BIKE TOURS IN PORTUGAL FOR EXPERIENCED RIDERS

We chose the Marvao to Evora self-guided 5 day ride recommended by friends in New Zealand. Marvao proved to be a delightful hilltop town near the Spanish border where we explored the town and castle and ate fabulous food at Fago restaurant before starting the cycle the next day. All the upgraded accommodation was outstanding with beautiful pools which we certainly needed when arriving after days riding in 36 degree temperatures. We decided not to do the optional final day loop ride Evora-Evora as it was still so hot and we enjoyed our day wandering around the medieval town. Some days were a little longer than we expected – it pays to carefully check your schedule before you start. Overall a fabulous experience riding on fantastic, safe roads through gorgeous scenery – fields of cork trees, acres and acres of olive plantations, grape vines, wafts of wild roadside fennel, interesting towns plus we ate fabulous food. Live Love Ride provided us with great bikes (both conventional & eBike), and a very efficient service transporting us to the start, moving luggage between hotels and a final transfer back to Lisbon from Evora. The highlights from our Alentejo bicycle tour were staying at the fantastic Sao Laurenco do Barrocal farm hotel and riding up to Monsaraz the next morning to view Europe’s largest man-made lake, before continuing on to Evora. Highly recommended.

We had a wonderful week on the Alentejo wine country bike tour. The programme itself was excellent – we loved all the places we visited – the accommodation was outstanding – so unusual – and the towns and villages all so beautiful. The rides each day were great fun – challenging, but manageable, and the reward at the destination – reaching the beautiful town or seeing the magnificent view were always worth it. Lovely scenery along the way, good roads, fun coffee stops. Our guides Rodrigo and Luis were both super guys – we couldn’t have asked for better – not only efficient and organised, but so friendly and always helpful and patient when dealing with any request from anyone, and just fun people to be around! They took us to lovely restaurants, different every time, and we all really enjoyed the delicious Portuguese cuisine and wine! It was a lovely week, a great experience from every angle, and the beautiful weather in Portugal is just a bonus! Planning on doing the Douro bike tour next year.

Our group of four senior riders just returned from a wonderful biking adventure in Portugal and Spain, riding from Porto to Santiago de Compostela with Live Love Ride. Once we realized that the full bike trip might be beyond our abilities, Pedro, Rodrigo and Jonas customized the daily rides to better suit our comfort level while maintaining the overall flavor of the experience. Our guides, Rodrigo and Jonas, went in advance to create an appropriate route and Pedro arranged for three out of four of us to have e-bikes, the perfect solution. We came away with great respect for the company’s eagerness to individualize the experience and satisfy their clients. LLR uses well located, quality hotels, Paradors and Posadas and chooses restaurants that provide a sampling of local flavor and foods. Rodrigo’s knowledge of wine was a bonus at each meal. Their primary goals were our safety and our enjoyment. One of the highlights was getting to know our terrific guides, Rodrigo, Jonas and Pedro, and benefiting from their personal experiences and knowledge about the culture and beauty of Portugal and Spain. Thanks for a memorable week and for your positive attitudes.