Cook up a storm on your pedalling tour of Portugal

This one-of-a-kind Portuguese cycling tour is designed for those with a love of nature, heritage, and quality cuisine! You'll explore the Natural Park of Serra D'Aire e Candeeiros and the exquisite region of Évora, with its UNESCO World Heritage city center. Journeying on, you'll discover the luscious Natural Park of SW Alentejano e Costa Vicentina for a dramatic change in landscape.

Your evenings will be spent in the company of chefs or local people. In the evening cookery classes, you'll learn how to make sumptuous and simple Portuguese food, and you will be given a book of recipes for each dish you mastered so you can stun your friends back home!

Due to the difficult profile of the climbs in Serra d’aires e Candeeiros, we strongly recommend you enjoy this tour by e-bike. Be aware that if you choose a different type of bike, you should expect a tough cycling experience.

While it is possible to book this tour in Jul-Sep, the tour operator does not recommend traveling in this area during that time of the year due to very high temperatures.

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Highlights

• Monasteries of Batalha and Alcobaça
• Limestone caves
• Évora UNESCO World Heritage Site city center and Chapel of Bones
• 3 cooking classes
• Wine tasting
• Cycling tours on secondary roads and along the coast

Learn More

Not sure whether to book a guided or self-guided tour? Learn about the differences between guided and self-guided tours.

Interested in adding to your itinerary? Take a look at our cycling day tours in Portugal.

Daily program

Day 1: Arrival and transfer to Alvados
Arrive in Alvados, a little village hidden deep in a valley. This valley is almost 300 m deep, so you'll know why we recommend e-bikes! Enjoy Alvados' charming architecture - a mix of modern lines and local trends and materials. Here, in the heart of the Natural Park, you'll find your lovely hotel.

Aires and Candeeiros boast very special scenery, and as you bike, you'll discover man-made rock walls that mark the roads and properties, as well as impressive boulders dotting the barren but beautiful landscape. Beneath your feet is a colossal network of caves and galleries extending beyond your imagination - these provide sheltering spots for the 18 species of bat that live in the park.

This evening, you'll enjoy your first delicious meal at your hotel.

Overnight in Alvados.

Day 2: Caves route (27 miles/43km; total elevation gain 3,316 feet/1011m)
This first cycling tour will take you to the breathtaking limestone caves of the Natural Park. The guided tour takes around 1 hour and tells of the history of two working men who, in 1955, crept through an opening in the rock in their attempt to catch a bird. Inside, they discovered the gallery of the Santo António Caves, formed more than 150 million years ago. Occupying a huge area of around 6,000 square meters, these caves are brilliantly adorned with stalagmites and stalactites.

From the caves, you'll continue cycling through the area's agricultural fields, including many olive groves. In the 1950s, around 200,000 liters of olive oil were produced here! There may be the opportunity here to visit an olive mill and taste some sumptuous olive oil yourself.

On the way, you may park your bicycles for a beautiful short walk to the top of the Fornea. This amphitheater is about 500 m in diameter and 250 m in height. Arriving in the village of Porto Mós, you may decide to visit the impressive castle before heading back for some relaxing time in the hotel spa (massages are bookable at the desk).

A picnic lunch is included today, and you'll have your first included cooking class at 7:00 pm with the chef at your hotel.

Overnight in Alvados.

Day 3: The Monasteries Route (29 miles/47km; total elevation gain 2,703 feet/824m)
Today you will cycle from Alvados to the Monastery of Batalha and then the Monastery of Alcobaça. The route is again hilly at the beginning, but you'll be rewarded with a wonderful downhill section on an atmospheric mountain road.

The Monastery of Batalha took over a century to build, from around 1386-1517, spanning the reign of seven kings! It's a masterpiece of Gothic art, mingled with Manueline style. We suggest enjoying lunch in a lovely Batalha cafe (not included in tour cost).

The Alcobaça Monastery has a beautiful 13th-century façade, though the building of the complex actually started in 1178. The impressive tombs of King Pedro I and his mistress, Inês de Castro, who was murdered on the orders of Pedro's father, King Afonso IV, are one of the highlights of the monastery. From Alcobaça, you'll be transferred to a farm in Évora to enjoy dinner and a relaxing evening.

Overnight in Évora.

Day 4: The Wine and Cork Route (27 miles/44km; total elevation gain 1,062 feet/324m)
Today's bike tour leaves the farm and heads towards Igrejinha, a sparkling village where all the houses are painted in different colored stripes, creating the effect of a painting! From here, you'll cycle to the cork factory to see how this material undergoes incredible transformations - a highlight of the day.

From here, enjoy the ride to S. Miguel de Machede, another little countryside village where you might like to stop for a drink at a local cafe. The day should finish with a visit to the winery of São Miguel - a fun, interesting experience to savor. After your visit to the winery (including wine tasting for guided tours), you'll be transferred back to the farm to avoid cycling on the main road (return transfer included in tour cost).

This evening, you'll enjoy another cooking lesson, this time in Alentejo regional food, which you'll prepare at the farm!

Overnight in Évora.

Day 5: The famous carpet city of Arraiolos (25 miles/40km; total elevation gain 1,394 feet/425m)
Following the Eco Trail, a bike lane built on an old railway, you'll ride through small farms to get to Graça do Divor, a very well-preserved white and blue village. It's a great place to pause for a drink and to try the delicious meat pies of Mrs. Ilda!

From Graça do Divor, the route heads to the village of Arraiolos with its rich historical center, famous carpet production center, and tantalizing Pastéis de Toucinho. The views from the castle are unforgettable! Afterwards, enjoy a winery visit with a fantastic private carriage collection (included in guided tour cost).

Dinner is not on the agenda for this evening so that you can explore the authentic eateries in Arraiolos. If you'd prefer to dine at the farm again instead, the price is not included in the tour cost, and you must book 24 hours in advance.

Overnight in Évora.

Day 6: Twenty centuries of history (12 miles/20km; total elevation gain 396 feet/121m)
Évora is such a gorgeous city that it's well worth exploring by bicycle. Visit some of its most beautiful sites, cycling through a selection of stunning streets to explore the Roman Temple, the Cathedral, the Chapel of Bones, and the university. After lunch (not included in tour cost), you'll be transferred by car to Santiago do Cacém for a visit to the castle, after which you'll cycle to the hotel.

At 6:00 pm, meet the chef for another brilliant cooking class. Enjoy!

Overnight in Santiago do Cacém.

Day 7: From the mountain to the sea (40 miles/65km; total elevation gain 2,165 feet/660m)
After all these inland days, you deserve some sea views and maybe even a swim! Before leaving Santiago do Cacém, visit the last operating windmill and head out towards the coastline through a lush green oak forest. The blue ocean and schist cliffs will frame your arrival in the fisherman's village of Porto Covo.

On the way, check out a fortification that was once used to protect a natural bay from pirate attacks. You will have the opportunity to 'walk into the ocean' on a pier made of rock where you can watch the unloading of the fish and the sun-drying of the lamprey.

Later, relax at the beach or explore the small streets and shops of Vila Nova de Milfontes, followed by the perfect wind-down at the romantic riverside. You'll then enjoy a final delicious dinner (included in the tour cost).

Overnight in Vila Nova de Milfontes.

Day 8: Departure or extension
The tour officially ends after breakfast, but you are welcome to extend your stay - please enquire.

Don't want the adventure to end? Consider taking a cycling day tour in Portugal.

Surface and terrain

This tour features rolling terrain, including several longer, steep climbs. You will cycle on asphalt, along the Eco Trail (easy dirt track), secondary roads, country lanes, and a few city streets. Due to the difficult profile of the climbs on this itinerary, we strongly recommend renting e-bikes to enjoy this tour.

Hotels

These are sample hotels and may vary by availability.

Cooking and Nature Emotional Hotel
www.cookinghotel.com

Monte do Serrado de Baixo
www.montedoserradodebaixo.com

Santiago Hotel Cooking & Nature
www.santiagohotel.pt

Monte do Zambujeiro
www.montedozambujeiro.com

Interested in visiting other areas before or after your tour? Visit our hotels page to learn more about lodging options.

How to get there

Tour start
Nearest airport: Lisbon, Portugal
Nearest bus station: Arraiolos, Portugal

Tour end
Nearest airport: Lisbon, Portugal

Transfers are available from the airport to the first hotel and from the last hotel to airport (included in guided tours and for a surcharge in self-guided tours). Please reserve your transfer in advance at time of booking.

Tips on getting to and from your tour.

Dates

Prices

Included services

Bike rentals

Bikes available to rent on this tour (must be reserved in advance at time of booking):

• Focus Aventura 1.0 electrically assisted bike*

*More about electrically-assisted bikes >

Bikes come equipped with the following:

• Rear rack
• Front handlebar bag
• Basic bike tools to fix small problems

GPS rental is available for a surcharge on self-guided tours.

Bike Protection:
Bike protection can be purchased at the time of booking. You can read more about that HERE.

Pedals:
The bikes will have flat pedals. If you want to bring your own pedals, please bring your own shoes and also the necessary equipment to change the pedals.

Helmets:
Helmets are available on this tour free of charge. We recommend that you bring your own helmet for safety and hygiene purposes.

Tour Company