Tour Highlights
1. Cork oak trees and Olive trees 2. Dolmens and Menhirs more than 10.000 years old 3. Winery - guided visit and wine tasting 4. Almendres Cromlech and Xurez Cromlech 5. The white Medieval Village of Monsaraz on the top 6. Beautiful fields with wild flowers in the Spring 7. Évora - a World Heritage town classified by UNESCO 8. The biggest pottery center in Alentejo 9. Beautiful, white marble quarries 10. The Highest Anta in the Iberian Peninsula (pre-historic monument) This is a land of unimaginable heritage. The tour will take you along the remarkable traces of ancient cultures: dolmens and cromlechs, Roman and Arab vestiges mingling with the most recent signs of Christianity of which the numerous medieval castles are but one example. You will ride alongside vast wheat-fields and vineyards where intense green and golden colors are the main characteristic of the plains in Alentejo. One of the most typical sights in this region is a vast field with some cork trees here and there and the herds (sometimes sheep, sometimes pigs or cows) usually enjoying the shade of the trees. The villages with their whitewashed one-floor houses are a picturesque landscape in Alentejo. You will have the opportunity to visit Evora, which is classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, and some other beautiful villages, such as Estremoz, Vila Vicosa and Monsaraz. The people here are very proud of their heritage and they preserve the ancient buildings and also the ancient practices. This is a region that has a very rich handicraft tradition – pottery, embroideries, hand-painted furniture, wrought-iron works, etc. The local gastronomy is varied and quite tasty and perfectly matches the famous local wines. This is a tour where the quietness and silence of the endless landscapes invite us to share nature in a rural environment and socialize with the people that live and work there. This is a spectacular tour characterized by moderate physical and technical difficulty and it takes us to the most ancient vestiges of our history and heritage. Distance: 201km. Average: 50km/day (31mi/day). Technical Data Type: Hybrid Bike Tour Class: HISTORIC TOUR Version: Guided Region of Portugal: Alentejo (inland) Duration: 7 days / 6 nights / 4 days cycling / 1 day rest Begin: Santiago do Escoural (Alentejo) End: Reguengos de Monsaraz (Alentejo) Difficulty level (1-5): 3 Intermediate. You must be in good shape Distance: 190km (118mi) Average: 48km/day (30mi/day) Trails: 72% asphalt – 28% dirt-roads Tour Itinerary: Day 1: Arrival. Welcome at Lisbon airport. 1H30 drive to Santiago do Escoural, briefing about the tour followed by dinner. Lodging in a Bed & Breakfast unit that includes all the modern facilities and gives you all the comfort and cosiness. Day 2: On the trails of the Dolmens and the Cromlech – 49km (31mi), level 3. After breakfast we ride along the beautiful flowered fields of Alentejo where we find several Megalithic monuments dated from 5000 to 10000 years ago. Picnic on the way. Lodging in a 4* Hotel with swimming-pool, located in the middle of the historical center of Évora, next to the 14th century city wall. Day 3: FREE day. After breakfast visit to Évora, Classified as World Heritage by UNESCO. Lodging in a 4* Hotel with swimming-pool, located in the middle of the historical center of Évora, next to the 14th century city wall. Day 4: Cork Oak Trees and the marble – 51km (32mi), level 4. After breakfast we learn everything about cork trees and cork. We ride towards Estremoz, the land of wine and marble. Picnic on the way. Dinner with the group. Lodging in a beautiful manor house (Bed & Breakfast) converted into a 3* design hotel. Day 5: The pure and beautiful marble of Alentejo – 38km (24mi), level 2. After breakfast we ride towards Vila Viçosa and visit the Marble Museum. The landscape shows us vineyards, olive groves, montados (a field of cork trees) and marble. We visit a quarry. Picnic on the way. Dinner with the group. Lodging in a restored 18th century building in the historic center of Terena, 50 meters from the castle (Bed & Breakfast). Day 6: The medieval village of Monsaraz – 52km (32mi), level 3. After breakfast we ride towards more megalithic monuments and we get to the whitewashed medieval village of Monsaraz on the top. We visit a pottery workshop and visit a winery and taste the wine. Picnic on the way. Dinner with the group. Lodging in Rural 4* hotel with swimming-pool, that offers us a peaceful and quiet atmosphere. Day 7: Departure. After breakfast transfer to Lisbon airport. 2H30 drive to airport. Member discount: Notes: The price includes:
Also see tour packages in: Europe Portugal Outdoor: Land Rambler Bicycle Touring Cultural Journey Email it to a friend: Click here to email this vacation to a friend |
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