Self-Guided Porto to Coimbra Bike Tour

Arrive at the Porto airport and be welcomed by our team. Our hotel in Porto is located in the heart of the city, making it a great place to explore Porto.

Porto is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and consistently ranked as among the most beautiful cities in Europe. As you walk around the city, you will understand why.

It's historic city center is home to more than 150 listed monuments.

The famous Douro river, whose valley nurtures the vineyards from which comes the famous Port wine, meets the Atlantic after flowing through Porto. In fact, Port wine gets its name from the city of Porto, as it was first shipped out to England from here.

Take a walk along the river bank, past Porto's Eiffel bridge, and across to the Port wine lodges that rise up from the Douro's southern bank.

In the evening, enjoy dinner at any of the fine restaurants in Porto. Make sure to pair your meal with a glass of fine Port wine from the Douro Valley.

We begin the day with a briefing at 09:00 hours.

We then kick off our cycling adventure by heading due south from Porto along the coast. We ride through several small towns along the coast, where life is slow and the views are soothing.

Occasionally, we also ride in and out of pine forests.

The terrain remains flat, as we ride close to sea level, making for easy riding all day long.

Our destination for the day is Furadouro, a little-known coastal town with soft, sandy beaches and great seafood. After the bustle of Tokyo, Furadouro offers an evening of quite contemplation with great ocean views.

Our hotel for the night is located right on the beach too, and offers a spa, sauna, and a Turkish bath among other amenities.

Road Surface: 90% paved, 10% trails

We continue riding due south along the coast. We pass through the wonderfully tranquil nature reserve of Sao Jacinto known for its sand dunes and pines. The reserve is formed by the Ria de Aveiro lagoon as the Atlantic cuts into the Portuguese coast around these parts. Stretching for over 45 kilometres (28 mi), the lagoon is one of the last remaining untouched marshes in Europe, and is well known for its diversity of bird species.

The lagoon is also known for its artisanal fishing, and as a centre of collection for the highly-prized flor de sal variety of salt. Literally meaning the "flower of salt", this salt costs hundreds of times more than regular sea salt due to the difficulty involved in its collection. It is used only as a flavoring agent in high-end kitchens, added as a touch of garnish on finished dishes.

Our destination for the day is the town of Aveiro, known as the Venice of Portugal due to its numerous canals. The locals traverse these canals in boats knowns as moliciero. Easily noticeable due to their vivid colors, these moliciero boats get their name from the molico sea weed which grows in Aveiro lagoon, for the collection of which these boats are used. The weed is then used as a fertilizer.

If you have the time, you can join a workshop today to try your hand at making a the famous Aveiro pastry. Also known as ovos moles de Aveiro, these pastries are made from egg yolks and sugar put inside rice paper casings or wheat flour. This highly-valued pastry enjoys a protected geographical indication status from the European Union.

Road Surface: 94% paved, 6 % trails

Today we ride past a variety of landscapes including beaches, pine forests, and river fronts to head towards Mira, a small coastal town renowned for being a centre of artisanal fishing. Locals here have been fishing using traditional gear such as hand reels and throw nets using small boats since time immemorial.

The town is also remarkable for its colorful stilted houses known palheiros. The beautiful beach at Praia de Mira is a Blue Flag certified beach, which means it has been certified by the Foundation for Environmental Education to meet their standards for water quality, safety, and public environmental education.

Make sure to enjoy the seafood today as it especially fresh and delicious.

Road Surface: 80% paved, 20% trails

On today's ride we ride past green fields to connect with the Estrada Atlantica or the Atlantic Road that runs parallel to the Atlantic and connects several beautiful beaches. One side of the road is covered by pine forests known as the "king's pines", as these were planted by Portuguese kings centuries ago to protect the farms inland from the sand and the sea winds.

Our destination for the day is Figueira da Foz, located at the mid-point of the Iberian coast, and at the mouth of the Mondego river. Apart from its beaches of golden sand, the town is also known for its art nouveau architecture and its casinos.

Our hotel for the night is located on the beach and has a well-stocked bar but no restaurant. So feel free to step out and enjoy some delicious local cuisine.

Road Surface: 84% paved, 16% trails

After 4 glorious days of seas-side riding, we finally turn inland and away from the Atlantic, as we follow the Mondego river towards the famed town of Coimbra. The landscape consists of rice fields and the Mondego river bank, while the terrain continues to remain flat.

Coimbra is a historic city that served as Portugal's capital in the 12th century. The University of Coimbra is one of the oldest universities in world, having been set up in 1290 AD. Its beautiful campus and the flowing black robes that its students wear have served as the inspiration for Hogwarts, the mythical wizardry and witchcraft school in the popular Harry Potter movie franchise.

The university campus is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while its library, called the Joanina Library, or the Biblioteca Joanina is consistently ranked as the most beautiful library in the world. A special feature of the library is that it uses a colony of bats to preserve its books from insects. The library is open to public viewing, however tickets must be purchased in advance.

Coimbra is also the centre of the Portuguese fado style of music in which poetry is sung to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument, usually a mandolin.

The city's historic centre is home to several other buildings and monuments including its royal palace, and several Roman-era ruins.

The tour ends with a transfer back to Porto. The drive back to Porto takes around 90 minutes.