I am planning a ~week-long solo bike tour in Portugal in May. My general plan is to rent a bike there, start my tour from Porto, and end in Lisbon. I will stay in hotels/guesthouses along the way. I have seen the N2 recommended often as an alternative to the coastal route, but I have also seen some recommendations for less trodden routes, especially since the N2 is popular with motorists as well. I also stumbled upon some separated bike trails (Ecopistas), and thought it would be cool to go via those.
Keeping this in mind, I have planned a rough itinerary here: Komoot – I would appreciate any feedback on it or any cool spots that I'm missing!
My plan thus far (these steps do not necessarily correspond to days, I'll figure that out later):
- Porto to Sernada do Vouga, via coastal route
- Sernada do Vouga to Viseu, via the Ecopista do Vouga
- Vieseu to Santa Comba Dao, via the Ecopista do Dao
- Santa Comba Dao to Coimbra, following the N2 part of the way
- Combra to Tomar – two options
- go south, generally following the N10, taking a detour to Dornes
- go east to find the N2, go via Pedrogao Grande and Dornes – might require going through Serra da Lousa, but I may avoid this as it looks too steep for me
- Tomar to Lisbon, via Santarem
In general, I am interested in cool historic towns, interesting pieces of infrastructure + architecture (like aqueducts and bridges), pretty landscapes, safe roads, and frequent access to services.
I have a few questions:
- Are the two Ecopistas worth it and passable on a touring bike? I see some dirt sections that I might be better off using the road for. In particular I don't see much online about the Ecopista do Vouga.
- Am I missing any interesting spots? Are there any detours or alternative routes I should consider?
- I was considering going via the Douro Valley instead of the Ecopista do Vouga – would this be a worthwhile alternative, and what would be the best routing here? I am leaning against this because I plan to go to the Douro Valley with family a separate time, but if it's a can't-miss cycling experience I would be interested.
- Any recommendations for bike rentals in Lisbon or Porto?
Thank you in advance!
by papakanuzh
5 Comments
I cycled Porto to Lisbon in 6 days last year, but on the coastal route. Judging by distance and elevation alone, that is totally doable. (I also met someone along the route who rented a bike in Lisbon and took a train to Porto and did the same route as me in 5 days.) I look forward to reading about your experience! I would love to cycle Portugal again. You should not have any issue with cycling on main roads. The drivers were respectful and gave a wide berth – I did not have a single car honk at me until I reached Lisbon. If you are uncertain about gravel trails, err on the side of caution and use a highway.
Please check my channel it is basically all about this. If you have any questions, please ask me. Biking the
Portuguese Camino : Coimbra to Porto (via Aveiro)| Episode 5
https://youtu.be/1dsruuGiYPo
A very way to easily do that is follow the Camino Trail backwards from Porto to Lisbon. It goes through Coimbra, Tomar, and many many more towns.
Have you been to Portugal before? If not, I would include at least some of the coastline north of Lisbon. It’s popular for a reason.
The coast south of Porto wasn’t that impressive, so maybe you could go inland in the beginning and then return to the coast, maybe around Nazare or Peniche.
We did the Ecopista do Dao on road bikes a few years ago so will be fine on a tourer. Santa Comba Dao is one of Portugal’s hidden gems. Not to be missed.