Overview

• Self-guided road bike tour with start from the hotel in Olhão

• 8 days/ 7 nights/ 6 daily routes

• Longest route: 100km/ 1.500hm, daily average: 90km/ 1.200hm

• Total distance: approx. 540 km/ 7.400 hm

• The individual routes can be shortened or lengthened

• It is possible to book one or more additional nights

• Travel beginning is possible at any date

• Route summary: The gradients vary from flat to hilly with some steep climbs, for which the corresponding excited descents more than compensate! You will enjoy many wonderful views towards the coast or inland. You cycle almost exclusively on quiet, well surfaced roads

Holiday and bike tour description

Day 1 Arrival

You arrive at Faro airport and take a taxi to your hotel or make your own alternative arrangements. You will be welcomed by a representative of LisaBikes in the reception area of the hotel at the agreed time. Then the tour information will be given to you and we will answer any questions you may have. Your bicycles will be handed over to you and any necessary adjustments made.

Tour 1 red - 79km/ 880hm

Your route takes you out of Olhão and up via Estoi to São Bras and into the Cork oak region. You continue along the 'Rota da Cortica' (the Cork route) through Santa Catarina and on to Tavira, 'the Venice of the Algarve', so named because of the river Gilão which flows through the town. You cross this river and enter Tavira. On leaving the town you cycle along through an area of lagoons with their large salt flats, from which the famous 'flor do sal' salt is extracted. You continue on through the Ria Formosa nature reserve. You then leave the coast and cycle through the fertile Barrocal region with its many fruit orchards, finally reaching your hotel.

Tour 2 blue - 81km/ 1.290hm

Today you cycle first into the Serra, a hilly region, criss-crossed by many river valleys. You begin with a gentle climb until you are nearly at São Bras. After that it gets steeper and you have to cross the first river, the Ribeiro do Alportel, before you reach the highest point of today's tour at Javali, 518 metres above sea level. Your efforts are rewarded with a marvellous view over the Serra and down to the coast. You continue with a terrific descent through a small valley to Barranco do Velho and from there on a good road down to Querenca. You will come to another river, the Ribeiro de Algibre. You cycle on over a hilltop to São Romão following one long road with very little traffic. São Romão is a small village with a beautiful church. From there another downhill ride brings you to the third valley and then there is one more steep climb up to Corotelo, from where you have a mostly downhill ride back to Olhão.

Tour 3 green - 94km/ 1.500hm

To get you warmed up, you begin the day with a 15km ride from Olhão to Azinheiro, 300 metres above sea level. You continue on to Santa Catarina, 154 metres above sea level. It is here that a series of hairpins begins which wind all the way up through the wonderful landscape of the Serra as far as Alcaria Cume. This is where you reach the highest point of today's tour, 502 metres above sea level. A great downhill ride takes you to Tavira. Finally, you cycle for another 24 km on mostly level roads through the Barrocal region and back to Olhão.

Tour 4 black - 96km/ 1.400hm

Quiet side roads take you to Loulé, a small market town in the middle of the Barrocal region. From there the route leads over a hill down into the Ribeira Algibre river valley and on steeply uphill to the attractive village of Salir, 225 metres above sea level. Soon after this the road continues to rise, taking you through beautiful countryside with many very old Cork oak trees. The very quiet and well surfaced road leads to Barranco do Velho, 500 metres above sea level. After this you take another very quiet road down to São Bras and then back to Olhão via Estoi with its famous Milreu ruins. You cycle right through the Old Town of Olhão to reach your hotel.

Tour 5  purple - 86km/ 970hm

After a few kilometres of gentle cycling, you ascend steeply to San Miguel, the hill with the transmitter masts that can be seen from far away in all directions. It stands at 310 metres above the sea. After that you continue at this high level along a beautiful road with views of the Serra. You continue to Sao Bras and Loulé, where you turn towards the coast. You ride along an attractive road with great views. It takes you through the two luxury resorts of Vale do Lobo and Quinta do Lago and then through the extensive surroundings of the Algarve football stadium. From here on your route undulates gently through Santa Barbara, Estoi, and Pechão and back to your hotel

Tour 6  yellow - 99km/1.330hm

You cycle from Olhão to Estoi via Pechão and on to the N2, the old main road to Lisbon. You take this road through São Bras and up to Barranco do Velho, 500 metres above the sea. After a short descent, you reach a beautiful road which takes you at this high level through Salir and on to Benafim. This road is newly re-surfaced and very quiet. You then cross the Ribeiro Algibre river again and continue in the direction of Loulé. The final part of your ride takes you back to your hotel through the Barrocal region and Santa Barbara.

Day 8 Journey back

You take a taxi to the airport or you make your own alternative arrangements.