The Quiet Villages on the Mountains (Road Bike Tour /Landscape Tour)

• - 7-day Road Bike Tour with a Guide (*)
• - Transfers from and to Oporto/Lisbon Airport
• - Accommodations (6 nights): five 4* hotels and one 3* hotel. Double bedroom occupancy.
• - 6 Breakfasts
• - 4 nourishing and energetic picnics (*)
• - 6 Dinners (including our famous wines, our amazing cheeses and lovely desserts) (*)
• - Daily energy-bars and water (*)
• - Luggage transport from Hotel to Hotel
• - Documentation about PortugalBike Tour
• - Personal Accident Insurance and Liability Insurance.
• - First-Aid assistance on location (*)
• - Techno-Mechanical Assistance (*)
• - Permanent Backup Vehicle (*)
• - Scenic transfer on the National Park and Guided walk on a roman way. (*)
• (*) Not included in Self-Guided Tours

• 1. Cycling within the largest National Park in Portugal
• 2. Typical villages, its habits and traditions
• 3. The highest and one of the most typical villages in Portugal
• 4. Castles and remote santuaries
• 5. Roman monuments and many other ancient evidences
• 6. Cycling on the border and crossing to Spain at the highest border point
• 7. The delicious food and wine typical from the region
• 8. Breathtaking landscape
• 9. The Natural Park of Xurés (Spain)
• 10. Unspoiled Nature to be discovered

This is a gorgeous region and it is one of the most well preserved regions in Portugal still maintaining many Portuguese ancient traditions and the small and traditional villages made of granitic stones. The luxuriant vegetation completes this awesome scenario.

The tour starts in a small village called Casas Novas (near Chaves) where we can see several manor houses dated from the 17th and 18th centuries. We cycle along the river banks and the dam, and our way leads us to Vilarinho de Negroes, one of the most picturesque villages in the region and then to Montalegre, famous for its castle and its witch nights.

We go on cycling along traditional villages within the amazing luxuriant landscape of oak trees. Pitões das Junias, the highest village in Portugal, is a place to visit because of the breathtaking landscape around, its traditions and its people.

We cross the border to Spain at 1213m high and we cycle within the Natural Park of Xurès and visit some of its villages.

Our day without cycling is spent at a thermal hotel where you can relax or you can opt to take a scenic drive on the mountains that will take you to walk along the most well-preserved Roman road in Portugal, the Roman Military Road XVIII (Geira) which originally extended itself from Braga (Minho) to Astorga (Spain) and contains 250 milestones, used by the roman soldiers to measure the distances.

Our tour goes on to Peneda Hills and Castro Laboreiro where we can admire the walls of the old castle dated from the 11th century and located on the top of a granitic mountain and its Roman bridge.

We cross a forest of cedars and birch-trees which leads us to the Sanctuary of Senhora da Peneda. The landscape is amazing and the winding mountain roads take us to Lima valley and the land of Vinho Verde, the typical wine of this region.

We cycle along the river Lima to Ponte de Lima, admiring an astonishing view and luxuriant vegetation. Ponte de Lima is a beautiful small town whose name derives from the bridge (ponte) which was the only safe way to cross Lima river in the Middle Ages.

• Portugal
  • Alentejo

Special Discount for groups with 6 or more people.

Type: Road Bike Tour
Class: LANDSCAPE TOUR
Version: Guided or Self-Guided
Region of Portugal: Minho (north of Portugal)
Duration: 7 days / 6 nights / 4 days cycling / 1 day rest
Begin: Chaves (Minho)
End: Ponte de Lima(Minho)
Overall difficulty level: 4 (1-5)
Advanced. You are fit and in good shape
Distance: 236km (147mi)
Average: 59km/day (37mi/day)
Trails: 100% asphalt