Portugal Bike Tour Reviews (page 4)

★★★★★ (5/5) LuAnn April 28, 2018

Beautiful countryside & amazing castles and wineries

Castles and Wines of Portugal

We had a great time cycling through The Alentejo region where wildflowers, castles, olive and cork tree groves, and fields of grapes were abundant. The bikes were in great shape, detailed directions and tour guides helpful!

What was the date of your tour?: April 14-21,2018
How many tours have you completed?: 0
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: As expected
Who is this tour suitable for?: Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes
Countries included in this tour?: Portugal

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

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★★★★★ (5/5) Ottermom June 15, 2018

Best bicycle tour company to date!

Castles and Wines of Portugal

This was our 5th self guided tour to date and Portugal's Best Cycling company was the best we have had in customer service. The bikes were perfect for the terrain. We felt safe on all of the routes even the ones that had more traffic than anticipated. All of the hotels were excellent although our personal preference is to stay away from the ones that cater to the large motorcoach tours (we had 2 that fell into that category.) Self-guided is for the adventurous and that is what we got. The dirt tracks were not for the inexperienced. Area had a rough winter and it took some technical riding to manuever safely on them. There were alternative paved routes but where is the fun in that? We added an extra 20 miles on one of our days to ride out to a fortress that was not on our itinerary. It was worth it. I would add pictures but it keeps telling me images are too large. Recommend adding 2 full days in Sintra just to enjoy.

What was the date of your tour?: May 29, 2018
How many tours have you completed?: 5
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: Somewhat easier
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes
Countries included in this tour?: Portugal

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
4/5 Route selection

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★★★★★ (5/5) Traveling Jackie August 6, 2018

Great Introduction to Bike Touring!

Castles and Wines of Portugal

I'd never done a bike tour before, so this was my first experience, and I LOVED IT! Our guide Jorge was funny and kind, the other people on the trip were lovely and encouraging. At the end of the trip I was trying to figure out what the highlight was, and I realized everything I was coming up with was the actual riding itself. The views were fantastic, I liked the varied roads, ups, downs, back roads, cobblestone villages, paved countryside. I opted for a hybrid touring bike, it was hard work in some places but I was happy with my decision instead of getting an e-bike.

We had a couple days of heavy rain where we couldn't ride at all, but I found it nice to have a little break from the saddle on my first tour ever. On those days we got to see more sites than we would have on bikes, because they took us in a van to explore monuments, wineries, museums, chapels, towns, marble quarries, palaces, castles, and more. We shared a lot of delicious meals together, my favorite being a hole in the wall tiny restaurant that you'd never be able to find on a map, and the owner makes his own wine. These are the types of places you can only find with a guide.

The pace was relaxed, I loved the unique accommodations and the restaurants. Besides the rain, the weather was comfortable and cool for riding. It was April when I went, might be a good idea to go a little later to try to avoid rain. My biggest tip is to bring your appetite and eat ALL the delicious food and wine!

What was the date of your tour?: April 2018
How many tours have you completed?: 0
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: As expected
Who is this tour suitable for?: Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes
Countries included in this tour?: Portugal

Video: A little recap of my first ever multi-day bike tour in the Alentejo wine region of Portugal.

5/5 Value
5/5 Included meals
5/5 Bikes + equipment
5/5 Hotels or boat
5/5 Scenery
5/5 Local tour company services
5/5 Route selection
5/5 Guides (if applicable)

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★★★★★ (5/5) senorbogus November 10, 2018

Rolling through beautiful Alentejo

Castles and Wines of Portugal

Our self-guided tour was a wonderful experience. We were very happy with all of the rich, multi-sensory stimulation we experienced every day on the trip. Lots of variety and interest, especially for us who are very interested in history and local culture. Highlights were getting to visit up close and in a very informal and uncrowded manner the many historic sites - castles, prehistoric graves and boulder installations, village crafts workshops, medieval churches and cathedrals as well as the pleasant agricultural countryside. We particularly liked it that we experienced zero crowds of other tourists. By the way, the castle that you show in your photo was where we had lunch one day. We were the only persons there. It was our hottest and longest day, so we really needed the rest, refreshment and tranquility. Special highlights were the beautiful, historic inns where we stayed - converted palaces and convents several hundreds of years old. It almost made us feel like royalty, and for a modest price, too.

What was the date of your tour?: Oct. 6-13, 2018
How many tours have you completed?: 4
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: As expected
Who is this tour suitable for?: Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes
Countries included in this tour?: Portugal

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

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★★★★★ (5/5) scbythesea September 29, 2019

Highly recommended tour of an interesting part of Portugal.

Castles and Wines of Portugal

Our local guide was wonderful, very knowledgeable, helpful, and fun. The cycling was great in this part of Portugal, and we loved the charming towns and pousadas we stayed in.

What was the date of your tour?: 14-21 September 2019
How many tours have you completed?: 3
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: As expected
Who is this tour suitable for?: Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes
Countries included in this tour?: Portugal

5/5 Value
5/5 Included meals
4/5 Bikes + equipment
4/5 Hotels or boat
4/5 Scenery
5/5 Ease of navigation
5/5 Tour documents
5/5 Local tour company services
5/5 Route selection
5/5 Guides (if applicable)

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★★★★★ (5/5) Lieve v November 8, 2019

Amazing experience!

Castles and Wines of Portugal

This trip really was the perfect way to explore the region of Portugal. We saw the true heart of the country! The food and wine stops were amazing, the guide (Maria) was exceptional. Riding the bikes was a bit more challenging than anticipated due to the many undulating roads (stretched out hills and climbs), but it was a rewarding experience to have ultimately been able to accomplish it. The trip offered a wonderful mix of history and architecture, food and nature. Our only disappointment was a last minute change to the itinerary, which had us staying at a company owned farm for two nights, about a 20 minute cab drive from Evora. Part of the group had accommodations downtown Evora, which would have been much preferred for us too since the farm was in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do.

What was the date of your tour?: October 2019
How many tours have you completed?: This was the first one!
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: Somewhat harder
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes
Countries included in this tour?: Portugal

4/5 Value
5/5 Included meals
4/5 Bikes + equipment
4/5 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
5/5 Guides (if applicable)

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★★★★★ (5/5) Robert Alexander August 2, 2022

Great trip, great guides.

Castles and Wines of Portugal

Tons of fun (notwithstanding that we got COVID on the trip.

What was the date of your tour?: April 2022
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: As expected
Who is this tour suitable for?: First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes
Countries included in this tour?: Portugal

4/5 Value
4/5 Included meals
5/5 Bikes + equipment
4/5 Hotels or boat
5/5 Scenery
5/5 Ease of navigation
4/5 Tour documents
5/5 Local tour company services
5/5 Guides (if applicable)

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★★★★★ (5/5) Christy Porucznik September 28, 2022

Excellent way to see a part of rural Portugal

Castles and Wines of Portugal

It happened that my husband and I were the only ones on this self-guided itinerary. We were able to follow the provided maps and GPS tracks with the occasional assistance of Google maps. The lodgings were excellent, likely nicer than we would have selected on our own, and the provided breakfasts ranged from adequate to amazing. I should not have been surprised about the hills, after all, castles were built on hills, but I have never spent so much time in first gear. I was glad not to have my kids along on this trip because the cycling was sometimes difficult, and we had to ride with traffic sometimes. Other times were on eco-trails and quiet country roads, so it wasn't constant traffic stress, but there was some riding with cars each day. There was also frequent riding on cobblestone and bumpy village streets, could be tough on tender joints. The provided bicycles were not fancy, but they got the job done, and once we got into the rhythm of when people eat in Portugal it wasn't hard to plan for coffee breaks and lunch. It happened to be quite hot the week we rode, and the sun is intense without much shade for breaks. Overall the support and logistics were well done, and I would recommend this itinerary for someone in fairly good shape who is interested in wine, neolithic sites, castles, and spending time in rural Portugal. It was a shock taking the bus back to Lisbon at the end.

What was the date of your tour?: September 2022
How many tours have you completed?: 2
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: Somewhat harder
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes
Countries included in this tour?: Portugal

4/5 Value
3/5 Included meals
4/5 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
4/5 Route selection

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★★★★★ (5/5) Kenneth Crossman October 26, 2022

Portugal Adventure!!

Castles and Wines of Portugal

We enjoyed our ride! The vistas, the accommodations and all the people we met along the way were great!! Wish it had not rained our last two days, but what can you do. We were able to ride with our luggage the day it was unsafe to ride our bikes, which was very much appreciated. Overall, a wonderful experience.

Countries included in this tour?: Portugal

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★★★★★ (5/5) Dan Q. 11 months ago

First trip to Portugal, won’t be the last!

Gravel Biking from Alentejo to the Algarve

The local tour company was amazing! Checked in with us every day since we self guided. Bikes were great as were the hotels. We would highly recommend this tour for mountain bikers who who want less challenge or road bikers who want more.

Countries included in this tour?: Portugal, Spain

Gravel Biking from Alentejo to the Algarve

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★★★★★ (5/5) A. Anderson June 5, 2024

Fantastic service for a glorious holiday!

Custom and Private Bike Tours in Portugal

Biketours.com crafted our ideal cycling holiday in Portugal flawlessly. The route, dinners, and hotels surpassed our expectations, making for an unforgettable experience. We wholeheartedly endorse their services and eagerly anticipate our next adventure with them.

Countries included in this tour?: Portugal

Custom and Private Bike Tours in Portugal

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★★★★★ (5/5) Gail Skutezky November 8, 2022

Best bike trip ever - so much history! Beautiful weather

Castles and Wines of Portugal

The trip was very interesting, lots of very beautiful scenery, warm weather, we saw places that you cannot get to by car. An incredible marble quarry, beautiful cork oak tree forests and chromalechs you don't see from a car road. The cafes were so quaint and welcoming. The hotels were 15th century convents, and a beautiful farmhouse with animals, one night we stayed in a beautiful palace attached to a castle that you could climb.
The bikes were excellent. We had ebikes and they were very light. The food was excellent. The Portuguese love to please you!

What was the date of your tour?: September 24
How many tours have you completed?: 5
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
Countries included in this tour?: Portugal

5/5 Value
5/5 Included meals
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
5/5 Guides (if applicable)

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★★★★★ (5/5) Alex Anderson August 9, 2023

Great way to see a beautiful city on a bike

Porto Downtown & Sightseeing Bike Tour

Our guides were Porto locals so knew the town and its history inside out and backwards. We did a custom bike tour so got to see a bit more than usual which was all well worth it. If you are looking for a hotel recommendation, I can't recommend the Hospes Infante Sagres enough. It was one of the cooler old school hotels I've ever seen. When not on your bike, be sure the check out the nightlife along with its food and restaurants on both sides of the Douro River. We didn't get around to trying to some of the local port tastings (all of the major brands have huge cellars on the north side of the river) be had enough elsewhere. Also, there is a new shopping center on the north side of the river that we briefly biked past that is apparently also well worth seeing if you are into that sort of thing.

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★★★★★ (5/5) Tammi Sanchez November 2, 2024

Beautiful Bike tour in Terceira

West Side of Terceira Island E-Bike Tour

Beautiful bike ride through Terceira really enjoyed the route and small break at local cheese factory. Would recommend

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★★★★★ (5/5) Renee Beaupre June 26, 2024

Fun and amazing views

Terceira Island Mount Brazil E-Bike Tour

This tour is the perfect way to spend an afternoon. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and kind. It was fun, relaxing, and the views were absolutely stunning. Highly recommend!

What was the date of your tour?: June 25, 2024
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: Much easier
Who is this tour suitable for?: First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes