The Atlantic Coast biking holiday route represents a week in the freshest, lightly salty air imaginable. A boost to both body and mind. As you cycle southwards from the Galician coastal region in the north, the beauty of continuously changing views over the vast Atlantic will impress itself on your mind and soul.
Taste both Galician and Portuguese seafood. Encounter latter-day pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago, with whom you share a few kilometres. Meet the nicest fishermen and their wives who will welcome you and enjoy sharing their lifetime experiences and customs.
Stroll through the fish markets and watch them as they work. Visit Porto, one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, classified as a Unesco World Heritage. Learn about Port Wine and the unique culinary dimension associated with it. Dance on saltpans and bring back some excellent salt crystals from there. Taste, smell, meet and bask in the sun as you cycle gently along this beautiful coast and allow yourself to daydream.
After a great day cycling, the night will cherish you with nothing less than the freshest air conceivable.
The Minho and Porto biking holiday will give you an almost surrealistic “change of scenery” experience. Starting high in the mountains area, you will literally cycle down to the Atlantic Ocean stretching before you as far as you can see. This land is also blessed by the Minho, Lima and Douro rivers, each of which will accompany you at one stage or another of your ride.
This is a proud land, proud of its maritime history and of the remains of the fortifications that helped keep the Spanish well within their borders. It is the land of fine mountain cuisine and, along the cost, a wealth of fish and seafood dishes, best enjoyed with a glass of Vinho Verde. Best of all, it is a biking journey that will put you in touch with some of the nicest Europeans.
Do take every opportunity to meet the local inhabitants: fishermen and their wives, farmers, the kind lady at the local shop; listen to the stories of the owners of your accommodations. Cycle across the ancient Roman bridge at Ponte de Lima, famous for its beauty and its importance to medieval pilgrims as they made their way from Porto to Santiago de Compostela. Enjoy biking through the North of Portugal at its most authentic.