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Tours

Bike Tour from Porto to Coimbra

Duration 7 Days
Type Self Guided
Lodging Comfort

Enjoy relaxed and easy cycling along the idyllic Atlantic coastline south of Porto. Pass by the beautiful Aveiro Lagoon nature conservation area, with great bird watching opportunities. Sleep in Aveiro city, known as the Portuguese Venice and detour inland to cycle through the vineyards of Bairrada, where you will have the chance to do some wine tasting. End in style in the city of Coimbra, where one of the oldest universities of Europe is located, recently classified as Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. One week to connect and discover two of Portugal's most important and vibrant cities - Porto and Coimbra - riding your bike through bike lanes and flat land. 

You will begin in Porto, an intense and authentic city of exquisite architectural and landscape value, where you will be able to visit the vital streets of the Historical Centre and admire the richness of the historical buildings. The Historic Centre of Porto was classified as Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 1996. If you set out on foot along the typical alleys, with each step you will encounter a monument of indisputable value, the well-known hospitality of the city's people and a stunning panoramic view of the old houses and Douro river. Porto’s nightlife is vibrant and trendy, with lots of bars and restaurants to go out to at night.

Aveiro is a  bustling city, often called “the Venice of Portugal” due to its picturesque setting of scenic canals connected by charming bridges and dotted with colourful gondolas and speed boats. You can easily take a trip on a moliceiro boat to admire the beautiful pastel-coloured art nouveau houses façades that line the waterways, explore Aveiro Museum, discover important ecclesiastical buildings and sample the gastronomic delights that await at every turn.

The end of your tour is Coimbra, with its university, classified as Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. Situated on a hill overlooking the city, the University of Coimbra-Alta and Sofia has grown and evolved over more than seven centuries to form its well-defined urban area of two components within the old town of Coimbra - an exceptional example of a university city that illustrates the interdependence between the city and the university.

Daily Itinerary

Day 1
Arrival to Porto
The hilly city of Porto presents a mingle of styles and eras that will enchant you. Porto is renowned all over the world for its delicious fortified wine which is specific to the region, made from grapes that have been cultivated and harvested on the designated banks of the Douro River valley and transformed into this delicious nectar at one of the area’s many Port wine estates.
Overnight in Porto.
Day 2
Stage 1: Porto | Ovar (51 km | 31.7 mi)
Today you will ride along the Douro River until its mouth. Then you will head south along the coast, mostly on bike paths, with beautiful sandy beaches on your right. During this ride, you'll have plenty of places to stop and enjoy a traditional Portuguese meal or to have a drink looking at the Atlantic Ocean.
At Espinho, you can continue on a cycling path along the pine tree forest to Furadouro beach, cycling the final 21 km.
Overnight in Ovar.
Day 3
Stage 2: Ovar - Aveiro (44km | 27 mi)
Head south from Ovar along the Aveiro Lagoon conservation area (Ria de Aveiro), one of Europe's last pristine coastal marshes and a haven for many bird species, including the plover and sandpiper. The Ria de Aveiro is located on the coast of the Portuguese Central Region and occupies an area of about 11,000 hectares. It is considered one of its most important geological formations and presents a high conservation value on national and international levels.
Man shaped this ecosystem in perfect harmony with nature, including the creation of salt marshes, marsh drainages and channels of small dimensions that allow navigation, thus contributing to the increase of wealth and biodiversity associated with these biotopes (habitats). You can discover more about the area by visiting the BioRia Interpretation Centre near Salreu.
Hugging the country’s Atlantic Coast in Central Portugal, Aveiro is a bustling city often called “the Venice of Portugal” due to its picturesque setting of scenic canals, connected by charming bridges and dotted with colourful gondolas and speed boats. You can easily take a trip on a moliceiro boat to admire the beautiful pastel-coloured art nouveau houses façades that line the waterways, explore the Aveiro Museum, discover important ecclesiastical buildings and sample the gastronomic delights that await at every turn.
Overnight in Aveiro
Day 4
Stage 3: Aveiro - Praia de Mira (33km | 21 mi)
Cycle southwards to Ilhavo and visit the Marine museum to check some of the traditional boats still used today at the Aveiro lagoon. Also in Ilhavo, you can visit the factory and museum of Vista Alegre, Portugal's oldest fine porcelain producer, before crossing the Aveiro Lagoon to meet the ocean again in Vagueira.
From here you can do a little detour to visit Costa Nova, home to a lovely sandy beach lined by colourful candy-striped houses, before cycling back to Vagueira and along the coast. Turning inland, you'll make your way to your hotel at Praia de Mira.
Praia de Mira, with the dunes and Atlantic on one side, and the peaceful lagoon of Barrinha de Mira on the other, is a pretty fishing village currently developing as a resort. High-prowed fishing boats are still drawn up this spectacular beach by oxen, but leisure crafts now cruise the shore and the inland waterways and the fishermen´s stripped "palheiros", popular as seaside cottages, are fast vanishing amid shops, bars and cafés.
Overnight in Praia de Mira
Day 5
Stage 4: Praia de Mira - Curia (42km | 26 mi)
Before leaving the coast behind, you can still visit the Museu Etnográfico of Mira, placed in an original and traditional barn and featuring the fishing activities of the central Portuguese area.
You will follow a cycle path inland through an acacia forest, before passing through farms and small villages on your way to the vineyards of the Bairrada region - the western part of the Beiras, between the mountainous Dão region and the surf-washed Atlantic beaches. Flat in the west, the region rises in the east into small hills, intensively farmed and sometimes wooded. This is also the land of leitão, the delicious roasted suckling pig.
Today you have the chance to stop for some wine tasting at Quinta do Encontro, before a short ride brings you to Curia and your lodging.
Overnight in Curia
Day 6
Stage 5: Curia - Coimbra (55km | 34 mi)
The final stretch takes you through vineyards to the Mondego River Valley. You'll cycle alongside farms and rice fields, following the river, with a final stretch through the Choupal National Forest before arriving in Coimbra. The Choupal National Forest or Mata Nacional do Choupal, located just a few kilometres from Coimbra’s city centre, was planted to stem the Mondego River. 
In Coimbra, take time to enjoy the city, including the markets and lively fado bars, as well as passing by through its UNESCO World Heritage university. Situated on a hill overlooking the city, the University of Coimbra-Alta and Sofia has grown and evolved over more than seven centuries, to form a well-defined urban area of two components within the old town of Coimbra. Coimbra University is an exceptional example of a university city, which illustrates the interdependence between city and university and in which the city’s architectural language reflects the university’s institutional functions.
Overnight in Coimbra
Day 7
Departure
You can make your way by train or bus from Coimbra to Porto / Lisbon, or take a private transfer from the hotel to Lisbon/Porto (optional).
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Dates & Prices


​From 690.00€/person  |  Min. 2 participants [for departures between November 2023 - February 2024]
From 790.00€/person  |  Min. 2 participants

Single Supplement:
From: 244€

This tour is also possible Guided. Ask us for more information.

More Information

Included
 
  • 6 nights with breakfast on selected accommodations (3* or similar);
  • Briefing with an A2Z Guide;
  • Luggage transfers – 1 bag per person – up to 15kg/bag;
  • 24 hours support line;
  • App on your phone with maps, GPS tracks and descriptions of stages;
  • Hybrid Bike rental with pannier rack, pannier or handlebar bag, lock, quick repair kit;
  • 5 Bike Rides;
  • Personal Accident Insurance;
  • A2Z Offer.


For an upgrade of lodgings, please feel free to contact us!

 
Extra services
 
  • Extra night in Porto: On request
  • Extra night in Coimbra: On request
  • Non-Standard Departures (Saturday+Sunday): 75€/pax
  • Upgrade to electric bike: 168€/bike
  • Helmet (rental): 20€
  • Helmet (purchase): 110€
  • Gel pad for the saddle: 12€
  • GPS device rental: 50€
  • Smartphone rental with RWGPS + Phone holder: 50€
  • Powerbank rental: 15€
  • Bag (Handlebar or Pannier) rental: 12€ (the trip includes one of these pieces)
  • Dinners at the hotels during the way (5 dinners excluding drinks and nights in Porto and Coimbra): 155€/pax
  • Solo Traveller: on request

 
Not included
 
  • Transfers from and to the airport;
  • Ferry Crossing in São Jacinto;
  • Dinners and Lunches;
  • Museum and Monuments fees;
  • Personal equipment;
  • Other personal expenses;
  • Touristic taxes;
  • All items not mentioned in “included”.

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