to the heart of the Portuguese marble industry and the impressive royal palace founded by the House of Braganza. After a walkabout we’ll get on our trusty bikes and head east to Elvas, an imposing fortified town with a magnificent aqueduct and break for coffee. We continue to Embarcadero de Olivenza where we’ll have a refreshing picnic along the banks of the Guadiana reservoir. A short van transfer takes us to the village of Olivenza, a historically disputed section of the Portuguese-Spanish border where we’ll visit a Templar castle and other interesting local sites on foot. After a fun-filled day we return to our hotel, a converted convent in Alter do Chão, a quiet village known for its royal horse breeding estate. Tonight we’ll dine on local specialties such as Iberian pork, in a charming local restaurant.

Biking: 32 mi | 3hrs30 | 1148 ft elevation gain
Walking tour: 1hr
Driving: 2hr30
Meals: Breakfast / Picnic Lunch / Dinner
Hotel: Convento D’Alter | Alter do Chão

Day 3

How to be an Alentejano: cycle through olive orchard to the whitewashed villages of Monforte and Fronteira

Highlights:

  • Roman Bridge of Monforte
  • Typical Alentejo village life: Monforte and Fronteira
  • Alter do Chao Castle and Renaissance Fountain

Today we’ll get to live like locals and take a loop ride from our hotel to the nearby village of Monforte with its Roman bridge (and incidentally, famous for its award winning sheep’s cheese) through olive orchards to Fronteira, where we’ll enjoy a picnic lunch by the river. On our return to Alter do Chão we’ll cycle on a dedicated cycle path to Cabeço de Vide, a spa town with thermal waters, used for over 4000 years and with the ruins of a Roman bathhouse. This afternoon you’ll have time to relax by the pool or wander the village and see the local Renaissance fountain. Tonight we’ll dine at our convent hotel.

Biking: 45 mi (32 mi + 12 mi optional) | 4hrs30 | + 1,804 ft / 550 mt
Walking: on your own in Alter do Chão
Driving: none
Meals: Breakfast / Picnic Lunch / Dinner
Hotel: Convento D’Alter | Alter do Chão

Day 4

Lusitano horses, the Templars and Vestiges of Secret Jewish Traditions

Highlights:

  • Coudelaria De Alter – a Lusitano horse breeding and riding center
  • Mosteiro Flor da Rosa – a fortified 14th monastery converted into a Pousada
  • Castelo de Vide with Jewish quarter and museum
  • The dramatic fortified hilltown of Marvao

We’ll hop on our bikes from the door of our hotel and spin to nearby Coudelaria do Alter for a tour of this Lusitano horse-breeding estate and riding center that once belonged to the Portuguese royal family. Continuing on, we’ll cycle by the impressive 14th c. Flor da Rosa monastery which has been beautifully converted into a hotel and take a break at a local café for a special hearty soup. After a well-deserved rest we head to the more challenging portion of our ride that takes us to another fortified spa town of Castelo de Vide. We’ll park our bikes and explore the steep winding cobblestone streets of the Jewish quarter and visit the hidden synagogue, now a tiny museum. For most of our guests, this is when we hop in the van to Marvão. However, there is an optional rewarding ride up to this dramatic fortified village straight to the doors of our hotel. Tonight we’ll dine in our hotel.

Biking: 41 mi (32 mi + 9 optional) | 4hrs40 | + 3,313 ft elevation gain
Walking: 1 hr
Driving: none
Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Hotel: Hotel El Rei Dom Manuel | Marvão

Day 5

A prehistoric Menhir, Border Smugglers, Pueblos of Spain, and a Roman Bridge

Highlights:

  • Menir of Meada (the tallest prehistoric stone monument in Iberia)
  • Smugglers route and “Salto do Cavalo” (small border between Portugal and Spain)
  • Valencia de Alcantára (Castle and typical Spanish pueblo)
  • Marvao border (official border between Portugal and Spain)
  • Roman Bridge of Portagem (medieval border)
  • Alameda dos Freixos Fraxinus excelsior (European ash)

We’ll cycle directly from our hotel to visit the Menhir de Meada, an imponent prehistoric stone monument, likely to be over 4000 years old and one of a network of such monuments found in the Alentejo and throughout Europe. Following a coffee break at a former train station we cross the border to Spain via the “Salto do Cavalo” or “horse jump” crossing and head to Alcántara da Valencia, for a walkabout the castle town and a free lunch on your own. That’s it for today’s cycling unless you’re ready for more and take the optional ride back to our hotel. Your afternoon is free to explore Marvão and its breathtaking views. Dinner is on your own.

Biking: 54 mi (37 mi + 17 mi optional) | 5hrs45 | + 3,937 ft. elevation gain
Walking: 1 hr
Driving: none
Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Hotel El Rei Dom Manuel | Marvão

Day 6

The Vineyard Landscapes of Sao Mamede Natural Park and a Touch of Spain

Highlights:

  • Vineyard landscape of São Mamede Natural Park
  • Panoramic mountain views
  • The smugglers route between Portugal and Spain

Today we admire the quiet beauty and tiny villages found in São Mamede Natural Park following country roads lined with hedges and plane trees and tiny vineyards. Incredible panoramic views will reward our climbing before we take a jaunt across the border into Spain and back again soon after. Following lunch in an excellent restaurant in Portagem its farewell, with a van transfer to Lisbon, where you’ll arrive before dinner time. Farewell! Adeus! Adios!

Biking: 55 mi (34 mi + 21 mi optional) | 6hrs20 | + 5,216 ft elevation gain
Driving: 2hr30 transfer to Lisbon
Meals: Breakfast / Lunch

Although we do our very best to adhere to the schedule above, the itinerary is subject to change for numerous reasons beyond our control, including weather and terrain conditions.

What’s Included

  • Full use of high-quality, Trek 7.4 FX bicycles with GPS unit and front pouch
  • Bike maintenance as needed
  • Guilt-free van support with snacks and water
  • Highly experienced and enthusiastic bilingual guides / mechanics
  • Entries for specific monuments, events or points of interest
  • Gratuities for all accommodations and group meals
  • Baggage transfers and handling.
  • Wine with dinners
  • Lodging and meals as indicated below

Accommodations

Hotels, 5 nights in 3 hotels:

  • Évora: 1 night
  • Alter do Chão: 2 nights
  • Marvão: 2 nights

Meals

4 dinners, 3 lunches and 2 picnics:

Day 1: Lunch and wine tasting / Dinner
Day 2: Breakfast / Picnic / Dinner
Day 3: Breakfast / Picnic / Dinner
Day 4: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Day 5: Breakfast
Day 6: Breakfast / Lunch

Tour Dates – 2023

  • Oct 22-27

Tour Dates – 2024

  • Mar 10 – 16
  • Mar 31 – Apr 5
  • Apr 7 – 12
  • May 12 – 17
  • Oct 27 – Nov 1

Please contact us for other dates.

map b1 portugal and spain bike tour the frontier

Portugal & Spain Bike Tour
Portugal & Spain Bike Tour
Portugal & Spain Bike Tour
Portugal & Spain Bike Tour
Portugal & Spain Bike Tour
Portugal & Spain Bike tour 1
Portugal & Spain Bike tour 3
Portugal & Spain Bike tour 4
Portugal & Spain Bike tour 5

Tour Reviews

5.00 based on 3 reviews
June 18, 2021

Obrigada for a Wonderful Week!
We have just enjoyed wonderful things in Spain and Portugal (cycling in the Extremadura and Alentejo). Stopping on a quiet country road to listen to the birds singing and seeing the multi-colored carpet of wildflowers was truly magical. And exploring the various old castle towns and the regional cuisines was also very special. It was a perfect spring vacation for us.
– Mary and John E.

June 18, 2021

Best Bike Tour I Have Ever Taken!!
Eva and Pedro are wonderful hosts / guides and have set up a truly remarkable adventure. I am going to have to come back to the Andalusia trip in Spain. Thanks for a wonderful time and great hospitality! It was a great way to celebrate my upcoming 60th birthday with my daughter.
– David B.

June 18, 2021

I Hope We Can Cross Paths With You Again!
Dave and I wanted to thank you so much for putting on a wonderful bike tour for us. Your choices of the route, all accommodations, meals, etc. were superb and your company was delightful. You were so supportive of us and relayed so much good information, historical as well as teaching us about regional customs, cuisines and language. We really enjoyed the side trips that were added into the cycling, too. The equipment, van, snacks and picnics all were great and your attitudes as well.
– Dave & Kate

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