We Have the SunSpecials

We Have the Sun 3.01bs

Your hotel for 7 nights and the daily starting point for your bike tours, is the Real Marina Hotel & Spa, a 5-star hotel in Olhão, city of fishermen and legends, in the beautiful Algarve.
With a fantastic view of the Ria Formosa Natural Park, one of the 7 natural wonders of Portugal and only 15 km from the city of Faro, this is the ideal hotel to get to know the eastern side of the Algarve.
Enjoy your active vacation without sacrificing comfort!

Overview

Self-guided bike tour by touring bike or trekking bike. E-bikes are available in both ranges

8 days/ 7 nights/ 6 days cycling

Start of the daily routes from the hotel

The daily tours average 40 km with 400 metres of ascent

It is possible to book one or more additional nights

Travel beginning is possible at any date

The routes are predominantly flat or slightly hilly. There are also some short steep climbs and descents. The routes follow mostly well surfaced side roads and some unsurfaced tracks

Holiday and bike tour description

Day 1 Arrival

You arrive at Faro airport and take a taxi to the hotel in Pechão. You will be welcomed by a representative of AlgarveCycling in the reception area of the hotel at the agreed time. Then the tour information will be given to you and we will answer any questions you may have. Your bicycles will be handed over to you and any necessary adjustments made.

Day 2/ Bike tour 1 black - 36 km/ 250 m of ascent

This tour takes you through the rural area of the Barrocal. You reach the coast at the seaside resort of Fuseta. The Barrocal region is renowned for its fruit bearing trees. Fuseta is a busy little fishing port with lots of small, colourful boats and a promenade with a number of cafes and restaurants. On leaving Fuseta you cycle through the Ria Formosa nature reserve. You continue on a very pleasant cycle path which takes you right through the nature reserve between the lagoons and the railway line. Here you can watch a great variety of aquatic birds. The sea salt (Salt Production) from this region is highly prized and is extracted from the numerous salt flats in this area.

Day 3/ Bike tour 2 blue – 40km/ 620 m of ascent

This ride takes you on minor roads through orange groves and other orchards to the lovely village of Sta Barbara de Nexe. On the way you pass the football stadium. Around late January or early February the almond trees are in flower and the whole area is covered in white blossom. The quiet village of Sta Barbara stands on a hill and affords you a beautiful view down to Faro and the Atlantic Ocean. The jewel of this village is the Gothic church ‘Igreza Matriz’ which was built in the 15th century and contains beautiful ‘azulejos’ – blue and white hand-painted tiles. Nearby there is a modern vineyard where you can enjoy some wine-tasting. The route then leads further uphill through the sleepy, unspoilt villages of Charneca, Palhagueira and Corotelo. From here you enjoy a great downhill ride through little hamlets with lush vegetation and return to your hotel via Estoi.

Day 4/ Bike tour 3 green - 40km/ 380 m of ascent

This tour takes you eastwards on minor roads and some unsurfaced tracks to Moncarapacho. You cycle through small villages and hamlets. Sometimes you will pass impressive Quintas with huge orchards of oranges and other fruit. You cycle through unspoilt countryside with a variety of plants and wildflowers and many evergreen carob trees. The route is quite hilly with occasional glimpses of the sea in the distance. Many parts of the route are on unsurfaced tracks which can be quite rough in places. Some of the tracks are bordered by stone walls which were built by farmers and replace the fences around gardens. Every now and then you will notice a Moorish well; some of these are still working. On the way back to your hotel you pass through Quelfes, the only village with newer buildings.

Day 5/ Bike tour 4 red – 38km/ 310 m of ascent

Today you visit Faro, the capital of the Algarve. First you cycle through the centre of Estoi, passing the village square with its impressive church, the “Igreja de Sao Martinho”. You continue on past the football stadium. You then cycle in the direction of Gambelas and Montenegro. The route takes you through a beautiful pine forest, and you then continue on a very good cycle path which takes you into Faro. Inside and around the walls of the old town there are lots of places of interest to explore, and several small cafes and restaurants where you can take a break and enjoy a snack or leisurely lunch. The route then follows the old city walls and then you return to your hotel along quiet country roads.

Day 6/ Bike tour 5 purple - 42km/ 470 m of ascent

Today you begin by cycling through Estoi and then you head uphill – an opportunity for quite a workout! At the top you will be able to catch a glimpse of São Bras, the town to which you are heading. Beyond that you will be able to see the hilly Serra region and also have a view of the valley which you must cross in order to reach Sao Bras. This area is again typical of the whole Barrocal region with orange groves and in addition a good deal of uncultivated land where many fruit trees grow and also the widespread ‘medronho’ shrub. This is the beginning of the area where the Cork oaks grow, and this stretches on up into the Serra region. From São Bras you enjoy a great downhill ride to Bengado and then continue on a mostly level road to Sta Catarina, where you can visit an olive oil cooperative with a small museum. You then cycle on a straight downhill stretch to Moncarapacho and from there back to your hotel.

Day 7/ Bike tour 6 yellow - 44km/ 400 m of ascent

Today you begin your tour as in route 4 but after passing through Torre the road divides and you cycle through the plain of the Ribeiro de Lourenço, an unspoilt river valley with lots of orange groves. You pass a beautifully laid out golf course and an area of thick bamboo before reaching the entrance of the holiday resort of Quinta do Lago. You then cycle into the middle of the river delta of the Ria Formosa nature reserve. The delta is an extensive area of branching lagoons and water channels and many salt flats. After cycling through the lagoon area, you will come to the edge of the airport, after which you skirt Montenegro and go through the small university town of Gambelas. When you reach the railway line the path ends. Finally, you reach the busy main road and cycle along it for a short distance and then you continue on your way back to your hotel via Patacão and Conceição.

Day 8 Journey back

Individual return journey

Details

Prices per person

From 01.11.22 to 30.03.23

Double 580€

THE INDICATED PRICES ABOVE ARE BASE PRICES PER PERSON AND INCLUDE:

7 nights in a 4-star/ 3-star hotel and typical Portuguese Pensions, double room with continental breakfast
Luggage transfer between hotels
6 carefully planned routes
Bike map per route with directions and elevation profile as well as useful information
Travel documents with a detailed tour description, information on sights and interesting facts on the routes
Personal welcome with briefing / meeting, bike handover and fitting
Phone/GPS holder
Service hotline Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 18:00, weekends and bank holidays only in emergencies

EXTRA PER PERSON/ BICYCLE RENTAL

Touring Bike, 28“ wheels, 24 gears, seat and front fork suspension, rack, 110€
Trekking bike, 20 or 27 gears, front fork suspension, disc brakes, 29“ wheels, rack, 140€
MTB bike, 29“ wheels, 20 or 27 gears, front fork suspension, disc brakes, rack on request, 140€
MTB Premium bike, 29" wheels, fork suspension, disc brakes, 165€
E-Touring bike, 3 el. levels, 9 gears, 28“ wheels, seat and front fork suspension, disc brakes, rack, 170€
E-Trekking bike, 29" wheels, 11 gears, 3 el. levels, central fork suspension, 7 gears, disc brakes, rack, 190€
E-MTB bike, 29" wheels, 11 gears, 3 el. levels, fork suspension, disc brakes, optional rack, 190€
Standard equipment per bike: Pannier (on request for MTB and E-MTB), bottle holder, lock, frame pump, repair kit, tire lever, spare inner tube, tools and reduction valve for petrol station pump; in addition for e-bikes: battery and charger

ADDITIONAL CHARGES FOR:

Transfer from airport to the Hotel in Pechão approx. 48€
Half board on request
In some tows visitor's tax/municipal taxes are due. These range between from 1.50€ and 2.50€ p.p. and have to be paid locally.
Guide 150€/ day
Taylor-made options on request
Upgrades, transfers, excursions, additional nights, alterations to the tours, etc... Please contact us and we will be pleased to advise you!

SIGHTSEEING: