7 nights | 38 miles/day
Self guided from EUR € 775
Tap above to jump to different sections of this tour
-
Best of the Algarve
7 night self guided bike tour in Portugal
The road bike tour is designed as an easy/intermediate tour of places of interest around the Algarve.
It is designed as a self-guided riding experience, covering 60-70km every day, taking advantage of a fantastic network of quiet tarmac roads that stretch across the whole of the Algarve. It can be adapted to suit your individual needs.
Note: You may start this tour on any date, year-round (minimum of 2 participants). Prices shown are for Jun-Oct, 2022. If you wish to book a tour starting in Jan-May or Nov-Dec, please inquire for prices.
Highlights
- Tavira, an elegant old town dating back to Roman times
- Vila Real de Santo Antonio
- Loule, an explorer's haven with its narrow cobbled streets, tiny shops and hidden away bars and restaurants
- Ancient old town of Silves, home to the best preserved castle in the Algarve
- Cape St. Vincent, southernmost tip of Portugal and Europe
- Aljezur, an ancient Moorish town
- Market town of Monchique
- Historical old port of Lagos
- Beautiful beaches of Armacao de Pera
Learn More
Learn more about self-guided tours.
-
![]()
![]()
![Algarve Portugal Beach (photo:ioanamohanu)]()
![Road Bike Algarve Portugal]()
![Tavira Portugal (photo:tanguysauvin)]()
![Algarve Portugal (photo:shreykanabar)]()
![Vila Real De Santo Antonio Portugal (photo:adrianmacias)]()
![Port Portugal (photo:maksymkaharlytskyi)]()
![]()
![Portugal Custard (photo:didimiam)]()
![Portugal Figs (photo:katieluka)]()
![Road Bike Algarve]()
![Portugal Fish (photo:alexteixeira)]()
![Algarve Portugal (photo:maxzed)]()
Traveler photos
-
-
Daily program
Note: You may start this tour on any date, year-round (minimum of 2 participants). Prices shown are for Jun-Oct, 2021. If you wish to book a tour starting in Jan-May or Nov-Dec, please inquire for prices.
Day 1: Arrival
Upon your arrival in the Algarve, we will collect you from the Faro airport and take you to your first destination, Vila Real de Santo Antonio, an interesting old town on the banks of the Guadiana river, which forms the border between Spain and Portugal.
Overnight in Vila Real de San Antonio.Day 2: Vila Real de Santo Antonio – Loule (40 miles/65km)
After breakfast, you will receive your bike and briefing for the tour. Your first day’s cycling starts with a gentle run along the coast towards Tavira, an elegant old town dating back to Roman times. From there you will head inland through unspoiled countryside, where few tourists venture, to São Bras de Alportel – a typical Algarvian working town, which offers a mixture of old and new. Then it is only a short stretch on to the market town of Loule, an explorer’s haven with its narrow cobbled streets.
Overnight in Loule.Day 3: Loule – Silves (38 miles/60km)
Venturing north into the rolling hills, you will find some fabulous winding roads leading to the hill-top village of Querença, a great coffee stop with splendid views. Passing through Alte, famous for its white painted houses and fresh water springs, you can head towards the barragens (reservoirs) before aiming for Silves. Once the Moorish capital, Silves is steeped with history and home to the best-preserved castle in the Algarve.
Overnight in Silves.Day 4: Silves – Sagres (45 miles/70km)
Heading west towards the southern tip of Portugal, there are some hills and very often headwinds, so this can be a challenging ride. But it is well worth it to experience the dramatic scenery as you approach the rugged coastline around the fortress at Sagres and the high cliffs at Cape St Vincent (the southernmost tip of Portugal and Europe).
Overnight in Sagres.Day 5: Sagres – Aljezur (37 miles/61km)
This is a fabulous day’s riding, northwards up the unspoiled western coast of Portugal to Aljezur, an ancient Moorish town situated in a lush green valley and built on either side of a river that runs through the valley. Starting out from Sagres, there is the option to visit Cape St Vincent the furthest south-western point of Europe, This is around 12kms detour but well worth it and a gentle warm-up for the ride ahead. Passing through Vila do Bispo and then on towards Carrapateira where another detour (around 5 kms) to the Pontal headland makes a great viewpoint and also a great mid-journey cafe/lunch stop. The road ahead to Aljezur is straight forward and with a few hills but pleasant scenery along the way.
Overnight in Aljezur.Day 6: Aljezur – Monchique (22 miles/35km)
Today's ride is not about the distance but all about the climb, initially steep up towards pedascas and then more gradual towards Marmelete and beyond. Monchique is a market town up in the Serra de Monchique, which is a thickly wooded mountain range separating the Algarve from the winelands of the Alentejo. The journey up to Monchique offers spectacular views and is totally different from coastal Algarve. Arriving in the town of Monchique presents a moment for refreshment, but our chosen hotel is a little further up the hill on the way to the summit of Foia. Its a climb, but the scenery and the superb setting of the hotel makes it all worthwhile.
Overnight in Monchique.Day 7: Monchique – Albufeira (43 miles/70km)
There are many options for the route down to the coast today, our recommendation is not the shortest or the longest option, but it will give you some great scenery and more quiet roads. Passing through Silves again and then onto some small villages along the way, your final destination is Albufeira, a bustling tourist town with lots to see and do, and some great bars and restaurants where you can celebrate the end of your cycling trip! You will be staying in a good quality 4-star hotel within walking distance of the old town so the nightlife and restaurants are close by but not too close.
Overnight in Albufeira.Day 8: Departure
We will transfer you from your accommodation to the Faro airport for your journey home.Surface and terrain
This tour features mostly quiet tarmac roads that take you through coastal towns and hilltop villages. The tour includes generally rolling or hilly terrain with average daily distances between 60-70km.
Hotels
These are sample hotels and may vary based on availability.
Vila Real de San Antonio
Your hotel is a modern hotel right in the centre of town so everything is right on your doorstep. The hotel provides en-suite accommodation, air conditioning, bar and swimming pool and breakfast is included.Loule
A short walk from the centre of Loule and close to many bars and great restaurants, this hotel features rooms with air conditioning, satellite tv and bars, breakfast room, roof terrace swimming pool and also a laundry service.Silves
The hotel in Silves is a short walk across the Rio Arade from the town and offers splendid views of the town and of course the Castle at the heart of the town. The hotel provides good quality and relaxed accommodation and there is also an outdoor swimming pool.Sagres
This modern boutique style hotel offers splendid accommodation in which to celebrate the end of your cycling day. Top quality individually designed boutique bedrooms with Air conditioning, LCD TV and mini bar are available. There is also a splendid tropical garden overlooking the beach in case you feel like a bit more sunbathing, if not relax in the Italian style coffee shop on site or try a pizza in the on site restaurant.Monchique
This modern, sophisticated boutique hotel is in a stunning setting on the way between the hilltop town of Monchique and Foia, the highest point in the Algarve. Just ten minutes walk from a cluster of traditional Portuguese restaurants, the hotel has luxurious accommodation with panoramic views over the valley and the Atlantic ocean beyond.How to get there
Tour start and end
Nearest airport: Faro, Portugal
Nearest train station: Loule, PortugalThe tour operator will arrange pick-up from airport in Faro. They can also do pick-ups from the Loule train station, located a convenient 1 km from the bike fitting shop.
Tips on getting to and from your tour
-
Dates
Daily: year-round, 2022 (minimum 2 persons)
Off season: Oct 01, 2022 - Oct 31, 2022
Low season: Jun 01, 2022 - Jun 30, 2022
Shoulder season: Jul 01, 2022 - Jul 31, 2022, Sep 01, 2022 - Sep 30, 2022
High season: Aug 01, 2022 - Aug 31, 2022
Prices
Tour package
Per person, double occupancy € 775 Low season surcharge € 105 Shoulder season surcharge € 185 High season surcharge € 260 Luggage transfer, per group (for groups with no support vehicle) € 375 Bike Rentals
Aluminum road bike rental € 132 Carbon fiber road bike rental € 174 Included services
- 7 nights accommodation
- Breakfasts
- Quality maps, GPS tracks, and route suggestions
- Route assistance where necessary
- Transfers to/from start and end of route
*Please note that luggage transfers are not included but are available for €375 per party. Tour guide and/or support vehicle can be available upon request and for an additional charge.
Bike rentals
Bikes available to rent (must be reserved at time of booking) include:
- Road bikes, aluminum frame
- TREK carbon fiber road bike (ultra light-weight)
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. However, we recommend that you bring your own helmet for safety and hygiene purposes.
-
Route Map
Maps are for information purposes only and reflect typical routes between overnight locations. They may not reflect your actual route.
-
Reviews
-
★★★★★ Timr November 23, 2019
Castles, Orange Groves and Sea
Delightful tour through this beautiful and fascinating part of Portugal. Bikes provided were quality, carbon frame road bikes. Accommodations were good to very good. Navigation was clear—the Garmin provided worked just fine. The countryside was lovely. Recommend especially in September to November when temperatures are better.
- What was the date of your tour?
- November 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 11
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Tuck October 27, 2019
Great trip!
Six of us did an unguided trip using the bike shop's GPS on our Garmin 520 and Iphone "Ride with GPS" app. We would have been miserably lost without it! The route took us thru the back roads of southern Portugal with beautiful orchards of oranges, pomegranates, lemons, vineyards as well as to the southern most tip of Europe and north along the Atlantic ocean coast. We stopped at little cafes for lunch and cappuccino's and stayed in lovely towns at 3 and 4 star hotels. It was simply a fantastic trip. The bike shop provided new carbon fiber road bikes, set us up with the proper adjustments, installed our pedals and left us with plenty of extra parts, tools and tubes to do any repairs. We had one flat tire. They were available anytime and only a phone call away. Addee and BikeTours.com were very helpful on getting us prepped on what to take and made the arrangements for us to be picked up and dropped off at the end of our tour. A few things to note:
* This is a #3 out of 4 difficulty rated bike tour so come prepared and properly trained.
* We went the 2nd week of Oct. with perfect weather, 72°F (22°C) for a high and down to 62°F (16°C) at the start of the day. One ½ hour of rain the entire 6 days but it would be very hot during the summer months.
* There were a lot of hills and a total elevation gain of around 13,000' (over 4000 meters) so be prepared.
* Download the GPS coordinates and routes to your Garmin or Iphone before leaving home as the internet connections are dicey at best.
* There is 6 days in a row of riding with no breaks in between so the last day or two can be a bit tiring.
* Do take a mirror for your helmet or to clamp onto your bike as well as a small bike bag (or day pack) to install on the bike for your cash, passport (needed to check into your hotel), energy bars, sun screen, etc... as there is only one under the saddle small bag that is filled with tools, extra tube, etc...
* The bike shop provided us with a complimentary water bottle but take a 2nd bottle as the bikes had 2 bottle cages on them and you will be glad you have them.- What was the date of your tour?
- Oct. 10-17, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Cara November 20, 2018
Beautiful way to see this country!
We booked the self-guided tour, and loved it! Bikes, maps, GPS, panniers, and lots of tips were all provided! The routes were beautiful, the hotels were great, and I would go back to Portugal in a heartbeat!
- What was the date of your tour?
- 10/8/18-10/15/18
- How many tours have you completed?
- this was the first
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Algarve July 9, 2017
Algarve Road Trip
Cycling through the Algarve was outstanding. What a perfect place to tour by bike. The people are kind and the scenery is outstanding. The challenge of riding made the trip better than I expected. Every day was different scenery and terrain. The accommodations were fabulous. I wish we had planned to stay longer. Thank you BikeTours.com for making this so memorable and easy to take the trip!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 25 to July 2
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Marcus k October 3, 2015
Fantastic trip through Algarve
We took the 10 day version in 2014. Absolutely loved it. Paul took great care of us. All equipment was excellent. Hotels were good. Best of all Paul was able to accommodate some changes along the way.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
