Atlantic Ocean tour: Porto - Lisbon. Atlantic Coast tour: Porto Lisbon sportive TOUR DESCRIPTION

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1 Atlantic Coast tour: Porto Lisbon sportive TOUR DESCRIPTION Atlantic Ocean tour: Porto - Lisbon 9 days sportive along the coast Begin your holiday in the north of Portugal, in Porto and follow the diversified Atlantic coast to Lisbon. Porto is idyllically situated at the Douro River and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996 with its historic buildings, baroque churches and port wine cellars. The beautiful bike paths leads along the wide, dunes-lined sandy beaches to small seaside resorts such as Furadouro and Praia de Mira and through the lagoon of Aveiro into the picturesque "Venice of Portugal" and the fashionable seaside resort of Figueira da Foz. Further on you cycle on the bike track "Via Atlântica" through pine forests to the seaside resort Praia de Vieira and Nazaré with its beautiful old town, which has been the scene of filming several times. A lot of variety is offerd by sandy beaches, cliffs and lagoon landscapes on your way to Óbidos, the Portuguese "Rothenburg ob der Tauber". Between Peniche and Ericeira you will find the best surfing beaches in Europe and can spend hours here admiring the hustle and bustle in huge waves. In Sintra you will encounter ancient castles and magnificent palaces such as the Pena Palace. Between the seaside resorts of Cascais and Estoril you will cycle along the beautiful promenade before visiting the Jerónimos Monastery (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage) in Belém. On the bike path you finally roll to the center of Lisbon where you can stroll through the old town streets, ascend to the fortress Castelo Sao Jorge and enjoy bars and restaurants in the bustling upper town. Telefon: , Telefax: , info@velociped.de,

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4 1. day Porto arrival In Porto is where the heart of the North beats. The picturesque Old Town with its Baroque church treasure is UNESCO World Heritage Site, the modern Porto shines with lively culture and nightlife, and the shore line presents itself in a Mediterranean style. On the opposite side of the river Port wine is aged in the cellars and uniquely spans the historic bridge of Gustave Eiffel deeply incised Douro. The closely nested old town is dominated by the Baroque Bishop's Palace and the cathedral and beautiful pedestrian streets invite you to stroll. Here you can go to right on the day of arrival to explore and indulge in the special atmosphere of the beautiful city. From many European airports, there are inexpensive direct flights to Porto and Lisbon is only a 3 hours train ride away. 2. day Porto Aveiro 76 / 99 km Your first cycling trip starts spectacular. You cycle to the picturesque Douro river, across the historic iron bridge to the famous port wine producers and follow the Douro to the wide estuary to the Atlantic Ocean. Enjoy wonderful panoramic views of the picturesque old town. On a separate bicycle lane you bike along the beach promenade. Like this you can enjoy the gentle waves of the Atlantic and the wide white sand beaches. In the middle of the dune landscape, you follow the cycle path along wooden walkways. Look forward to Espinho, here you will find the most beautiful beaches south of Porto. Take a refreshing swim or relax in one of the numerous beach bars. In the afternoon you will cycle through the pine-tree forest to the former fishing village of Furadouro with its kilometers of sandy beaches. Take a stroll through the wide promenade and enjoy the day. The well-developed lagoon landscape of Aveiro, separated from the Atlantic by an extended dune strip, offers a unique biotope with wide shallow waters, small canals, diverse flora and fauna and lively fishing. Enjoy the beautiful fishing village of Aveiro with picturesque canals. In the Art Nauveau dominated old town, colorful traditional boats offer small canal cruises. Dive into this picture-book town, visit the cathedral and enjoy the evening in one of the numerous restaurants of the old town. (Optionally you can shorten the daily route via train). 3. day Aveiro Figueira da Foz 88 km In the morning you start biking back in direction of the coast. Kilometers of dunes, the foothills of the lagoon landscape and a variety of bathing facilities will accompany you all day. The seaside resort of Praia de Mira, with its fine beach promenade and typical small restaurants and fishermen's houses, can be reached on separate cycle paths away from any traffic. Today quite different landscape impressions characterize your day. 12 km you cycle through the wide state forest with beautifully scented pine trees. A separate cycle path leads you idyllically along densely wooded streams to historic water mills and small lakes. Afterwards, you will cycle along small streets through dreamy villages, colorful fields and green forests. Enjoy the well wooded track, as just before your reach your destination you have to master 200 meters height. Reward yourself with a "stopover" and look forward to the deserved descent down to the coast to the wide dream beach of the fashionable seaside resort Figueira da Foz. 4. day Figueira da Foz Nazaré 85 km After a short train ride (15 km) you start biking. On the longest cycle path Via Atlantica in Portugal you continue along the coast through the typical pine forests. First destination is the seaside resort of Sao Pedro de Moel with the lighthouse visible from afar, from which a phenomenal view over the rugged cliffs pays off. The sheltered bay invites you to take a Telefon: , Telefax: , info@velociped.de,

5 break, but four more sandy beaches are on your way to the daily destination, including the famous beach, Praia do Norte ', where the Hawaiian Garrett McNamara 2012 surfed the 30m height of the largest wave in the world. Finally, enjoy the picturesque fishing village of Nazaré, whose historic center with the pilgrimage church is located on a rocky plateau above the town. Since 1889, a cable car has been very conveniently located there, so you can end the evening both on the beach and stroll through the old town. 5. day Nazaré Peniche 68 km Follow the path along the cliffs to the beautiful coastal town of São Martinho do Porto with its picturesque lagoon. Connected only by a narrow opening to the open sea, the lagoon's water is swimming and bathing suitable for most of the year. Unique are the welldeveloped cycle paths directly on the shores of the wide lagoon landscape of Óbidos before the cliffs are dominated by the spacious glamorous hotel complexes with wellmaintained golf courses. But shortly after, the scene changes completely on the Baleal peninsula. Known as a Mecca for the international surfing scene, there are colorful VW Bullis with colorful surfboards on the beach and in all the cafes and shops there is only one topic. For hours you can watch the hustle and bustle on the water here and also on the way to Peniche this picture does not change, because everywhere it says: Surf is Up! 6. day Peniche Ericeira 66 km From one surf hotspot to the next: Along a magnificent cliff landscape today's day's stage leads through the hilly, coastal interior. This longest stage also holds the most climbs for you, so it is worth taking a cooling bath break on the white beach of Praia da Areira Branca, before following the river Rio Grande on side roads. Shortly before your destination of the day, the surfing and fishing village of Ericeira, you have to pedal hard again, than roll into the lively streets of the old town, which promises a relaxing evening with many bars and restaurants. 7. day Ericeira Sintra 27 km Today's stage is kept very short, leaving plenty of time for the enchanting Sintra, with its ancient castles and magnificent palaces that have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since The absolute highlight is the vividly painted Pena Palace, one of Portugal's greatest attractions, with an impressive mix of North African influences and medieval Gothic. But the National Palace, the Moorish castle and other extravagant palaces with sophisticated parks are on every visitor list and let the day go by way too fast. 8. day Sintra Lisbon 58 km In the morning enjoy a great descent through the green mountains of the Serra de Sintra and along the shallow coast to the pretty town center of Cascais, the historic summer destination of the Portuguese kings. Right on the sea promenade you cycle to the fashionable seaside resort of Estoril with the first casino of Portugal, before you follow the coastal road (partially bike path) to Belém with the UNESCO World Heritage listed Jerónimos Monastery whose entire limestone facade is artistically designed. A short stop at the neighboring pastry shop to taste the famous Pastéis de Belém pudding tarts - and then quickly on the bike path right on the water into Lisbon. 9. day Lisbon departure Today your beautiful bike trip ends. Alternatively you can go on a discovery tour in Lisbon. We recommend to spend some extra days in this wonderful city. Telefon: , Telefax: , info@velociped.de,

6 WORTH KNOWING Worth knowing about the bike tour Porto - Lisbon sportive Below you will find specific information about the bike tour "Porto - Lisbon sportive ". If you have further questions about this trip, just call us: Tel: Arrival by plane The bike tour starts in Porto and ends in Lisbon. In both cities you will find an airport, which are served by many airlines. It would be best to book the outward flight to Porto and the return flight from Lisbon. But it is also possible to make both flights from / to Porto, or from to Lisbon. The two cities are very well connected by express trains (approx. 3 hours drive). The individual bike routes 90% you cycle on paved roads, bike paths or small roads. Some passages on the beach you cycle on beautiful wooden stilts through dunes. But you cycle single sections on busy roads or difficult gravel paths as well. Available rental bikes The bikes are available as women's and men's bicycles in various frame heights. 24-speed bicycle gearing system. Other rental bikes or E-bikes are available on request. The bikes are equipped with a luggage bag and a tool set. Your contact person on site In Porto we have an absolutely reliable all-round service for you as well. Our english- and german-speaking local partner, born in Porto, will be at your disposal every day, will welcome you, takes care of the bikes and knows every bicycle tour personally. He is looking forward to give you insider tips and common information. Use / renting of a GPS device as a navigation aid You are often going to cycle on small roads and paths with turnoffs in a very much diversified landscape. Cycle path signs or town signs are rare. In order to facilitate orientation here and to avoid constantly reading detailed route descriptions, you will get a GPS on site. The device (for example at the handlebars) guarantees that you always find the right way. Operation of the device is easy to understand. You will be pleasantly surprised how easy the route finding is with the GPS. You will receive the device, together with a short briefing from our contact person on site. If you own a GPS device or would like to use your smartphone as a navigation aid, we can send you the GPS tracks for this trip free of charge. So as not to be dependent on the technique, you'll still get more detailed maps, with the route marked on site. This will take you directly and without long searching always to the desired destination - we guarantee it! For this trip we wil provide a GPS unit by Garmin. A short tutorial for handling you will find here. Travel period In March daytime temperatures are well suited for cycling already and in April you can expect balmy evenings. High season starts in May and in June a shelter from the sun is already treasured. The bathing season is in July and August and you are going to meet Telefon: , Telefax: , info@velociped.de,

7 many locals at the waterfront. As of September the temperatures are very pleasant for cycling again. Even October is still a good month for travelling but the Atlantic Ocean is way too fresh for a long bath at that time. Extra services not included in your package Train ride on day 4 from Figueira da Foz to Verride/Reveles, approx. 3 EUR. Payable on site. Visitor's tax A visitor's tax is not included and has to be paid at the hotels. 7 days hotline service If the bike chain is torn, flooding makes it impossible to continue or any other unpleasant surprises await you: we are available for you 7 days a week and will help you as soon as possible. Telefon: , Telefax: , info@velociped.de,

8 PRICES & SERVICES TOUR Atlantic Coast tour: Porto Lisbon sportive tour: tour type: individual duration: 9 days dates of arrival: / / / / / level: difficult Velociped-Partner-Tour min. participants: 2 please note: Velociped can withdraw from the tour twenty-one days before the starting date of the tour, at the latest, in case the minimum number of participants stated under the tour description is not attained. You will duly be informed without any delay in case of a withdrawal. Velociped will of course refund the paid tour price immediately. Please note our General Terms and Conditions. TRAVEL SERVICES All-carefree service: accommodation incl. breakfast room with shower/bath/wc luggage transport map of bike trails with marked route detailed route description tips for tour preparation touristic information 7 days hotline service Telefon: , Telefax: , info@velociped.de,

9 Powered by TCPDF ( PRICES 2019 Prices are per person. SEASON Cat. A Double room 975,00 Category A single room Single room 1.315,00 SEASON Cat. A Double room 1.010,00 Category A single room Single room 1.410,00 CYCLES tourer 90,00 electric bike 190,00 BOOKABLE ADDITIONAL NIGHTS Porto Category A Lissabon Category A Double room 80,00 Double room 80,00 Single room 150,00 Single room 150,00 Telefon: , Telefax: , info@velociped.de,