Algarve Coastal Route

Traveler photos

Route Map

Maps are for information purposes only and reflect typical routes between overnight locations. They may not reflect your actual route.

• ★★★★★ Mark Stow 2 months ago

  Good biking, excellent service

  This was our seventh cycling trip and our third self guided one. Based on our experience we would rate the cycle tour company quite highly. We were provided with good bikes which were appropriate for the terrain and the appropriate maintenance equipment which came in handy as we did have a flat tire on day 5. The gps provided came loaded with the day by day routes and was invaluable in finding the out of the way paths that we occasionally found ourselves on. The hotels were very nice with most having balconies and ocean views and all provided an excellent breakfast to start the day. The van pick up and drop offs were on time and we enjoyed the local knowledge that Angus shared along the way. The scenery was spectacular from the salt marshes and dunes in the East to the cliffs and ocean vistas in the West.

  What was the date of your tour?

  November 2022

  How many tours have you completed?

  7

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 4/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 4/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 4/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ Emily Jaskot 3 months ago

  Simply Incredible!

  The bike trip was a perfect way to experience the Algarve region of Portugal. The bikes, ride routes, and hotels were fantastic. With rides between 20 and 35 miles per day, we arrived at each town with plenty of time to explore each wonderful town.

• ★★★★★ Cheryl Jaskot 4 months ago

  Coastal Dream

  WE were a group of six with our group ages from 67-43. The local bike company was very communicative and accommodating. We all rode traditional bikes and trained on fairly flat surfaces. The course was fairly flat the first three days along gravel roads and boardwalks. The longest day was 35 miles and a lot of hills. The last two days were also hilly and along gravel roads. We had to walk some of the hills. The accommodations were great and food was easily accessible. Lots of amazing seafood was everywhere. There were also plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. We had a great time and would highly recommend this tour.

  What was the date of your tour?

  September 2022

  How many tours have you completed?

  5

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  Somewhat harder

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers, Families with teens

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 5/5 Included meals
  • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 5/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 5/5 Ease of navigation
  • 4/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ Neil Gordon 6 months ago

  A mixture of old and new

  A very nice mixture of quaint fishing villages and modern tourist towns. The cycling is mostly a mixture of unpaved trails and back roads, but there is some heavily traveled roads to navigate. Hotels are all 4 and 5 star. Bikes are heavy, buy designed for terrain. Excellent support.

  What was the date of your tour?

  June 2022

  How many tours have you completed?

  7

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  Somewhat harder

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 2/5 Included meals
  • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 5/5 Hotels or boat
  • 4/5 Scenery
  • 4/5 Ease of navigation
  • 4/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 4/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ Karen Burnham 6 months ago

  Self Guided Algarve Tour

  The connections at the beginning and end of the trip with the bike company went very smoothly and the bikes and GPS were of great quality. Our favorite towns were Vila Real and Tavira, and the paths the first 3 days were delightful. Day 4 was grueling with all busy road traffic. We wish this day could have been avoided via rerouting. All the hotels were fantastic, and the breakfasts were wonderful. We would have liked to spend 2 nights in Lagos so we would have had time to explore. Reaching the lighthouse at the end of the week was such a feeling of accomplishment! Portugal is a great place to visit, so be sure to spend more time after the bike ride to explore.

  What was the date of your tour?

  May 2022

  How many tours have you completed?

  Two

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  Somewhat harder

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  First-time bike tourists

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 5/5 Included meals
  • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 5/5 Hotels or boat
  • 4/5 Scenery
  • 4/5 Ease of navigation
  • 3/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 3/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ Wendy Walton 6 months ago

  Portugal by Bike

  Our bike trip along the Algarve coast was just what we hoped it would be. Our self guided trip had just the right amount of contact with staff, our pick ups/ drop offs were seamless, there was more interaction at the start of the trip than we have had with others tours which familiarized us with the gos navigation system and got our bikes just right. There was a nice mix of accommodations and it was easy to add extra days to customize our trip.

  What was the date of your tour?

  April 2022

  How many tours have you completed?

  3

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 4/5 Included meals
  • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 4/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 4/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 4/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ MEMALgarve January 16, 2020

  Really Great Holiday Trip on Wheels

  We had a wonderful 4 day/5 night trip along the Algarve. The GPS was superb, the route was very well thought out, the food amazing and the Algarve everything we had hoped it would be- thank you.

  What was the date of your tour?

  12/30/19-1/4/20

  How many tours have you completed?

  3

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers, Families with teens

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 4/5 Value
  • 4/5 Included meals
  • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 3/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 5/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ Bamboo March 30, 2019

  Great trip along the Algarve

  We loved visiting the Algarve towns and beaches by bike and it was exciting to discover our next guesthouse with our luggage at the door.
  Next time, we would have used mountain bikes instead of crossovers, which were heavy and not as smooth on the trails and cobblestones.
  The maps were clear and we were able to self-guide without any problem.
  Loved the feeling of biking from the spanish border to the westerly tip.

  What was the date of your tour?

  March 16th

  How many tours have you completed?

  First tour

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  Somewhat easier

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 4/5 Value
  • 4/5 Included meals
  • 1/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 3/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 4/5 Ease of navigation
  • 4/5 Tour documents
  • 4/5 Local tour company services
  • 4/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ NoPensionWillTravel December 8, 2018

  Sunny Cycling in a Very Popular Spot

  The tour operator provided very responsive and friendly service throughout this trip. The hotels were excellent, being mostly four-star (although we're usually happy with two or three.) We particularly liked the staff at the Hotel Apolo in Vila Real de Santo António. As the description says, this is one of the few places you can cycle warm, sunny weather in Europe in late November! We would caution prospective riders to do their research, though. If, like we, you imagine the Algarve as quaint and quiet - as it may have been in the past - you may be surprised at how built up it has become. We were rarely out of sight of high-rise hotels or flashy marinas. The "fishing villages with Moorish architecture, cobbled lanes, Roman ruins, beaches, lagoons, and inlets" all exist - but there's a lot of development in between, and growing. And this also means traffic and more challenging cycling. When we see a "2" rating, we usually expect we could invite capable non-cyclists, but in this case, the preponderance of busy, sometimes narrow roads, and complex traffic circles made us glad we didn't have newbies with us. So, do your homework - but if you know what to expect, this is a well-run operation with nice bikes and a super GPS route-finder.

  What was the date of your tour?

  November 12, 2018

  How many tours have you completed?

  7 or 8 (plus club-organized in NA)

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  Somewhat harder

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers

  Do you recommend this tour?

  No

  • 2/5 Value
  • 3/5 Included meals
  • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 4/5 Hotels or boat
  • 3/5 Scenery
  • 5/5 Ease of navigation
  • 2/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 4/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ Chuck1 December 18, 2017

  Great adventure !!!

  This was a wonderful trip.
  Other than 2 issues I thought this was a well planned trip, great hotels / flawless luggage connections / good route aided by supplied GPS.
  The 2 issues were :
  The bicycles were not very good. Shifting was erratic as they obviously hadn’t been tuned prior to our trip.
  The other issue was the promosed transfer to the airport at the end of the trip did not happen, we waited almost an hour in the hotel lobby only to hear through the consierge that the ride to the airport was not happening forcing us to catch a cab and rushing to make our flight connection.

  What was the date of your tour?

  Oct 1st thru 7th

  How many tours have you completed?

  3

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  Somewhat easier

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers, Families with teens

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • BikeTours.com staff reply from Brittany December 19, 2017

    Chuck, thanks so much for your thoughtful review. We're glad to hear that you had a great time but sorry that you had some troubles. I'll follow up with you via email to make things right. Thanks again!

  • 5/5 Value
  • 5/5 Included meals
  • 2/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 5/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 5/5 Ease of navigation
  • 4/5 Tour documents
  • 3/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ Delane October 6, 2017

  Beautiful Scenery !!

  What was the date of your tour?

  September 24, 2017

  How many tours have you completed?

  3

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  First-time bike tourists, Families with teens

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 3/5 Value
  • 4/5 Included meals
  • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 4/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 3/5 Ease of navigation
  • 3/5 Tour documents
  • 4/5 Local tour company services
  • 4/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ DebbieFL September 18, 2017

  Debbie & Phyllis' Excellent Adventure

  This was our 7th trip with Biketours.com, and one of our favorite routes, by far. The route was spectacular, and unlike a few of our previous trips - the towns were we spent the night each offered a delightful mix of sightseeing & dining options to take advantage of. And we can't say enough about Fred and the rest of the group at Algarve Bike Holidays. From the materials they provided ahead of time to the extra TCL by helping us with a flat on Sunday afternoon, so we didn't lose time on Monday waiting for the local bike shop to open - they went above and beyond. The hotels were particularly nice - some of the best breakfast buffets we've experienced so far. This was the first time we took a trip that was guided via GPS - and it is definitely the way to go!

  What was the date of your tour?

  9/2 - 9/8 2017

  How many tours have you completed?

  7

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  As expected

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 5/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 5/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ Shiftin July 15, 2017

  Beautiful Algarve!

  Cycling in Portugal was an amazing adventure! The scenery was exceptional, the routes were mostly flat, some hills at the end of the week, food along the coast (grilled fresh fish, fruit and vegetables) was all part of a very special week. Fred, part owner in Algarve Bike Holidays, could not have been more friendly and supportive. We were provided with a Garmin that had the routes already downloaded. We were a little challenged with this when construction blocked our route. Regardless, we always made it to our end location which included large resort hotels as well as quaint bed and breakfast inns. We went in July which turned out to be exceptionally hot so be sure to carry lots of water and start your trek early in the morning.

  What was the date of your tour?

  July 2017

  How many tours have you completed?

  10-15

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  Somewhat harder

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 5/5 Included meals
  • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 5/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 4/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 5/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ PeteN September 30, 2016

  Algarve Coastal Route

  Very enjoyable scenic route. Great seafood, excellent weather (September). Good logistics. Challenging in parts however, due to traffic on roads and more hills than expected. We were glad to have ebikes. Tires supplied were not up to the trails and we suffered several punctures. I recommend checking equipment carefully before setting out.

  What was the date of your tour?

  September 12, 2016

  How many tours have you completed?

  This was the third

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  Somewhat harder

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 4/5 Value
  • 5/5 Included meals
  • 2/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 5/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 3/5 Ease of navigation
  • 5/5 Tour documents
  • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • 4/5 Route selection
• ★★★★★ Shifty September 27, 2016

  Good trip

  The scenery, transportation and accommodation were top notch. Several of the bicycles were difficult to shift, no water bottle holders and poor tread (five punctures). The GPS supplied did not always follow the route. The comment about most road riding is on traffic calmed roads is not correct. If any of your group has trouble riding in traffic you may want to look elsewhere. Having said all that I would repeat the trip after addressing the comments above.

  What was the date of your tour?

  September

  How many tours have you completed?

  3

  Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?

  Somewhat harder

  Who is this tour suitable for?

  Solo travelers

  Do you recommend this tour?

  Yes

  • 5/5 Value
  • 2/5 Bikes + equipment
  • 5/5 Hotels or boat
  • 5/5 Scenery
  • 4/5 Ease of navigation
  • 3/5 Tour documents
  • 3/5 Local tour company services
  • 4/5 Route selection