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October 2019 in a pandemic-free world seems an age away. Reminiscing to keep the spirits up I would like to provide highlights of the self-guided cycle tour of the Alentejo... read more Castles and Wine that we took in those carefree days. Looking back it was bliss. It was an amazing route starting in Arraiolas (bussed there from Lisbon) we met Maria and Joanna at the old convent pousada and tested bikes and received our briefing. This is a fascinating little town which has a history of rug weaving/ embroidery dating back to the Moors presence in the 12th century, with an excellent museum. On to Evora with its Roman ruins and amazing walled city, and surrounding megalithic sites of awe. Tiny historic villages, some almost ghost-like were navigated and picnics eaten in the shade of the parish church in the central square. Obrigada-ing to the friendly locals. We visited a pottery studio in S. Pedro do Corval where the family has a connection to Best Cycling- such a friendly warm welcome. And then the steep climb up to the mythical Monsaraz to spend a precious night in the stars, wandering the narrow streets after the tourists had all left. Rode through marble quarries near Vila Viçosa and Estemoz. And lived like kings and queens in the pousada palaces. An amazing route through history, friendly people and accessible restaurants and cafes. Bikes never let us down, and the taxi delivery of our suitcases between rides faultless. The accomodation arrangements all perfect. All in all I wish we were back there again. Stay well Portugal and see you again soon. Thankyou Portugal Best Cycling.
19/11/2020We enjoyed a wonderful self-guided bicycling tour in the Algarve in August. Portugal Best Cycling made all the arrangements for the cycling trip from start to finish and everything was... read more perfect. We were a bit nervous because we were a group of three adults and two kids aged 12 and 14. We're not avid cyclists but we're up for an adventure. We reserved the electric-assist bicycles and that was the right choice for us, as it made the trip much more of a vacation for everyone. The bikes are very easy to use and the e-assist turned what could have been a physically demanding bike ride into a fun and easy ride. The route maps PBC provides are very detailed and easy to follow, with clear turn-by-turn directions for each day of the ride. For the most part, the rides were on very quiet rural roads (often dirt roads), with just an occasional few kilometers on a busier paved road. The scenery was varied but always beautiful. Sometimes we were riding along the coast, coming upon beaches or stunning cliffsides, while at other times we were inland and riding through sparsely-populated farmland or park land. The routes pass through towns at just the right time for a snack or lunch. We were impressed with the lodging as well. We stayed in a small inn, a medium hotel, and a very nice pousada. The luggage transfers were flawless, our luggage was always waiting for us when we arrived at the end of each day's ride. PBC provides the tools and supplies needed in case you get a flat or need to do other maintenance, and they were easy to reach by phone when we needed a little help tuning up one of the bikes during one of our rides. We would happily plan another self-guided cycling trip with PBC! …
01/08/2019I have been on many bicycle tours in Europe and this is top-notch! Teresa, Maria, Manuel and Andre are a wonderful tour guides with great personalities and very accommodating. They... read more go over and above to make the tour special and their first priority is your...More
Lwhcps
28/05/2019 -
I don’t know where to start but what an amazing trip. The landscape was great with cliffs, pine nut tree groves, pomegranate trees, salt marches, and of course great ocean... read more views. The small villages were charming with great people to go along with them. The Pousadas we stayed at were also fantastic. The picnics were great. The best thing however were my two guides Jorge and Mario. Jorge made sure I was fed and hydrated the whole time and Mario made sure I wasn’t getting lost especially since I was ahead of the group. We all had good conversations and most of the time we closed down the restaurants. Such a good group. I feel like I made some friends along the way. I highly recommend doing a week trip like this. It was truly unforgettable!!!! …
01/10/2019Quite literally, from the minute we met Jorge and Mario our fantastic guides, we were treated like royalty. Everything was about how my wife and I could have the best... read more experience in Portugal. Until our last day we had a ball and easily the best holiday of a lifetime. We did two back to back tours, Atlantic coast & Wild Algarve and can thoroughly recommend both. We saw the beauty of the Alentejo region and some of the best sights in the Algarve. We ate the best food daily. How the lads managed to provide varying picnics daily and also give us the opportunity to sample such a range of Portuguese food for the length of our tours beats me. The range of beautiful wines selected was spectacular. The bikes - excellent quality, 27 gears, much of my time spent in the granny gear! The guides - wonderful guys, interesting, humorous, knowledgeable, friendly. The scenery - spectacular. The picnics - unreal. The accommodation - we did select the upgrade and were delighted with the rooms and hotel facilities. The cycling - we felt really safe with Mario and Jorge, they prepared us thoroughly each day as to what was ahead for the day, they stopped before any serious hazards to warn us beforehand, we learnt such a lot of cycling tips for the off road sections. The admin - We found the handling of our booking to be excellent. With the changing government Covid travel requirements, our flights were cancelled twice, but nothing was too much trouble. Our hotels were all rebooked and alternatives sorted for those unavailable. This was all achieved without any hassle by the admin staff. The itinerary provided was detailed and the daily trips and routes well laid out and referred to regularly. We found no fault at all with this holiday. It was without doubt the best holiday we ever had, thanks in no small way to Jorge and Mario's efforts. …
27/08/2021We enjoyed a wonderful self-guided bicycling tour in the Algarve in August. Portugal Best Cycling made all the arrangements for the cycling trip from start to finish and everything was... read more perfect. We were a bit nervous because we were a group of three adults and...More
28/08/2019 -
Our group of six Canadian women completed this tour on April 28th after a week of wonderful riding on quiet country roads, including a stretch on the somewhat muddy eco... read more piste, which added a bit of variety to the riding. We were self-guided and found...More
Susan M
09/05/2018This self-guided cycling tour through the Alentejo region of Portugal was pure delight for us. From the tour operators to the route and unique accommodations we couldn't have been more... read more pleased. Anyone looking for a cycling tour in Portugal would do well to consider Portugal...More
Thebikebuddies
09/02/2019We had a fantastic time on our one week guided tour! Teresa, Maria, Andres and Manuel are the best! Rides on asphalt and dirt. Great info... read more on local history along the way. They took care of everything and accommodations ranged quaint villages to city hotels....More
Inspire210274
26/05/2019