As the sun set over the Torre de Palma Wine Hotel in Portugal, six women raised their glasses in a toast to sisterhood and friendship. It was the first evening of their six-day cycling tour through the Alentejo region and that golden hour aperitivo set the tone for the days ahead. “Standing together on top of that tower, breathing in the scenery—it was just amazing,” recalls Sarah Manuel. “I remember thinking, ‘Wow, we’re really here. This is so special.’”
This wasn’t Sarah’s first time traveling with DuVine—she’d taken bike trips to Burgundy and Slovenia previously and enjoyed them so much that she inspired her sister, Melissa, to book a tour as well. Part of a close-knit family, the two women have traveled extensively with their female relatives through the years. So when it came time to plan their next girls’ trip, DuVine was the obvious choice. “We love good wine, we love good food, and we all have pretty active lifestyles,” says Sarah. “We knew that a DuVine tour would be a great combination of all those things.”
Sarah and Melissa gathered their travel companions: their sister Rebecca, Melissa’s daughter Natalie, their sister-in-law Karen, and Leigh, one of Melissa’s closest friends. The women had never been to southern Portugal, and the Level 2 tour appealed to everyone’s cycling abilities. What they didn’t anticipate was the serendipity at play—upon arriving in Lisbon, they discovered that not only were they the only guests on their June departure, but their two DuVine guides, Rita and Michele, were women as well.
“We never expected that it would be just the six of us,” says Leigh. “And then it turned out that even our guides were women! Somehow it all just cohered into this really lovely group.”
Women’s-only and solo female travel are on the rise, with women planning girlfriend getaways to celebrate bachelorette parties, big birthdays, relationship milestones, mother-daughter adventures, and career achievements. A recent survey by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) revealed that 57% of adventure travelers are women. What’s more, women aged 20-70 comprise 75% of travelers on adventure, culture, and nature-themed trips.
As the Alentejo group reflected on their experience, several common themes emerged—among them were these five reasons why planning a women’s bike tour should be at the top of your to-do list.
Camaraderie + Connection
Research links strong female friendships to such benefits as improved physical health, reduced stress, greater career success, and enhanced self-confidence. When women travel together, bonds form quickly through shared experiences, cultivating a deep sense of belonging and stronger relationships that last long after the trip ends.
“We all get along and truly enjoy each other’s company,” says Sarah. “This trip was a way for us to bond over something that’s unique to us as a group, outside of the rest of the family.”
Melissa agrees:, “I feel like I became closer to everyone. It was such a cool shared experience, and for me, it was especially meaningful to do this with my daughter.”
For her daughter Natalie, the cycling trip offered a unique opportunity to connect with the women in her family in a way she hadn’t before. “If you want to celebrate the strong women in your life, there’s no better way to do it,” she says. “I was really impressed seeing my mom and aunts in a different element than I’m used to. We all walked away with a new appreciation for ourselves and each other. And, of course, the biking was incredible.”
Support + Encouragement
Time and time again the women spoke about feeling supported throughout the trip—not only by guides Rita and Michele but also by each other—mentioning empathy, understanding, compassion, flexibility, and inclusivity. With work, family obligations, and household responsibilities left behind, the chance to shed their caregiver roles and focus on themselves felt like a gift.
“Sometimes we’d spread out during our rides—it’s just the nature of the game—but we always waited for each other,” says Natalie. “I think empathy comes more naturally to women. Everyone was thinking about the others, which made it a much nicer experience for all of us.”
As a guide, Rita is always attuned to a group’s dynamic, and she noticed that this tour differed from others she’s led. “By the end of the trip, I realized that they looked after each other more than usual. There was a lot of empathy, a lot of taking care of one another. As guides, we always take care of the group, but we don’t always see it so plainly among the guests.”
For Leigh, one of the highlights of the trip was the sense of being totally pampered. “It was wonderful to be taken care of the entire time,” she recalls. “This trip was very much for me—and not having to plan what I was going to eat, not having to think about what I was going to do next, not have to worry about a spouse—I really enjoyed that. Everything was laid out so nicely.”
Rita shared that she frequently observes this with her guests. “Suddenly, they’re being cared for in a way that removes all the stress—everything is taken care of. They start to feel like they have a mother figure, in a sense, and it usually only takes a couple of hours for them to trust us completely!”
An Active (and Empowering!) Adventure
Having that support also allowed the women to challenge themselves in ways that they may not have otherwise—and having two female guides champion them gave them confidence.
“Rita and Michele were always there to say, ‘Let us take care of these things for you,’ but at the same time, encouraging us to challenge ourselves to whatever level we wanted,” Sarah recalls.
Natalie also appreciated the sense of assurance that came with having female guides. “I think Rita and Michele were just better able to anticipate our needs because they were also women,” she says. “We all felt empowered to ask questions throughout the week”
That empowerment created lasting change for both Natalie and Melissa, who started cycling more once they returned home. Inspired by Rita and Michele, Natalie completed a century ride and began commuting by bike. “The tour really motivated me to get out there and be fearless on the city streets,” she says. “It gave me confidence in my body, and with that came a lot of freedom. I’m no longer relegated to taking the bus or walking—I can bike around, and that feels amazing.”
For Melissa, “it’s meditative to go out and ride around the neighborhood for 45 minutes or an hour by myself. But I’ve also started riding on Chicago’s lakefront trail. My husband and I will go there together—he’ll walk while I bike. He even got me a new bike for Christmas!”
Bridging Cultures
As true lovers of travel, the women raved about the immersive activities throughout the week that shined a light on inspirational Alentejano women—from throwing a pot with a local ceramicist and chatting with the women hand-painting the finished pieces, to sipping rosé with the matriarch of an 18th-century wine estate, or learning about eagle hunting with an esteemed female falconer.
Having traveled with DuVine in the past, Sarah knew the journey would be just as engaging off the bike as it was in the saddle. “One of the things I love about DuVine is this inclusion of other experiences,” she says. “There were so many little moments each day when we’d think, ‘Oh, this is amazing.’”
Natalie agreed. “Not only were we surrounded by very strong women on our day-to-day rides, we also met a lot of really incredible women along the way,” she says. “Having that additional exposure really amplified what a great trip it was. By the end, I feel like we had all gained a very deep understanding of the Alentejo region and we all left really loving the people and the culture.”
The women also remarked that Rita and Michele’s local expertise was invaluable.
“Even if it was just one of the bars or the cafés we visited for a water stop,” observed Natalie, “you could tell by the way they were greeted that Rita and Michele had taken the time to get to know the people. It was obvious that they put their care into every interaction, and I think that says a lot, especially in this day and age, when it’s so easy to just not take the time to do that.”
One of Sarah’s most vivid memories came on the final night of the trip. “A group of singers serenaded us in the courtyard of our hotel with traditional songs,” she says, recalling a performance of Cante Alentejano—a capella melodies that explore themes of rural life, nature, and love. “It revealed so much about the region’s connection to its cultural heritage and the way they’re working to preserve it.”
Freedom to be Yourself
Finally, each of the travelers emphasized how relaxed they felt on a cycling tour with only women. There was no self-doubt—only opportunity to connect and go further as a group. Above all, there was a sense of freedom that permeated the week.
“We were there to enjoy ourselves, experience the culture, and take advantage of the beautiful scenery and countryside,” Sarah says. “The cycling was challenging—and no one ever gave up—but the dynamic changed being all women.”
To Leigh, the beauty was rooted in the shared interests that brought the women to Portugal in the first place. “Because we all enjoy doing the same types of things, there was no pressure to keep up or do this or that,” she says. Instead of pushing each other, Leigh wisely observes, this dynamic left room for them to look inward and push themselves.
“I feel like it opened new avenues for us in terms of what we can do and how we can travel together in the future,” says Sarah. “Plus, I like to build up my treasure trove of memories—and being able to travel to Portugal with this group of women? That was just so special.”
