Others

Organization of the program Accommodation, 7 nights BB, in double standard room Luggage transfer daily Porto airport transfers to the start and from the ending points of the programs in a car, van or minibus Per person: Hybrid bicycle, cargo rack, pannier bike bag, handlebar bag (one per two bicycles), lock (one per two bicycles), helmet, and disposable head cover Per group/reservation: Pre-paid mobile phone, toolkit, first aid kit, puncture repair kit, pump, and spare inner tube Per group/reservation: Gps loaded with the tracks and a roadbook with detailed information Overnight storage of bicycles at the hotels

Meals

All hotels with breakfast included

Accommodation

Hotels listed below or similar Castrum Villae Hotel * * *, Castro Laboreiro (Small comfortable hotel, mountain village location) Castrum Villae is a welcoming hotel at the cosy and typical village of Castro Laboreiro situated at 1000m altitude inside the Peneda-Gerês National Park. The hotel’s mountainous location makes it a privileged accommodation for those who want to spend some time in the mountain particularly in the Peneda-Gerês National Park, the most important protected area in Portugal. The hotel has 32 rooms and suites with air conditioning, satellite TV, internet, minibar and private bathroom. Guests can relax with a game of billiards in the leisure room or enjoy an aperitif at the bar. Manor House Solar de Serrade, Monção (Charming and romantic manor house, Vinho Verde wine producer, quiet location) This magnificent manor house from the Minho region dates to the 17th century and preservers all its charm and history from the architecture to the classic decoration and details. The 10 rooms are elegantly decorated with stone and wood that give a special and cozy touch, all with private bath, TV and heating and views of the gardens or vineyards. The family run estate also produces excellent Vinho Verde wines that the owners will gladly invite you to taste (optional). Strolls through the gardens or relaxing in the sauna are ideal for free time activities. Hotel Meira * * * *, Vila Praia de Âncora (Modern 4-star family run hotel beside the beach, pilgrim-friendly) Nestled among coffee shop and a bar, nearly a 10-minute drive from Moledo Sandy Beach, this pleasant 4-star Hotel Meira Vila Praia de Âncora comprises 54 rooms. The Meira restaurant and the pool bar are available at the traditional hotel boasting a unique location in Vila Praia de Âncora. Near a charming beach, the family run accommodation is set close to Fort of Lagarteira. The hotel is set in the heart of Vila Praia de Âncora. In these spacious rooms you can enjoy high-speed internet and a flat screen TV with satellite channels together with a mini bar fridge, coffee and tea making equipment. Providing a shower and a heated towel rail, the spacious bathrooms have a hairdryer and towels. An assorted breakfast is served daily at Hotel Meira. The restaurant menu offers a wide range of Portuguese dishes. Quinta da Agra Rural Guest House, Ponte de Lima (Charming countryside Manor house, traditional architecture, quiet garden and farm environment) Quinta da Agra is a private rustic manor house which foundation dates to the 16th century. The house faces the green valley of river Lima, with a relaxing rural scenario. A gate in stone gives access to the two houses restored with good taste and comfort. The owner will warmly greet you to his home and 7 hectares of farm including vineyards, secular olive trees and winery, stables, and small ponds. The house has 3 double rooms and 3 twin rooms, all with private bathroom and central heating. Guests can also enjoy the games room and swimming pool. Bagoeira Hotel * * *, Barcelos (Old town central location, good traditional cuisine, comfortable) Located in Barcelos historic center, right in front of the city’s main square this modern hotel is built inside the walls of a municipal heritage building. The 54 rooms have air conditioning, private WC, mini bar, Internet and Satellite TV. On the 4th floor is a lounge Bar with a terrace with probably the best view in the town. Also, inside the hotel is a renowned 400-year-old restaurant serving traditional Portuguese food such as “Caldo Verde” soup, a major soup in the national culinary traditions or “Rojões à moda do Minho” (pork meat at regional style). Hotel Brazão * * *, Vila do Conde (Historic building, centrally located in the town’s old quarter) The charming Brazao Hotel is located in a historic building of this fisherman’s town. The interior with its decoration and architectural details illustrates the town history. The hotel has 30 rooms, all with private bath, TV, air conditioning, mini bar and hair dryer. Relaxing at the hotel bar is an option or exploring the city, the beach and local restaurants specialized in fresh fish dishes. NEYA Porto Hotel * * * *, Porto (Charm and both historical and modern environment, riverfront) Located in the privileged location of Porto’s ribeirinha area and 15 minutes away from the airport, NEYA Porto Hotel embraces the Douro River edge. Along with the stunning view, guests will find the perfect retreat to escape routine, enjoy family holidays, do business, or simply have a relaxed weekend. The hotel, which faces the Douro River, was a previously historical convent called the Madre Deus de Monchique convent. The building was refurbished while respecting the abbey’s original architecture and preserving historical artifacts. Among the 124 rooms, guests will find themed suites that reference icons of the Portuguese industry, such as the Bordallo Pinheiro Suite, the Delta Caffés suite, Amorim Cork suite, porcelain by Vista Alegre, along others aimed at surprising our guests.

Transport

Day 1 Included shared transfer from Porto Airport to the hotel in Castro Laboreiro Departure time: 14h00 CET-1 Day 8 Private transfer from the hotel in Porto to Porto Airport. In case the customers want to stay longer at the same hotel or in other hotel in Porto, the transfer can be booked for the last day of their stay. In that case, there is no extra transfer within hotels. The transfer can be to other location within Porto, instead of the airport.

Not included:

Optional

Wine experiences featuring 3 visits and tastings. We highly recommend improving your passage from the Vinho Verde wine region with this amazing wine experience! It includes not one, but two visits with tastings at Vinho Verde wine estates, as well as an exclusive visit and tasting experience in a historic Port wine cellar. Special Wine & Dine package with 3 dinners. We are delighted to offer you a truly special dining experience! You will have the opportunity to taste the authentic flavours of the region with a 2 course meal accompanied by carefully selected wines. You will also enjoy a delicious dessert and a glass of port wine. Picnic package. Featuring: 6 light lunch meals to carry on bike in riding days E-Bike for 6 stages (subject to availability due to the limited number of E-Bikes)

Flights

Flights not included

Others

Guide and support vehicle (price on request) Meals not mentioned (optional) Insurance Personal expenses Other items not mentioned

Guide

Guide price on request

Insurance

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Castro Laboreiro, An Ancestral Village Inside The Peneda-Gerês National Park
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Castro Laboreiro, An Ancestral Village Inside The Peneda-Gerês National Park

Transfer by car from Porto airport to Castro Laboreiro, inside the Gerês National Park. As you are driven across the hills and mountains of the countryside, past extensive vineyards, you will observe small villages dotted here and there, like pieces of mosaic, on the distant hills. This is the land for recapturing your peace of soul; for leaving behind the hustle and bustle and stress of modern life. Without a doubt, cycling here will be sheer bliss. As we reach the Serra de Laboreiro mountains where you will spend the night before beginning your biking holiday, a hush descends over all as we slowly climb up to the village through forests of long-needled pines. This is a tiny hamlet with beautiful wind and watermills and just one old shop in the centre, the hub of village life, where we buy a few goods. That night, your accommodation is a large, old farmhouse with excellent facilities.
Day 2 Castro Laboreiro To Monção, Cradle Of Alvarinho, The Finest Portuguese White Wine
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Castro Laboreiro To Monção, Cradle Of Alvarinho, The Finest Portuguese White Wine

The first stage of your biking holiday is exceptionally beautiful, a pleasant downhill journey past the Spanish border, past a landscape of stark granite outcrops and few trees, across the northern regions of the Gerês National Park and into the land of the Serra de Peneda mountain range. The 72,000 acres of the Gerês National Park provide one of the last natural refuges for wolves and golden eagles. Don’t be too surprised if you come face-to-face with a deer or a wild boar! Continue cycling through totally silent villages where you will always find a kind person to help you find the road when needed. The community ovens where villagers gathered to bake their bread, some of them still in use, are fascinating. Particularly striking are the traditional espigueiros, the granite maize stores on stilts. By the time you arrive in Monção, the fortified town on the River Minho, you will understand why the Portuguese are so proud of the fact that the Spanish were never able to conquer them.

Stage 1 (short)

Difficulty level: Easy

Distance (Km): 45.4

Routes: Paved 100% | Unpaved 0%

Stage 1 (long)

Difficulty level: Medium

Distance (Km): 53.6

Routes: Paved 100% | Unpaved 0%
Day 3 Monção To Vila Praia De Âncora, Traditional Fishing Town By The River And The Sea
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Monção To Vila Praia De Âncora, Traditional Fishing Town By The River And The Sea

Today, you will travel eastwards, along the River Minho to the Atlantic Ocean. Your journey will take you through the demarcated Vinho Verde winemaking region and the vineyards that produce the dry white wine for which it is famous. Enjoy the elegant Brejoeira Palace which is still inhabited by the family, a leading producer of top quality Vinho Verde, and pick up a bottle of this wine for dinner. Along the route, you will cycle past landmarks of the battles between Portugal and Spain, especially the impressive 17th century stronghold at Valença and the Vila Nova de Cerveira fort. That evening, you will stay in Caminha, an elegant town strategically located at the estuary of the River Minho and whose history dates back to pre-Roman times.

Stage 2

Difficulty level: Easy

Distance (Km): 58.2

Routes: Paved 90% | Unpaved 10%
Day 4 Vila Praia De Âncora To Ponte De Lima, The Charm Of The Most Ancient Village In Portugal
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Vila Praia De Âncora To Ponte De Lima, The Charm Of The Most Ancient Village In Portugal

Cycling along the mighty Atlantic Ocean is an extraordinary experience, especially when the ocean is showing its friendliest face as you ride past fishing villages that appear unchanged for centuries. As you arrive in Viana do Castelo the peace and quiet is replace by the buzz of this lively city at the estuary of the River Lima. A must-see is the 19th century byzantine Santa Luzia Church on the hilltop overlooking the city.

From here you will cycle inland again, following the Lima river until you arrive in Ponte de Lima. The oldest village in Portugal, it is famous for its beautiful 24-arch Roman bridge famous and its importance to medieval pilgrims as they made their way from Porto to Santiago de Compostela. After arriving at your accommodation, a little outside the town, although you might be tempted to stop and enjoy the charming setting, we recommend that you first stretch your legs with a stroll around the picturesque city.

Stage 3

Difficulty level: Easy

Distance (Km): 46.5

Routes: Paved 70% | Unpaved 30%
Day 5 Ponte De Lima To Barcelos, An Ancient City And One Of The Most Emblematic Cities Of Popular Minho Art
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Ponte De Lima To Barcelos, An Ancient City And One Of The Most Emblematic Cities Of Popular Minho Art

Whether you are religious or not, following the medieval Portuguese route to Santiago de Compostela is a special experience. Possibly because one is so aware that this has been a pilgrims’ way for centuries and that so many have trod these paths with such fervour and dedication. It is a route that those who walk it still today, do so knowing they will meet challenges, experience great joy and forever learn the lesson of life. This is a pleasant, not complex, bike ride through cornfields and vineyards to the city of Barcelos on the Cavado river. The centre of the pottery industry, it is also of religious importance. You must visit the 13th century Mother Church. Every hour on the hour, you will hear the pealing of the church bells of the many parishes for which the city is famous.

Stage 4

Difficulty level: Easy

Distance (Km): 32.5

Routes: Paved 85% | Unpaved 15%
Day 6 Barcelos To Vila Do Conde, Traditional Old Town That Retains Its Small Fishing Port And Historic Buildings
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Barcelos To Vila Do Conde, Traditional Old Town That Retains Its Small Fishing Port And Historic Buildings

Today you cycle back to the Atlantic, a sight we genuinely look forward to. This is a 35 kilometre-long stage, so you can take some extra time to enjoy a great lunch, the Portuguese way: a leisurely, several-course meal that again reminds you why the Portuguese people are so proud of their cuisine. Of the finest nature, it can only be made by those who genuinely worship the wealth of what the earth has to offer. Vila do Conde is famous for its shipbuilding past, as we can see by the replica of a ship used during the Discoveries and built here. The city centre is dominated by gracious manors and small palaces. The importance of its fishing harbour is not just evident in the port. That evening, you will enjoy a wonderful seafood dinner in the town and a leisurely stroll along the beach before you go to bed, refreshed by the sea air.

Stage 5 (short)

Difficulty level: Easy

Distance (Km): 35.9

Routes: Paved 70% | Unpaved 30%

Stage 5 (long)

Difficulty level: Medium

Distance (Km): 43.7

Routes: Paved 65% | Unpaved 35%
Day 7 Vila Do Conde To Porto, Unesco World Heritage City, World-Famous For Port Wine
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Vila Do Conde To Porto, Unesco World Heritage City, World-Famous For Port Wine

The last stage of your holiday will take you on quiet cycle paths along the coast, through a sea bird reserve, along dunes and across fishing villages. It is remarkable how hard these fishermen (and their wives!) work and even more their good spirits. You are approaching Porto and you will soon enter the city via the estuary of the River Douro. This city, famous for Port Wine past and present, is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. A Unesco World Heritage City, its historic centre boasts more than 150 listed monuments. Still, as you meander on your bike alongside the River Douro, you cannot help but become aware of the gifts this city and this region have to offer. As we have said, a breath of calm, peace of the soul and a love of life.

Stage 6 (short)

Difficulty level: Easy

Distance (Km): 34.4

Routes: Paved 100% | 0% Unpaved

Stage 6 (long)

Difficulty level: Medium

Distance (Km): 48.9

Routes: Paved 90% | Unpaved 10%
Day 8 Porto To Porto Airport
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Porto To Porto Airport

Transfer to Porto airport.

End of the programme.

8 days tour

Minho And Porto Self-Guided Bike Tour - Green Portugal, From

This tour includes:

Not included:

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Minho And Porto Self-Guided Bike Tour - Green Portugal, From

Castro Laboreiro, An Ancestral Village Inside The Peneda-Gerês National Park

Castro Laboreiro To Monção, Cradle Of Alvarinho, The Finest Portuguese White Wine

Monção To Vila Praia De Âncora, Traditional Fishing Town By The River And The Sea

Vila Praia De Âncora To Ponte De Lima, The Charm Of The Most Ancient Village In Portugal

Ponte De Lima To Barcelos, An Ancient City And One Of The Most Emblematic Cities Of Popular Minho Art

Barcelos To Vila Do Conde, Traditional Old Town That Retains Its Small Fishing Port And Historic Buildings

Vila Do Conde To Porto, Unesco World Heritage City, World-Famous For Port Wine

Porto To Porto Airport

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