top of page
Logo.jpg
Casa da Velha silves restaurant.jpg

Experience the Authentic Algarve

Experience the complete relaxation of body and mind on a self-guided cycling tour with comfortable hotels, luggage transport and insider tipps

Cycling on the street_edited.jpg

Cycling Tours for all Ages

Experience the complete relaxation of body and mind on a self-guided cycling tour with comfortable hotels, luggage transport and insider tipps

carrapateira wooden path.jpg

Breathtaking Cycling Holidays in the Algarve

Experience the complete relaxation of body and mind on a self-guided cycling tour with comfortable hotels, luggage transport and insider tipps

nicole and antonio_edited.jpg

Ready for Cycling in Portugal

Experience the complete relaxation of body and mind on a self-guided cycling tour with comfortable hotels, luggage transport and insider tipps

Esplanada (3).jpg

Picturesque Towns and Villages

Experience the complete relaxation of body and mind on a self-guided cycling tour with comfortable hotels, luggage transport and insider tipps

beauchamp_edited.jpg

Cycle All Seasons

Experience the complete relaxation of body and mind on a self-guided cycling tour with comfortable hotels, luggage transport and insider tipps

  • How far in advance do we need to book?
    Most people book the cycling holiday months in advance. Some of the accommodations have less than 10 rooms and we depend on their availability.
  • How do we get the bikes?
    When you arrive in the first hotel, the owner of Cycling Holidays Portugal will already be in the hotel and personally welcome you. He will assist you with the bikes and make adjustments if necessary. He will also give you the binder with all the information and will answer your questions.
  • How does the back-up service work?
    You will get the mobile number of the owner of Cycling Holidays Portugal. He will come to you and will always have a replacement bike with him in case this is needed. The reality is that there are only a couple of call-outs in a year as the bicycles are very well maintained.

Frequently asked questions

Ready to Book your Cycling holidays in the Algarve?

Fill in the contact form or send us an email and we will be in touch very soon.

Because a picture says more than 1,000 words...

Accommodations

The hotels used for this tour all have their own particular charm and character.
We take you to small establishments, which reflect a typical Portuguese atmosphere.
All rooms have en-suite bathrooms. Several up-grades to small-scale boutique hotels are available. This way a standard 7 nights tour can turn into an 8 nights tour with 4 nights in beautiful boutique hotels.

Clients love the authentic hand-picked accommodations:
“Fine hotels, beautiful locations. We had the idea that we got the best rooms, for instance in Silves with the castle view.” 

Map_2.png

The Terras de Caldas Tour - at a glance

Day 1: Transport from Faro airport to the town of Loulé
Day 2: 40 or 60 km Loulé - Alte
Day 3: 33 or 69 km Alte - Silves
Day 4: 28 or 42 km Silves - Caldas de Monchique
Day 5: 54 km Caldas de Monchique - Carrapateira
Day 6: 60 km Roundtrip Carrapateira (or a short ride)
Day 7: 54 km Carrapateira - Lagos
Day 8: Transport from Lagos to Faro airport

The Terra de Caldas offers you the history and culture of fishing villages and picturesque towns with plentiful street cafés and restaurants featuring authentic local cuisine and fine wines. The start of the tour is in the town of Loulé, well-known for its market. Join the hustle and bustle as the locals come together to sell their goods. You'll be amazed at the variety of fish, fruits and fresh vegetables. While cycling the inner roads between Loulé and Alte, you will discover a world of peace and tranquility. Alte is one of the most attractive typical villages of Portugal. It is well-known for the quality of its fresh spring water at "Fonte Grande" and "Fonte Pequeno". The tour continues in the direction of Silves, a lovely old town situated on the river Arade. You will cycle on quiet back roads surrounded by orange trees and cork oaks whilst breathing in some of the most unpolluted air in Europe. Of Phoenician origin, Silves was once one of the most thriving centres of the Arab-Iberian world. Then called Xelb, it was inhabited by the Moors, who introduced their culture (scholars and poets), architecture and agricultural techniques to the Algarve. In those ancient times, Silves was an important city, more important even than Lisbon. From Silves you will move to the northern part of Algarve, to the ranges of "Espinhaço de Cão" and "Serra de Monchique". This brightly-coloured region, with its fig trees, orange groves and almond trees, is also the most verdant and fertile. "Caldas de Monchique" owes its fame to the hot mineral baths, frequented by the Romans and later by the gentry of the Middle Ages. Its sulphurous water is thought to help rheumatism. Caldas has undergone major renovation, intended to restore the village to the spa centre it once was. Moving west, you enter Aljezur. Situated on the western Atlantic coast of Portugal, Aljezur differs enormously from the tourist resorts. The beaches are shingled and exposed to the winds. The town is dominated by a Muslim fortification with a cistern and its typical round towers. Cycling in a southerly direction, we are in the middle of the "Costa Vicentina Natural Park". This park is a feast for the eyes, a landscape vibrant with natural beauty, so little touched by the passing centuries that it seems barely to have registered man's presence at all. It offers unparalleled vistas of a truly wild coastline. Towering cliffs drop hundreds of feet into the sea. See vast stretches of pristine "empty" beaches, rich inter-tidal ecosystems with rare plants and animals. This is a paradise for bird watchers, nature lovers, artists, photographers and soul-searchers. For all the world-class discoveries credited to Portuguese explorers through the centuries, thankfully a stunning part of Portugal is left for us to discover. During the last part of the tour, you visit the southern coastline, which consists of a long stretch of fabulous sandy beaches, broken up by extraordinary rugged cliffs and fantastic grottoes. Land of fishermen facing the Atlantic Ocean, the Algarve is a paradise for anyone who enjoys fish and shellfish. Each day, at the break of dawn, the boats arrive with the harvest collected in their nets during the night. The most striking craft is the making of decorative tiles known as azulejos, a technique the Portuguese learnt from the Moors.

Cycling Holidays Portugal is a member of Responsible Travel, an English organization promoting eco-friendly holidays. Since 2017 the Terra de Caldas Cycling Tour got only the top ***** star reviews.

For these independent reviews (we do not have any control over them), go to

http://www.responsibletravel.com/holiday/4124/portugal-cycling-holidays-self-guided 

under Reviews.


However: Please book directly with us by filling in the contact form, emailing or calling us!

Bike.jpg

The bicycles

We use Scott E-bikes with a sportive geometry, especially the Scott Sub Sport 20.
If you prefer a classic model, we can rent such a bike from a local dealer.
All our bikes have anti-puncture tires.
As hybrid bikes we use the KTM Lifespace and the Scott Sub Sport 30, ideal for a fantastic cycling holiday in Portugal.

Our clients are very happy with our bikes:
“… book Bert's bikes! From all the cycling holidays we did, his bikes were absolutely the best.”

“… the bikes were first-class. We had a minor issue with one of the bikes and at the next stop Bert was there with a new bike.” 

Prices and Dates

Depending on the season: 925 euros - 1,125 euros pp.

Prices p/person include 7-nights Bed & Breakfast accommodation in a double room (surcharge for single travellers), Faro airport transfers, luggage transport, maps and detailed itineraries, in print as well as gpx files for a GPS device or smartphone.

With back-up service.

Flights and travel insurances are excluded.

  • Bike rental 95 euros p/week p/bike.

  • E-bike rental 185 euros p/week p/e-bike.

Our cycling holidays can be arranged at any time to suit your requirements although we do not recommend trips in August due to high temperatures.
These routes can be tailor-made to suit individual traveller´s needs and schedules.

inside church_1.JPG

What our clients say about us

We loved it! Bert could not have been more helpful.
We definitely can recommend the Terra de Caldas cycling holiday.

Maggie Naylor

Once again, we want to tell you that we had a terrific time. To our surprise there was so much variation in the landscape.

Already when we saw our first hotel room, we knew we were in good hands.

Denise Aitken

I did not know that the south of Portugal was so beautiful and so varied. And it was as if we had our personal guide with us, because Bert told us where exactly were the best restaurants and what their speciality was.

Richard Lamb

Bert.jpg

Get to Know Me

Cycling Holidays Portugal was founded in 2004 by Bert Smeman, a Dutch bicycle fan, previously clinical psychologist.
All his life his hobby has been cycling.
Based in Portugal, he can deliver a tailor-made cycling holiday for you.

Clients love Bert's tours. Here is what they say:

"Everything was above expectation. The advantage of working with a small organization was obvious.”

“Bert is very committed, but stays in the background.”

“All aspects of the cycling holiday were far above expectation and we have been on many cycling holidays before.”

"Go cycling in the Algarve!"


 

Cycling Holidays Portugal is a member of Responsible Travel, an English organization promoting eco-friendly holidays.

 

Since 2017 the Terra de Caldas cycling tour got only the top ***** star reviews! 37 *****star reviews in a row to be precise.

Why Cyclingholidays Portugal?

  • Option to up-grade to several small-scale boutique hotels

  • Tailor-made, personal attention by a Dutchman who knows the area

  • Excellent reviews from independent operators

What is included in the package?

  • 7 nights accommodation including breakfast based on two people sharing a room

  • Complete luggage transport and transfers from & to Faro airport

  • Maps, detailed printed instructions and the GPX files of the daily routes

  • A back-up service in case of a problem

    Flights and travel insurance are not included. Rental hybrid tour bike € 95,- p/wk. Electric bike (E-bike) rental € 185,- p/wk.
    In principle you can start on any day (except the second part of July and the month of August), but we are dependent on the availability of the accommodations.

bottom of page