Faro Tours in Spring

Our Lisbon to Faro cycling trip started on May 11th and ended on May 18th 2025. The weather was mostly clear and warm with little wind. The trip is rated as "moderate" and according to most members (who were all in the 55-70+ age range including me as a reasonably fit 73 year old) we agreed the trip was more of a "moderate plus plus". But we all proudly made it, and came away with a unanimous thumbs up for our guide Dejan, and our support driver/logistics pro, Pedro. Dejan took great pains to make us feel comforted, included and informed. His unfailingly patient, friendly demeanor created great trust among our group. He oozed quality leadership skills and obviously enjoyed our company. Pedro, our support driver is the Buddha. Calm, smiling, efficient, helpful and resourceful. Almost every day he shopped locally and drove ahead to set up a varied and bountiful picnic lunch spread ahead of us when we most needed it. Hotel accommodations were clean and appropriate. Where bus transfers were needed to drive from one trailhead to another, they were well organised and prompt. The route was 80% good quality pavement, while the other 20% was a mix of either gravel road, broken pavement, or busier, 2 lane secondary highway. Vehicles passing us on the roads were respectful and I felt safe. Scenery ranged from hilly pastoral to stunning shoreline cliffs. All in all, smooth execution and great value for the money - highly recommended.

I cannot Express enough gratitude to Dejan and Pedro for looking after the group and delicious food they provided. The itinerary is really well thought through and stunning beauty of Portuguese coast will stay with me forever.

Rocio enthusiastically led our days, well briefed and always friendly. Tavira great base. Hotel good location to restaurants and the Porto Novo train station. Visited museum; Islamic museum and Fado. Great selection of restaurants. Great food especially fish at vfm prices. Walking varied and challenging , yet enjoyable.

An exceptional tour with Ester, the most proactive, professional, friendly and helpful guide ever. She made everything a delight. The scenery was extraordinary, the routes varied each day, and, in general, pretty easy to navigate. Ester was quite vigilant in areas that were challenging. When I had a challenge with my toe, Ester came to the rescue with a pair of toe socks - something I’d not heard of before (do take note as it would be wise to bring a pair). Things like this could have taken my holiday in different direction. Each night we were taken to a wide selection of fabulous restaurants. The family run hotel had simple, clean, and highly functional facilities. Breakfast was very good. Highly recommend.

Great trip, well organised with varied walks and the walking well matched to the grading. Really enjoyed the variety of options for dinner in the evenings too. Friendly comfortable hotel and most of all, a great guide. Ester was friendly,helpful and well organised and very much a part of the group.

This is my third trip with Explore. I really love this company. I get to meet amazing travellers from around the world who are all eager to have an immersive time. I especially like the guides. They are all incredibly positive, patient and knowledgeable. I think people underestimate how much work it is to be a guide. They have to be attentive and responsive at all times. Rocio was our guide for the Walking in Portugal trip. I learned so much from her! She has a deep knowledge of Portugal (historical, cultural and local habitat). Tavira is a wonderful village and the surrounding area was perfect for our daily walks. We also lucked out with beautiful weather and the spring blooms.