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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.
19/11/2020Castle and Wine Self-guided Tour May 2018. This was my husband and my fifth self-guided bike adventure and though I have very few complaints about any of the... read more companies we have used, Portugal Best Cycling truly had the best customer service over all of the...More
19/06/2018We did the self-guided tour along the coast, and enjoyed every bit of it! Portugal Best Cycling made it possible for us to experience a wonderful and unforgettable holiday, complete... read more with gorgeous scenery and fun and active adventure. Thank you Portugal Best Cycling! We recommend...More
05/05/2018 -
Wow! What a fantastic week of biking and touring this amazing area! Our tour guides and leader I highly recommend for an incredible way to visit this beautiful country! Thanks... read more again to Teresa,Maria,Andres and Manuel!
04/06/2019We had a phenomenal trip. Great weather, gorgeous views! The cycling was reasonable - some long climbs, some steep climbs, lots of downhills too and flats. All... read more very reasonable for a novice a cyclist. Very well organized, great support from the cycling company. We self-guided...More
12/08/2019We are a family of four with an 18 year old and a 13 year old. This tour was a comfortable introduction to Portugal with distances ranging from 30km to... read more 50km per day for six days, and a mix of quiet roads and well maintained...More
18/10/2018 -
My husband and I enjoyed two back to back cycle tours - Wild Algarve and Castles and Wine, in October 2019. We felt spoiled by the exceptional service provided... read more on these fully supported tours. I can't say enough about our support team, Mario and Jorge in Algarve, Maria and Joanna in Alentejo. Portugal is a beautiful, welcoming country that can stand on its own. It was our guides and van drivers who made the trip extraordinary. They were knowledgeable, fun, easy going yet professional, and truly made our trip awesome. The well maintained hybrid bikes were really appropriate for the variable terrain - we really appreciated having front shocks for the gravel and cobblestones! These tours are not intended for novice cyclists. That being said, one couple on the Castles and Wine Tour were struggling with the (many) hills and with the assistance of Portugal Best Cycling switched to e-Bikes, which made their cycling much more enjoyable. I have no hesitation in recommending Portugal Best Cycling as truly Portugal's BEST. …
01/11/2019We did this trip as a guided week long cycling tour with ever-enthusiastic and fun guide Maria in October 2017. The cycling became secondary to Maria's cooking and restaurant choices,... read more her passion for her country and its culture and heritage, and her constant smile. We...More
06/01/2018Exploring Evora on e-Bikes - We had an amazing time exploring the beautiful Alentejo region with Mario on our Cycling in Paradise Tour.
We stayed seven nights at the farmhouse and did five... read more different routes over the week, each with a different theme. We saw and learned so much about the region and about Portugal. It was so relaxing not to have to pack and un-pack in between stops.
We used e-bikes which made the trip so much more relaxing and Mario tailored our days to our interests and our energy levels. We had a couple of really hot days for October so it was nice to not have to pedal so hard going up the hills! We still felt happily tired at the end of the day.
Alentejo has amazing food and wine and we had plenty of both. Some of our most memorable meals were in little local places along the way that we probably never would have found on our own.
We especially enjoyed visiting the historic University in Evora, the cork factory, the prickly pear farm, and the Fitapreta winery.
Mario was an amazing guide and Dina, Joana and the rest of the Turaventur staff made our trip extra special.
13/11/2021