Cycle Portugal - Lisbon to Algarve

The coastline is stunning and undeveloped. The route includes a significant amount of off-road paths. These allow you to follow the coastline more closely, see the marvellous views and visit the beautiful sandy coves. The off-road paths can often be tricky to navigate and I would suggest more suitable for an MTB bike rather than the standard hybrids supplied. The hotels are good, the ones at Sesimbra and Vila Nova de Milfontes being particulary good. We were lucky to have a great group of people to cycle with and were well led by Oriol. The buffet lunches supplied by Paulo were the best we have had on our cycling trips. Given the amount of steep hills and sometimes poor off-road paths, I would class this trip as "Moderate +"

Our guide and support person did an excellent job of meeting the needs of the group and worked seamlessly to make the trip very pleasant. Thank- you

Excellent time with group and our bike crew was very accommodating.

Trip included far to many stops largely based around age demographic of group caused by the number of e-bikes on tour. The stops meant not getting to beach spots early in the day. Daily trips probably should start at 8 am not 9 am for same reason. Afternoon rides were often better and covered larger distances at a good pace.

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.

Great trip, with excellent leaders who pointed us in the direction of some really good restaurants we wouldn't otherwise have found. The hotels were also lovely, and our picnic lunches were amazing!

The overall trip was fantastic. Our tour leader, Adrian, was energetic, funny, and well-informed about Portugal's history. He brought the country to life. Dejan, who drove the van and helped with the bikes, was incredibly kind. He prepared delicious picnics with local food. We had an incredible group of 16, which made the trip so much fun. I'd take a trip with Adrian, Dejan, and the others every year. So fun!

Explore could do a better job explaining what it means by a moderate cycling a trip. Unless a guest is a very strong climber, there are simply too many steep climbs. There is a lot of pressure on staying togther as a group. A guest who might have to walk up a hill partially 2-3 times a day will fall behind. Please encourage ebike use and please reclassify this ride as a moderate plus (3 plus).

Highly recommend this company. The trips are excellent!