Cycling in The Real Algarve
7 Days Starting and ending in Sagres
Visiting: Portugal
Tour operator:
Tour code:
C06AV
Group Type:
Independent
Guide Type:
Self Guided
Age range:
18-99
Special diets catered:
Please inform Exodus of specific dietary requirements
Tour operated in:
EnglishActivities:
Tour Overview
The western Algarve, a land away from the touristy towns of the central coast, is an area of stunning cliff tops, quiet fishermen's villages and lush green interior. It's also a birdwatcher's paradise and whilst autumn and spring bring in the huge migrations, winter sees numerous endemic bird species. Winter is more akin to springtime in the UK, meaning you can enjoy the warm temperatures and beautiful beaches of the Algarve from October right through to May.
Highlights
Itinerary
Arrive at the wonderful coastal town of Sagres in time for dinner at the
hotel. *(Staying at Hotel Memmo Baleeira, Half Board)*
Day 2
From Sagres head inland, mostly following the Ecovia, a national cycle trail.
Pass shepherds tending their flocks before meeting the coast again in time
for lunch. The villages of Salema, Burgau and Luz have great sandy beaches
and offer rustic restaurants with al fresco dining; grilled fresh fish with
zesty lemon is a favourite dish. You end the day at Lagos and your
wonderfully atmospheric 4-star hotel. *(Staying at Costa d'Oiro, Half
Board)*
Day 3
Lagos is encircled by C14 walls - the stone work and architecture you'll find
hidden within these is a delight. Ornate churches date from the C13, and
tangled cobbled lanes lead to new discoveries around every corner. Visit the
new marina and the lively fish market (held daily), and join the locals for
coffee in one of the many bars. Popular coastal walks lead to Ponte da
Piedade lighthouse and from Porto de Mos to Luz, both offering outstanding
sea views. *(Staying at Costa d'Oiro, Half Board)*
Day 4
You have a choice of routes today, with both taking you along the promenade
at Lagos, before heading inland to Odiaxere where you can choose a shorter
option that has fewer climbs and takes you through lovely villages on winding
roads, giving you a real insight into local life. The longer route takes you
past the beautiful Bravura reservoir and pretty alpine-like hamlets and
meadows, meeting the coast in picturesque Carrapateira. Then it's on to
Pedralva, a village where each house has been restored to create individual
hotel rooms. *(Staying at Aldeia da Pedralva, Half Board)*
Day 5
Aldeia da Pedralva is a wonderful rural retreat and you could easily spend
the day relaxing in the village. If you fancy doing more you can follow one
of our routes taking you out along the cliff tops with great views of the
coast, or return to Carrapateira to visit the Land and Sea Museum and have a
leisurely lunch. *(Staying at Aldeia da Pedralva, Half Board)*
Day 6
There's two options today but both routes are fairly short allowing you time
to visit the lighthouse at Cabo de Sao Vicente and Sagres Fortress, built by
Henry the Navigator. The longer route is on off-road tracks passing holm oak
forests. Both routes give great views of the Serra de Monchique passing
through Vila do Bispo, a nice lunch stop with its beautiful 17th century
church. From Vila do Bispo head out across the Vicente peninsula to Cabo de
Sao Vicente and the southwestern tip of Europe before following the coast
road back to Sagres. *(Staying at Hotel Memmo Baleeira, Breakfast Only)*
Day 7
LEAVE SAGRES
What's Included
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Meals
6 breakfasts, 0 lunches, 5 dinners.
* All accommodation
* All continental breakfasts and 5 evening meals
* Services of your local Headwater Representative
* Route directions and maps
* Luggage transfers between hotels
What's Not Included
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Single supplements
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Visas and vaccinations
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Travel insurance
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Solo traveller supplement (where only one person is travelling on a departure date)
Accommodation
We have hand-picked three wonderful hotels all with their own charm. These include a modern 4 star design hotel perched on a cliff in Sagres, a 4 star hotel in Lagos full of Portuguese colonial charm and a hotel in Pedralva, where the village houses have been rustically renovated to create individual rooms. All hotels have pools with Sagres and Lagos boasting covered ones.
Food
All continental breakfasts and 5 evening meals.
The local speciality from the sea is the Barnacle Perceve, this is not
taken from the bottom of boats but the bottom of submerged local cliffs, it
is harvested by hand using a dangerous and traditional method,
which involves one of the two collectors dangling by a rope from the top of
the cliffs! They are a bit of a delicacy not too dissimilar to
mussels. Away from the sea the dried hams, salamis and chourico are as good
as anything that Spain or Italy can produce. The strange sounding
bread sausage Alheira is very good, invented by the Portuguese Jews during
the Inquisition to avoid persecution, bread and non-pork products are
used. Good quality meat is also on the menu, beef and pork are of a high
quality and lamb in season is superb. Vegetables are plentiful and with
big harvests of almonds and oranges, fruits are in good supply
alongside another local vegetable, the sweet potato.
The Algarve’s other surprise is the quality of cheese; from mild to
strong using cow, goat or sheep milk there is a great range of cheeses for
all tastes, Queijo de Cabra do Algarve, is a particular favourite.
Check out our Q&As
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Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
8+ ae people can join this tour.
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes
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Are airport transfers included in this tour?
Only Luggage transfers between hotels
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Exodus has been trading since 1974
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Exodus Adventure Travels allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform exodus adventure travels, 43 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Exodus Adventure Travels requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of exodus adventure travels charges.
Up to 70 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.