Porto to Lisbon Atlantic Ride

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We arrived in Porto a few days before the tour to enjoy the ambience of the city before meeting up with our group on 13 April 2025 at the Neya Hotel on Sunday afternoon! From the start of the presentation of what to expect over the next 5 days of cycling to the 2 final group dinners, this was an exceptional tour with an exceptional team of tour guides and we had the most incredible time with our fantastic group of 16. Joào Colaco's management of the rides, coffee breaks and lunch stops and post ride updates and what to expect the next day were perfect! I wanted to experience a cycle along the Atlantic coast enjoying the local cuisine and culture and this cycle checked all those boxes and then some! A surprising bonus was that the dinner recommendation for the 1st night was so good, we all opted in for the remaining dinner recommendations each evening as we could experience the most authentic local cuisine and unique locations in each of the towns!

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We rode from Porto to Lisbon, roughly 40 miles a day. It was a wonderful way to experience the coastal towns between these two fabulous cities. It did rain every day but with expert leaders we managed to navigate the rain and keep to our schedule, and still enjoy the stops along the way. I appreciated that the itinerary was well organized. The food was wonderful and Portugal is a beautiful country with a rich history that most international travelers are not familiar with.

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I did this trip solo in early April 2025. A gift to myself. And what a great gift it turned out to be. Exodus was great at communication, all questions and planning. Especially important as this was my first such trip and first use of Exodus. I now know why they are an award winning company. Our guides were simply the best! They made all 16 riders feel welcome and supported in every way. The routes were very well planned and the daily briefings meant we knew what to expect each day. Our guides shared their local knowledge along the routes and ensured we visited coffee shops, bakeries and restaurants that were authentic! And there was always time to savour the best Portuguese custard tarts. We were blessed with warm sunshine as we peddled our way along small villages, through forests, alongside lagoons and stunning coastal vistas. All hotels were very good. Fine accommodations! The route has a few challenges for sure for the average recreational cyclist but the pace, support and encouragement of our guides and our terrific group of fellow cyclists made it all enjoyable! A stand out feature were the two picnics provided by our guides via our collective group kitty fund. Delicious, healthy food and zero single use plastic. I’m already thinking about my next Exodus adventure and I highly recommend this Porto to Lisbon ride as a fantastic way to see Portugal up close.

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My second exodus trip in portugal and once again the food (especially the picnics) was exceptional. Not quite enough cycling to burn off all the calories from the pasteis de natas and other delicious pastries/cakes! The scenery on this trip was the best I have experienced on an exodus trip - on other trips I've found some great scenery interspersed with longer stretches on roads with nondescript views, on the porto to lisbon trip it was multiple stunning beach/cliff views with forest, boardwalk, bays and quaint villages. Hotels were generally of very good quality (worth the superior comfort level advertised). The start hotel was changed to the Hotel Vila Gale which was OK but could do with a refurb of the rooms (doesn't look as good as the planned hotel neya).

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This was a memorable trip. With torrential rain and gusting head and cross winds, our spirits weren’t dampened. Dinis, Teresa and Leonel were the perfect team, all dedicated to making our holiday special. The route was interesting and the pace comfortable with plenty of coffee shops in lovely locations.

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Excellent trip despite hurricane-like weather. Our team - Dinish, Theresa and Lionel kept everything moving along safely and timely and kept us motivated and encouraged in spite of weather. They worked together navigating difficult conditions and unexpected events - fallen trees on path. It was an adventure that I won’t soon forget!

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Another excellent holiday that could have been a real slog in the wet and windy weather but was turned around by the great Exodus support team. The overall planning of the trip was first-rate and its execution outstanding. The beautiful countryside, wonderful scenery and fascinating history was bought to life during our cycling adventure. Great hotels, restaurants and coffee shops ensured we stayed fit and healthy despite often being very damp and windswept!

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Sunshine, hurricane, autumn rain, glorious food, great company and the most wonderful guides. What else could one wish for in this diverse, friendly and scenically beautiful country. And the bikes were first class as well!

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Good week, well organised and with a wonderful group of people. Enjoyed all the hotels and the food, especially the picnics. Found the rainy days and strong headwind very challenging but really enjoyed the sunny days. Be prepared for all weathers. There were plenty of stops to catch up as I was going at a slower pace than the fitter cyclists and e-bikers. Great to see round Porto and Lisbon too.

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This was a perfect way to meet new people (you guys rock by the way) and see a new country. The tour was expertly organized and the guides made the experience all the better. While there was some 'cycling' to be done the pace was manageable and we still got time to relax and do a little scouting at each of our destinations in the afternoon. There were regular stops during the cycle which allowed us the opportunity to catch our breath and have a snack. At each stop we also got to see a little more of the area or interact with some of the locals. The logistics were all perfectly handled and each nights accommodation was great. The food was also really good and most of the restaurants we went to were excellent with the exception of maybe 2, however these in no way detracted from the tour getting a full 5 stars! If I could take this group and these guides to other parts of the world for similar tours I would be signing up immediately.

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The trip followed the beautiful coastal route, the hotels were excellent and the restaurants and food was great. The guides were perfect: considerate, helpful, fun, informative and extremely attentive to all of our needs. There was variety in the route as well, we rode through villages, along the coast, through forests, and through marshes. Like minded people tend to do this tour so many friendships were made along the way. I opted for the electric bike and never regretted the choice - I was able to select how much effort I wished to make and was therefore not intimidated by the climbs and was able to enjoy the scenery.

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Overall this is an amazing trip which is very scenic and on a lot of cycle paths. We were unlucky to get rain and a head wind for the first few days which made it more difficult. The hotels were great and the other people in my group were good company and supportive. Excellent organisation and support from three guides. I treated myself to an e-bike on the last day as my legs were tired.

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This is a wonderful trip! So many great sights from the two cities of Porto and Lisbon and all of the beautiful scenery in between! The coast is so scenic with the rugged cliffs and blue ocean

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My first Exodus trip and it will not be the last. In terms of route, hotels, distances covered, cycle paths etc the trip notes are completely accurate. We were an unexpectedly small group of 6 which gelled quickly and had huge fun, with everyone making a real effort. The whole trip was extremely well organised and well thought out. Wonderful coastal scenery and visits to some really lovely small towns and village. I liked the few hours of down time when we arrived at each new hotel.

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I did this trip in early June. Our route took us through a variety of gorgeous landscapes – cliffs overlooking the ocean, small towns with roosters crowing, a medieval town encircled by fortified walls, beach towns painted bright colors, pine forests, sand dunes, and marshes. I believe there’s no better way to appreciate that kind of scenery than by traveling on a bike.
We were a group of 16 guests – Americans, Britons, and Canadians – and three Portuguese guides. I traveled to Portugal alone and had a roommate assigned to me. She was lovely, and, really, all of us hit it off. I think this kind of trip attracts like-minded people, and the tour leader, Ruben, told us at our initial briefing in Porto that many of us would become friends. He was right.
The first night, Ruben led us on a walking tour to a port tasting. Afterwards, the group split in half and went to two different restaurants Ruben had recommended. After that, most of us had our dinners together till the end of the bike tour. The food was always great, thanks to Ruben’s recommendations. He always sent us to places with excellent hospitality.
All three of our guides were highly professional – well-prepared, helpful, supportive, friendly, accommodating, flexible, and organized. They kept us informed, entertained, hydrated, and roughly on-time. Every briefing was clear and succinct. We understood where we’d be riding the next day, what time we’d leave, and roughly what time we’d arrive at the next hotel. Ruben was a font of information about Portuguese history, culture, flora and fauna. He held forth on topics ranging from Portuguese royalty to the efforts of environmental activists following the devastating forest fires of 2017. Margarida was a strong cyclist and reliable sweeper, and clearly cared deeply that everyone had what they needed and enjoyed themselves. José drove the van with the bike trailer and reliably had our bags waiting for us in the lobby each time we arrived at a new destination. Every time we saw him he was smiling. They prepared healthy and delicious picnic lunches for us on a couple of occasions, and it was obvious they’d put a lot of thought into them.
Anytime there was a problem, such as a mechanical issue, our guides were equipped to handle it. One day, during a coffee break in Nazaré – we had a coffee break most mornings, which I loved – I watched Ruben fix the electrical connection on another guest’s e-bike after they had taken a small spill. I have a bad knee, so I requested an e-bike from the start. A few others decided along the way to switch to one. When we started in Porto, there were four e-bikes out of 16. By the time we got to Óbidos, I think there were 10 e-bikes. Portugal A2Z, which is contracted by Exodus to run this tour, has its headquarters along the tour route, so I guess that made it easy enough for our guides to switch out the bikes overnight on request.
Overall, this tour was everything I expected after reading the itinerary, trip notes, and reviews on the Exodus website. I found the price reasonable, the guides excellent, the scenery stunning, and the hotels clean and comfortable. I will always remember how much fun I had on this trip and the great people I met. I definitely plan to book with Exodus in the future.

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Pure class! A truly SENSATIONAL tour. Every care was taken to make sure that all the equipment, accommodation and schedule was of the highest quality ensuring that all the participants’ individual needs were catered to. The coast line is simply stunning and Armando’s local knowledge and investment in delivering personalised features ensured for a fabulous experience. The passion, pride and enthusiasm all the staff demonstrated in showcasing their country was tremendous. I would recommend this trip in a heartbeat.

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The bike trip from Porto to Lisbon was amazing. The Exodus team took care of everything, making sure we had the right equipment, transported our luggage efficiently, and most important made sure we had a great trip. Our Exodus team (Ruben, Margarida and Jose) were outstanding, providing local knowledge and helping bring the group together. By the end, we were friends as well as travel companions. I highly recommend this tour.

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I booked this trip only 2 weeks before & so happy that I did … I’d never been to Portugal & really glad that I finally have seen it by cycling .. Porto was beautiful & really wished as others have suggested that I could have come earlier .. the days on this trip were full on. we would cycle from one hotel to the next normally starting out at 9.30 ending at 4.30ish with lovely lunches each day paid for out of the kitty that is collected at the start of the week .. (75euro ) then a group meeting about the next days cycle & finally our group leader ( Ruben ) would book a restaurant for us. inevitably we would be back out the door for 6pm for drinks with eating around 8ish for those who wished to join … so very lucky with our group such a great bunch of people who were all very sociable

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First, a couple of days in Porto before the trip - what a fantastic city! Great energy, diverse people and buildings, fascinating and quirky places - and brilliant music, food, shops and markets!
The riding was gentle, with so many changing views of the Atlantic, sandy beaches, rolling fields, cliffs, woodlands and grassy swamps. Someone once likened cycling as being like a meditation - I definitely was there!
And cycling with such a bunch of lovely people was a joy - despite our varied backgrounds from so many different locations, there was a commonality in our outlook and spirit and humour - we made some great friendships and had such fun!
But it all worked so well due to three amazing group leaders - Armando, Ines and Marianna. Due to them, everything was so well organised - daily briefings, food snacks in beautiful locations, full scale lunches with amazing salads, lots of chats, gentle banter and laughter!
Lisbon was beautiful, we should have had longer - but then we have another excuse to revisit this wonderful country!
All in all, it was a Belter of a Trip!

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Very enjoyable trip. Varied countryside and wonderful coastal views. Good hotels and access to fab food and wonderful wines. Lovely to have a bit of time in Porto, Obidos and Lisbon. I would advise to arrive early and/or stay on to really get the benefit of being This is marked as a level 2 but has two parts that are definitely a 3, but it is all totally doable. The bikes are good and up to the task. Altogether I can fully recommend this tour.

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Well organized, well lead, and great way to maximize exercise, viewing and discussion of the northern coast of Portugal with a small group of likeminded travelers

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My 4th Exodus trip did not fail to impress.
Great scenery , good hotels , felt a little harder than the 2/7 rating
Fantastic Guide in João Colaco

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The trip was unavoidably very wet indeed due to unseasonable weather! The wind direction was also coming the wrong way the whole time which meant that instead of blowing north to south giving us a tailwind all the way it was actually blowing south to north giving us a headwind all the way!! This made cycling very difficult for those of us on standard bikes! As a result the tour guide said it was the hardest conditions that he had ever known. Act of God! On saying that, it was an extremely well organised trip and the time we had cycling was fun and full of good humour even though we were soaked to the bone most of the time!

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What a great trip. Two fabulous cities. Really nice hotels. Great cycle routes on quiet roads past beaches and villages. And a fab local team to guide us through.

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Although my fitness level is high my cycling prior to this trip was limited to Spin classes so I was a little nervous that the 55-60K per day would prove too demanding. I need not have worried - the pace was leisurely and extremely pleasant, mostly cycling on quiet roads and cycle paths beside the sea, and inland through villages and woodland passing rivers and lakes and always with plenty of time to appreciate and enjoy the often breathtaking scenery. I was impressed with the route planning and the timing/locations of coffee, lunch and viewing stops each day, and with the variety of our overnight hotel stops - and the fact that our bikes were always checked over, cleaned if necessary, and lined up outside the hotel ready for us to hop on each morning after breakfast, whilst our suitcases were spirited away to the next hotel and lined up ready for us to collect with our room keys on our arrival, with checking in all done. Excellent service! This was my first experience of holidaying with Exodus - it will definitely not be my last!

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A brilliant trip all round. The cycling, accommodation, food, bikes - all excellent. Variety of coastal roads, forest paths, villages. Good road surfaces. Liked the hotel to hotel cycling nature of the week.

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The ride, accommodations, and dining were superb. Armando Nava is an excellent guide who provided many insights along the way. Beautiful ocean towns and ocean sights. There was a nice north to south tailwind for the whole ride; you would not want to do it in the other direction! The Level 2 designation is appropriate. Porto, Lisbon, and Nazare are fascinating towns (cities) . Highly recommend.

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This was my third cycling trip with Exodus but the first one that is more or less hotel-to-hotel cycling, with only a bus transfer at the end to get to Lisbon. I loved that the focus was very much on cycling (as opposed to other trips that combine the cycling with lots of sightseeing) and the pace was nice and relaxed. I'm a pretty fit 40-year-old and, yes, I could've cycled faster and further and I still would've enjoyed it but for an active holiday that's not super-strenuous this was perfect. Since I loved the cycling so much I found the beginning of the tour in Porto and the end of the tour in Lisbon to be the least enjoyable. In fact, I think it would be better if the final day was a choice between a day trip to Lisbon for those who want it or an additional day's cycling around Óbidos. Most of us signed up for a walking tour in Lisbon, organised for us by our cycling tour leader, but for me this was definitely the most disappointing part of the whole trip since the guide just wasn't very good. In general, we were all left to our own devices in Lisbon and somehow it felt like an anticlimax after the five days' cycling togather. However, there were plenty of other positive points - the accomodation was of a very good standard and all the hotel breakfasts were delicious, the bikes were pretty good, and the cycling routes were a lovely mixture of coastal roads and forest paths.

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We had a well organized cycling trip. Our leader Rita C and her partner Denis were great!! The planned lunches were a time saver!! and they were healthy and delicious!!! We were a group of 15 cycling plus our guide. Good size for a group. Would not want it any bigger. Most of the cycle paths in Portugal are great!! We did come across some rough roads full of potholes and bumpy, good thing there were not too many of those!! There was a long board walk that needs several repairs. I commented on that in the last section. The coast of Portugal is beautiful to ride!! We also had amazing weather, sunny every day with a warm breeze. All of the hotels are nice except the last hotel in Obidos. I commented on that in the last section.

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refer to my comments hereunder

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From start to finish I was impressed with this trip. There is so much awful (non-existent) customer service around these days that it heart-warming to speak to real people who really cared and knew how to organise and make things happen to suit me. Only my flights gave me grief (BA was a cosmos away when it came to their customer service) and this was no fault of Exodus, who did everything that could reasonably be expected to resolve the issues. Well done Exodus and the guides. I will definitely be joining you again for some future breaks.

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A relatively short trip from Porto to Lisbon - only five days cycling but excellent nonetheless. It helped that I was with a terrific group of people who all enjoyed each other’s company and the tour leader, Cristovao and support driver Joao were probably the best team I’ve encountered on my many trips. The ride is fairly easy, with one ‘mountain’ and a few minor hills but an absolute doddle on an E-bike. The Atlantic coastal scenery was breathtaking and we rode for 99% of the time on secure bike paths. Portugese cycling infrastructure is very good and whenever we approached a small town, car drivers always gave way to cyclists - quite a treat after riding in the UK where many drivers treat cyclists as a nuisance. Some of the pathways were unmade - in other words, rocky and bumpy and the cobbles in town were a nightmare, although, in fairness, we only encountered them a few short times. We rode through nature reserves on boardwalks and through forests, some regenerating after recent forest fires. There were lagoons, rivers, lakes and a short ferry crossing. We spotted flamingos and storks nesting on telegraph poles and plenty of wildflowers and butterflies. But the beaches with dramatic waves were the high spot for me and it was glorious riding along for miles with the Atlantic in sight. All the hotels were extremely comfortable with varying degrees of facilities like kettles and refrigeration in the rooms. We ate out every night and enjoyed a variety of meals, not to mention wine. Unsurprisingly, Port is quite a feature and we went to a tasting in the first evening which was included as part of the trip. We had two picnic lunches provided by Joao which were really sumptuous and it was hard getting back on the bikes after over indulging. (It wasn’t mandatory, but the food was so good…)

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A very good trip with excellent guides. Weather was not as good as expected but very enjoyable. Hotels were good and food recommendations by our guide were also excellent and memorable. All except for the last hotel and the dinner. Not up to the Exodus standard.

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We apparently had the worst weather, ever, for this cycle trip along the Atlantic coast of Portugal. After a year without rain in the region, we found ourselves fighting rain and high winds for a good portion of the tour. However, our group had a great time due, in large part, to our amazing team of Ruben, Armando and Tiago. In spite of the weather, they helped us to enjoy the amazing scenery, food and people of Portugal! They were extremely well organized and flexible when the weather was bad - even arranging to have downpours while we were inside having coffee/lunch :) The kitty system for lunches was brilliant and the food was varied and delicious. Cycling was more difficult than expected due to conditions but still pleasant, for the most part on separated cycle paths and quiet country roads. With the exception of the Literary Man in Obidos, accommodations and dinner recommendations were excellent. Will definitely return for another bike trip to experience Portugal in the sun!

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This was my 10th overseas cycling trip and none were better than this one-the scenery, food, accommodations ,the local people, the ride-all of exceptional quality. A top experience on these trips though depends on the cohesion and dynamics of the group and the interaction with the Exodus team-in this regard we were exceptionally fortunate as the entire group quickly bonded and we all clearly enjoyed each other's company. The nationalities ( 10 Canadian and 6 British ) mixed perfectly- all good ,cheerful people intent on having a great holiday.

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This trip was absolutely amazing! I can't think of a better way to experience a beautiful country like Portugal. The people were friendly, the views breathtaking and the food, coffee, wine and beer were amazing. Our guides, Ruben and Armando were excellent. They were organized, knowledgeable and enthusiastic and went out of their way to provide us with an exceptional experience. I chose to ride a regular bike and would recommend choosing an e-bike if you are not an avid biker, regardless of fitness level.

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Loved every minute of this trip. Glad I had an e-bike. Was able to bike manually most of the time but liked the ebike for the hills. Ruben was a fantastic guide, so positive, enthusiastic and informative. And Armando the van man fed us all very well and researched and accommodated for all the allergies some of the other riders had. Highly recommend throwing in extra for the lunches. Most of the ride was on paved cycle paths which made for an excellent ride. Best way travel this beautiful country❤️

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It's incredible that you can cycle along the coast from Porto to Obidos on mostly cycle paths. The views are great for the most part. It's a shame about the destruction of the once beautiful pine forest by fire. The 5 km hill on the 3rd day was quite a challenge and several experienced cyclists in our group felt that this trip should be rated higher than it is. (There were a few other challenging hills in subsequent days). Our group always had the opportunity to ride in the van and e-bikes were available for an extra charge. Breakfasts and lunches were very good. Our van driver put on wonderful picnic spreads for us. All in all this is a great trip with a reasonable length of 5 days cycling. I felt most of us were 'done' by day 5. If you can add some days on at the beginning/end to relax and enjoy Portugal.

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Wow! What a ride. The BEST way to check out a country and see the people and natural landscapes from ocean front to the hills. Everything was so organized (thanks, Exodus!) and our tour guides Ruben and Amando were excellent. Our bikes were new or in like-new condition. We had 15 very satisfied cyclists on this ride, who want to do another❤️

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Trip May/June. Cycling generally leisurely with only one notable hill. Route follows the coast on quite roads and/ or cycle lanes for much of the way. (Poor road surface on one day) Hotels generally good 4 star quality, cafes and lunch / picnic stops were an excellent mix with evening meal venues being fantastic quality.

Rubén’s and Rogerio were excellent guides who were very knowledgeable, helpful and good company, just a pity they had no control over the unusually inclement and windy weather. Recommend the trip.

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Well crafted trip showing off Portugal’s rural and unspoilt Atlantic coast

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This was a great trip. Ruben our leader/guide was excellent - enthusiastic and knowledgeable. The scenery, weather (end May), hotels and food were all super - and the cycling was fun and not too strenuous for people who regularly cycle. The distance cycled was about 40 miles a day which meant not too early a start - and adequate time in the evening to visit most of the places where we were staying, and have a good meal. Ruben's recommendations for evening meals were ideal. The group were also lucky to have Rogerio as the driver and support, who was always keen to help in any way. A really enjoyable holiday.

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A fabulous trip with brilliant Portuguese guides. Reuben, the lead guide was outstanding and his team had a genuine passion for their country which was truly infectious. Nothing was ever too much trouble. The cycle paths meandered their way through beautiful pine forests, villages, coastal areas and farms. The pace of the trip is relaxed but their were also many opportunities to cycle faster and the guides were very flexible. The restaurant recommendations were all excellent and the Portuguese people were most welcoming. The perfect trip if you want to cycle 35-40 miles per day on fairly flat terrain using cycle paths - you won’t find better guides! Thank you Reuben, Christofe and Rogerio.

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It was a great tour along Atlantic coast with good weather, many good views, excellent guide and driver and great&fun group.

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Fantastic week of cycling, sightseeing, good company and excellent guiding in coastal Portugal.

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This trip was an amazing experience with absolutely stunning scenery, around every bend was a picture postcard view of the ocean. The guides were excellent and their spoken English was great. This being my first premium trip I was very impressed with the hotels and watching the sunsets over the Atlantic from our hotel balconies and resteraunt tables was a highlight for everyone. The cycling was a bit harder than I anticipated, the trip is graded a two but is as hard / a bit harder than the indochina trip I did earlier in the year which was graded as a three. The first few days are definitely leisurely, but on later days there are a couple of hills one long climb and one short but steep one, the last day is more undulating. I wouldn’t let these put you off though they are manageable by anyone that’s done a bit of prep or cycles regularly and there’s always the van or an ebike. The bikes were trek dual sport 3’s and were excellent hybrids with hydraulic disc brakes giving confidence on the way down. The trip was mainly on excellent quality cycle paths with only a limited amount of road riding to link them together. We were generally in the hotel for 330 each day with most starts about 930

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This is a pleasant cycling trip but as some reviewers have previously highlighted despite the grade 2 we were often arriving at the hotel about 5.00pm or later and so we didn't have much time for relaxation off the bikes. This was not too much of a problem until the arrival in Obidos which is worthy of some time to look around. There are some diversions from the original route following the devastating fires in 2017. Generally good hotels are used, The Literary Man in Obidos is very interesting and quirky.

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Portugal is a beautiful country and cycling along its coast felt like I experienced all it's best parts.

Cycling: This is rated correctly at 'moderate' because of the hills. However it is a comfortable 'easy' ride for the average fit person. I don't ride a bike at home and felt this was very doable. I really enjoyed how the cycling increased in time on the bike and pace as the trip progressed. From the first day where we took it easy, stayed together as a group and didn’t go too far a distance, to the last day of rolling hills, go at your own pace (fast or slow) and longer distances. Since you are travelling as a group it is to be expected that sometimes you will be waiting for the last person. But it is nice since, you can have yourself a little snack and coffee while you wait a lot of the time. Plenty of opportunity to take your time or even ride in the support vehicle if you aren’t up for the hill that day. I took advantage once myself of the ‘free’ ride.

The ride is on mostly flat, or rolling, paved bike paths, through forest and coastal towns. We spent little time on roads and if we did they weren’t busy. Since it is a cycling trip the majority of your day is spent on the bike or ‘in transit’. Sightseeing in the towns you stay in is limited but a part of the consistent paced itinerary.

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Good cycling beside the Atlantic Ocean. Blue sky and sunshine with wind behind us. Lovely hotels, great beaches and lots of surf. Nice bikes, and fun cycling.

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Lucky that we had a late Oct ride with 25 C temperatures.

Great guides and well working bikes.

The mostly flat terrain was pleasant and interesting.

The meals were excellent, like a gastronomic tour!

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Who could ever have imagined just how fantastic a week long experience cycling (plus laughing, drinking,eating, talking and laughing a bit more) from Porto towards Lisbon would turn out as a new group assembled , on time (in house story), in Porto on Saturday September 22. For me - well I had one of the great experiences of my life and I could say the same for my wife , Ali.

There was a sense of apprehension at the initial meeting but most of that pretty quickly dissolved as we went on our tour of Porto (on foot) and then to our first dinner. We quickly realised we had a great team - and to make a great team we had to have great leadership. That we did in Jaoa ( Zoom Zoom) and Oscar - absolutely brilliant and more on them later.

The tour was everything ('more or less' - there is a story there) we could have hoped for - scenic even breath-taking at times, a huge variety of different landscapes from coast to farmland to colourful villages and picturesque lakes and seaside towns, mainly very good surfaces but nothing un-expected, great accommodation, great camaraderie and ultimately friendships and very good equipment. The tour was, as advised, mainly flat with a couple of good challenging short hills which did take a good bit of energy.

If you have reasonable fitness (e-bikes are always available if you want) and enjoy the benefits of good exercise, connecting with new acquaintances and being blown away with scenery this is a 'bucket-list' trip for you. And, to finish in the castled town of Obidos (yes, with a bit of final climb - 200-300 metres - 'more or less eh Jaoa') was a wonderful experience as was the time to enjoy that fantastic city of Lisbon when we arrived there by bus for our final day.

We will never forget our week long cycling experience on Portugal for all the very best reasons!

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We had an excellent cycling holiday with great leaders and a very sociable group of fellow travellers.

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Great ride. Most is on mostly flat, well maintained, paved bike paths, with little riding on roads. Going in late October meant that when we were on roads they were almost traffic-free and the lovely coastal villages and beaches en route were tourist-free. This summer Portugal experienced many forest fires and a day of cycling through charred forests was unavoidable. It was interesting to see, first-hand, the unfortunate devastation that we had all read about in the news. Regeneration will begin quickly, I'm sure. Marco was an excellent guide and we were fortunate to learn a lot as a result of his excellent knowledge of the history of Portugal. The picnic lunches were a highlight, the group was great and I had a wonderful holiday.

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This was my 7th cycling trip and biking was a great way to see this region of Portugal. The route is mostly flat with the occasional steep but short hill.. The views while cycling along the coast were beautiful. Our cycling group was a lot of fun and the pace was perfect such that we enjoyed a relaxing time at coffee stops (always near a beach) and got into the next town/city in time to explore a bit. The weather was perfect for cycling and we had no rain on the trip.

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This was our 6th cycling trip and one of the best,we usually do moderate but this time did leisurely to moderate,thought it might be to easy but there was a couple of challenging hills,hotels were very good,trindade hotel in Porto advertised a rooftop bar but there wasn't one,another hotel had a rooftop bar but was closed for the season bit early I thought. Our guide Pedro and our driver jaun were excellent nothing was too much trouble ,super trip .

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A fantastic week riding through beautiful coastal scenery, with fantastic accommodation and excellent food.

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Helpful, efficient and polite member of staff dealt with my booking.

3 Apr 2025

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Excellent customer care and a fantastic holiday. I went on this Headwater holiday with a friend but as soon as I got home my husband and I have booked a Headwater holiday for the new year. I have been telling my friends about my wonderful trip with Headwater.

1 Nov 2024

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Friendly and well informed

14 May 2024