Extra tour info

Included

• 7 nights based on a double room with breakfast
• detailed route description with height profiles and drawn up maps
• local English speaking representative
• luggage transfers

Extra options

• Bike hire: 24 gear Gazelle Trekking, with odometer, water bottle cage, pannier and repair kit
• Prolongation in Évora / Lissabon
• Transfer Lisbon airport v.v.
• Transfer own bike

Not included

• Other meals and refreshments
• Entrance fees
• Bycicle rent

Day by day

Daily options between shorter and more challenging variants

Day 1 Arrival in Estremoz
The medieval upper town of Estremoz is surrounded by solid walls and characterized by a high marble tower. At the centuries-old downtown you can enjoy the beautiful squares and impressive architecture. No doubt you will meet the 'Bonecos' earthenware dolls that depict everyday Alentejo life. You will spot the local stone, marble, everywhere, even in the pavement.

Day 2 & 3 Estremoz, day tours starting at 35 km

Day tour Vila Viçosa, 45 / 83 km
A rich marble vein stretches from Estremoz to Vila Viçosa. During this tour you will learn about this local stone and also be able to visit the marble museum that is located in a former train station. Even today, the town reflects its rich history. The Ducal Palace is definitely worth a vist, for generations it was used as their country house. Another jewel is Borba, a nice town on the route which is primarily known for its wines and antique shops.

Day tour Sousel, 35 / 45 / 70 / 80 km
This tour takes you through the rural part of the Alentejo where you will encounter quiet roads. You will pass by Sousel, a small town known primarily for its olives. The village has a 600 year history.

Day tour Orada, 56 / 75 km
On the sloping fields and grasslands you will encounter the well known cork oak trees as well as the orange trees along the road welcoming you in the white washed villages of the Alentejo.

Day 4 Estremoz – Évora, 57 / 83 km
This beautiful leg takes you on predominantly flat and gently sloping roads to Évora. From Estremoz the route takes you slowly uphill through the Serra de Ossa where you avoid the high peaks. The route continues over an almost serene landscape that alternates with picturesque rural villages. First vineyards and olive groves will dominate the itinerary, to make way for cork oaks further on the road. Évora is a nice end of this stage.
The fully walled capital of the Alentejo has numerous monumental buildings and definitely earns the title of UNESCO World Heritage!
The history of this monumental city dates back further to our calender era: Celts, Romans, Moors and Christians have contributed to the current Évora. The welcoming main square, Praça do Giraldo, is a nice starting point for a tour of the countless churches, buildings, museums and monuments.

Day 5, 6 & 7, Day tours starting at 30 km


Day tour Surroundings of Évora, 30 / 35 km
This route is a short trip across the undulating roads in the immediate vicinity of Évora, a route with an urban and landscape character. That way you still have ample time to explore the town.

Day tour Graça do Divor – Arraiolos, 42 / 66 / 76 km
A former railway track takes you to the white town of Arraiolos, known for the eponymous carpets. This historic walled town is dominated by an imposing castle on top of the hill. The town itself is a maze of streets and alleys posted against the hill. Take time to wander the squares, sense the hospitality and enjoy the view from the castle over the city and its surroundings.

Day tour Serra de Monfurado, 55 km
This round trip takes you from Evora to Tourega and along the hills of the Serra de Monfurado. The route is dominated by extensive olive groves and cork oak forests. The rural route is interspersed with a number of prehistoric monuments that you can visit. The "Cromeleque dos Almendres" is a group of 95 granite monoliths placed in a circle, the Portuguese equivalent of the "Stonehenge".

Day tour Nossa Senhora de Machede, 73 km
So now and then this round trip needs a bit of climbing. You will cycle to the isolated Nossa Senhora de Machede and follow the road through a rural area with "Montes" and a some forgotten train station. To be followed by on one of the many dams built to preserve the precious water in the Alentejo. Through an open countryside draped with some stone or cork oaks hither and thither, the route takes you along Torre de Coelheiros back again to Évora.

Day tour Igrejinha, 73 km
The widely spread cork oaks are a distinct Alentejo appearance. Portugal takes more than half of the worlds cork production. Most of it comes from the Alentejo. After the photogenic Igrejinha you wheel through the cornfields with giant boulders and isolated groups of cork oaks back to Évora.

Day tour Viana do Alentejo, 79 km
This tour is characterized by large fields, quietly grazing cows between cork oaks and cornfields with giant boulders and loose groups of cork oaks. In the south Viana do Alentejo entices you to visit its pentagonal castle. Be sure to visit the 16th-century Sanctuary of Our Lady of Aires, Santuário da Nssa Sra d'Aires.

Day tour Santiago do Escoural, 73 km
From Évora, the ronud trip runs through Valverde through the foothills of the Serra de Monfurado. A rural part of Portugal which is dominated by olive groves and cork oaks. Along the way you can visit one or more of the prehistoric monuments. This stage takes you along a huge dolmen and the "Anta do Zambujeiro” in Valverde. A nice details form the chapel with megalithic elements, the "Anta Capela" near the village of São Brissos and Escoural cave where 10,000 year old cave drawings were found.

Day 8 Departure after brakfast
All that's good ends well. Depending on your choice when booking you will be transferred to the Lisbon airport or you are returning on your own. It is also possible to extend your trip with one or more additional nights in Evora, Lisbon or Sintra.

Prices and dates

Dates

Daily from 07 February till 12 December

Included

• 7 nights based on double room with breakfast
• Detailed road-book with elevation profiles and drawn out maps
• Local English speaking tour guides
• Luggage transfers

Not included

• bike hire: Aluminium 24 gears, odometer, lock, repair kit and panniers (optional)
• Transfer Lisbon airport v.v.(optional)
• Transfer proprietary bike Lisbon airport v.v.(optional)
• Extra nights in Évora / Lissabon (optional)
• Other meals and consumptions
• Entrance tickets

Accommodations

We picked centrally located small and distinctive accommodations. All rooms have a private toilet and bath or shower. In Estremoz you stay in an authentic and local hotel on the main square.

In Evora too, you sleep in the historic center. This family hotel was originally a noble mansion. Each room is simple and unique. The whole property expresses an atmosphere that new hotels so often miss.

Thess historic and charming houses form an ideal base to explore the city on foot after an enjoying bike ride.

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These tours are conducted and provided by us