Portugal Self Guided Bike The Real Algarve Crossing

Tour Dates: Year Around

A pure adventure through the deepest soul of the Algarve.

An incredible cycling trip along Portugal’s southernmost region from the Algarve east side to Sagres. Reach Cape São Vicente, where the land ends and the sea begins. In the meantime, you can taste what the Algarve has to offer. Ride along valleys that harbor a variety of Mediterranean vegetation, clear water streams, and typical rustic villages. Explore the Natural Park of Ria Formosa, a lagoon system that extends over 60 km of the coastline and is home to hundreds of different bird species and wildlife. Discover the lovely Moorish town of Silves or the cliff side of Ponta da Piedade in Lagos. Nothing is missing on this trip, only you!

Tour Difficulty

  • Moderately hilly tour on paved roads, gravel bike lanes and gravel roads.
  • Hybrid and e bikes are best for this tour.
  • This tour can be arranged Jan – May and Sept. – Dec.  Summer months are quite hot.

Tour Highlights

  • Ria Formosa, a wild Paradise
  • Cape São Vicente- once known as “the end of the world”
  • Moorish-style architecture
  • Mediterranean nature and ocean landscapes
  • Traditional food and fresh fish from the Atlantic Coast

2026 Price: €1390 Euros pp double occupancy

Single Supplement: €690 Euros High Season Supplement (Easter week & June – October): €600 Euros per person Bike Rentals: Bike Rentals: Hybrid bike/ €220 Euros, Gravel road bike rental / €400 Euros, Electric Hybrid bike / €380 Euros, Electric Gravel bike / €675 Euros
Price Includes:
  • Pre departure information pack. (packing list, general travel information about portugal)
  • 7 nights lodging on double / twin room (breakfast included)
  • Arrival transfer from faro to first hotel
  • Welcome briefing
  • Personalized bike fitting
  • Digital information book made available before tour start (daily information, daily maps, restaurant recommendations, etc.)
  • Dinner included at the hotel on day 3 – set menu drinks excluded
  • Luggage transfer from hotel to hotel on every day of the tour
  • Departure transfer from last hotel to faro
  • Local support number (contact us during the tour for any kind of question)
  • Navigation app
Price Does Not Include:

Lunches, Dinners (Dinner on Day 3 included), beverages, City taxes

Itinerary

Day 1- Transfer from Faro airport to Tavira, the start of the tour. Welcome to the Algarve!

Welcome to the Algarve!

Our guide will pick you up and take you to Tavira. We recommend you take some time to explore this magnificent coastal town, its architectural heritage which harbors Roman, Arab, and Christian influences. Enjoy and make the most of your rest, as tomorrow, new adventures await you!

Day 2 – Bike Tavira Loop Distance: 38 km, Climb: 300 m

Cycle on calm and serene roads close to Serra Algarvia.

This amazing tour will start by going around Tavira, going inland you will pass small villages and ride along the old roads and rural paths, where you will cross a vast area of orange trees (it smells wonderful!). Discover “Pego do Inferno”, a peaceful place where you can admire a beautiful waterfall. Appreciate the different inland and coastline sceneries where even the smell is amazingly distinct. From the rural paths to the endless blue ocean, enjoy the ride back to Tavira and its beautiful sights.

Day 3 – Bike Tavira to Estoi Distance: 49 km, Climb: 400 m

Start today’s journey in Tavira and ride along the incredible Ria Formosa, one of the most beautiful natural parks in the country.

An absolute paradise for birdwatchers and part of the Natura 2000 Network. The views will be the highlight of the trip and provide some epic sights. When you get closer to Olhão, you will head inland and ride past small villages and once more cross vast areas of orange trees. Take a deep breath, pick up a ripe fruit and sit between the orange and green fields. The day will finish at a lovely rural hotel in Vale das Gralhas, where you will stay for the night.

Day 4 – Bike Estoi to Querenca Distance: 40 km, Climb: 700 m

On this day, you will head north and roll through the small ups and downs of the hills close to the Algarve mountain range.

It will be a challenging day that will be well worth the effort as there will be incredible breathtaking sceneries to observe. Along the way, visit the town of São Brás de Alportel, once the biggest cork-producing center in Portugal. A great selection of roads and trails will take you through amazing green Algarvean fields. Rich with Mediterranean flora and fauna, where you can invigorate your mind and soul with the pure, natural air. Finally, arrive at the typical village of Querença, where you will spend the night in a quiet and peaceful hotel.

Day 5 – Bike Querenca to Silves Distance: 65 km, Climb: 700 m

Another challenging day presents itself, where the hills will once again be there, but only to make it all the more rewarding in the end.

Start your ride in Querença and ride along the ancient and narrow roads surrounded by a landscape dominated by carob and fig trees. While on the way, visit the lovely hillside village of Alte, famous for its white-painted houses and freshwater springs. The all-year-round water presence adds a certain unique charm to the village. Close to the end of today’s ride, you can stop by Barragem do Funcho, a lovely dam connected to the Arade River.

Day 6 – Bike Silves to Lagos Distance: 51 km, Climb: 500 m

Today, you will arrive in Lagos, one of the oldest towns in the Algarve!

Cycle through a valley following the Odelouca stream. You will cross a rural area to the village of Odiaxere and ride south straight to the sea! Then, you will reach the incredible beach of “Meia Praia”, a long beach of fine golden sand all along the bay! You will cross a footbridge over the Bensafrim River and reach the cosmopolitan city of Lagos, which means lakes, from the Latin Lacobrica – one of the oldest towns in the Algarve.  Once, the center of the European slave trade, Lagos is one of the most visited cities in the Algarve and also a historic center of the Portuguese Age of The Discoveries.

Day 7 – Bike Lagos to Sagres Distance: 60 km, Climb: 700 m

An especially challenging day!

You’ll find a few hills and terrain variations while approaching the rugged cliff-lined coastline of Sagres and Cape São Vicente. Follow some beautiful trails along the coastline to Ponta da Piedade. When you arrive, you will observe a fantastic scenery of cliffs, caves and rocks with an interesting mixture of colors. The route continues west, passing through beautiful landscapes and quaint little coastal villages. Once you arrive in Sagres, you can check into your hotel or cycle the extra 6 kilometers to the edge of Europe, Cape São Vicente – the south-westernmost point of continental Europe.

Day 8 – Transfer from Sagres to Faro

That’s it! This incredible journey comes to an end…

Time goes by incredibly fast when you are having fun, but unfortunately, all good things must come to an end! Get ready for your trip back home. Our guide will be ready to pick you up at the hotel.