Alentejo Bike Tour

Your guides will greet you in Lisbon and drive east towards the Spanish border. The Alentejo region is a stark contrast to the bustling metropolis of Lisbon, with its unhurried pace of life, rolling hills of gold and green, cork tree quintas, hundred-year-old olive groves, and flocks of sheep that roam the meadows. Our day begins with a visit to the Alter do Chão royal stud farm, founded by King D. João V in 1748 in dedication to the nobility of the Lusitanian horse. Enjoy lunch on the property before we take off on our first ride of the week, making our way to our charming boutique wine hotel. Set in the heart of the Alto Alentejo wine region, this restored wine hotel is the former home of the prominent Basilii family who inhabited the property in the 14^th century. Enjoy a welcome drink and get settled before meeting for a dinner of contemporary Alentejo cuisine at our hotel’s restaurant.

Meals: Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Lisbon, Alter do Chão, Cabeço de Vide,
Accomplished: 18 miles / 30 km, elevation gain: 1,135 feet / 346 meters
Accommodations: Torre de Palma Wine Hotel 

A gourmet breakfast prepares us for a ride through the gently rolling countryside of upper Alentejo. Pass through the dreamy scenery of world-class vineyards before we pause for a mid-morning coffee next to a wild stream where the locals plunge. Our ride continues along the western edge of the São Mamede mountains to a beautifully renovated farmhouse where we’ll enjoy a picnic-style lunch prepared by our friends Walt and Hilde. Choose to hop in the van or bike all the way back to our hotel where you can take the rest of the afternoon to relax by the pool, explore the grounds of our historic hotel, or stroll through the surrounding vineyards. Tonight, we’re invited to the tower in the main house to learn how to make a medley of local Alentejo dishes with a local chef. Our class is followed by the dinner you helped prepare, paired with wines from the estate.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Monforte, Arronches, Mosteiros, Assumar
Accomplished: 28 miles / 45 km, elevation gain: 1,683 feet / 513 meters
Longer Option: 38 miles / 62 km, elevation gain: 2,224 feet / 678 meters
Accommodations: Torre de Palma Wine Hotel 

Our ride today takes us through the idyllic villages and fertile plains of Alentejo. Stop for a coffee before continuing to our friend Vasco’s family farm for lunch and some true Portuguese hospitality. After lunch, ride to the historic town of Vila Viçosa—known for its heritage of manmade marble creations—where we’ll check into our hotel at the center of town. Owned by a titan of the marble industry, our hotel is a physical homage to the owner’s success in marble artistry. Relax this afternoon at the spa and pool, or wander into town to see the ancestral marble palace of the last kings of Portugal. Tonight, we dine like royalty with our friend Isabel at her family winery and ancestral home; a mid-18th-century palace built by King John V and gifted to the object of his affection: a lady of the court.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Monforte, Santo Aleixo, Vila Fernando, Vila Viçosa
Accomplished: 30 miles / 49 km, elevation gain: 1,522 feet / 464 meters
Longer Option: 37 miles / 60 km, elevation gain: 2,312 feet / 705 meters
Accommodations: Alentejo Marmòris Hotel + Spa or Land of Alandroal

Today’s ride is one of the week’s most challenging as we pedal past rows of gnarly olive trees, pristine vineyards, and whitewashed farms. In the town of Redondo, we visit an artisan potter at work in his studio and see how these traditional pieces are hand-painted. We’ll continue our travels over rolling country plains towards lunch in Nossa Senhora de Machede. End the day with an optional ride all the way to Convento do Espinheiro, our luxurious hotel built around a 15th-century convent, or hitch a ride in the van. This evening, join your guides for a guided visit to the UNESCO World Heritage city of Évora where we’ll stroll through centuries-old streets and squares, making our way from the intriguing Chapel of Bones to the Roman temple. Dinner follows at your discretion: your guides can suggest a few favorite restaurants in Évora, or you may prefer to return to your hotel for a laid-back meal from the once-upon-a-time monastic kitchen.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch
Destinations: Bencatel, Redondo, Nossa Senhora de Machede, Évora
Accomplished: 29 miles / 47 km, elevation gain: 1,230 feet / 375 meters
Longer Option: 40 miles / 64 km, elevation gain: 1,817 feet / 554 meters
Accommodations: Convento do Espinheiro

Our first stop this morning is a local cork producer to learn about harvesting and processing this uniquely sustainable material and why it thrives here in particular. Afterward, spin through pastures, vineyards, and oak groves where the only sounds are chirping birds and the bells of grazing sheep. We’ll arrive at a 14th-century estate that has been rejuvenated at the hands of a Portuguese wine wunderkind. Tour the cork-walled winery, ending in the medieval cellar where a wine-paired lunch awaits us. Choose to finish the short ride back to Convento do Espinheiro or take a lift in the van. Our farewell dinner will take place at the hotel’s Divinus restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Azaruja, Évora
Accomplished: 35 miles / 56 km, elevation gain: 1,407 feet / 429 meters
Longer Option: 41 miles / 66 km, elevation gain: 1,512 feet / 461 meters
Accommodations: Convento do Espinheiro

Relax this morning over a well-deserved gourmet breakfast before our drive back to Lisbon, where your guides will take you to your hotel or the airport.

Meals: Breakfast
Destinations: Lisbon