Overview
A nine day, self-guided adventure holiday, cycling the Rota Vicentina in South Portugal. This carefully-crafted itinerary shadows various sections of this iconic hiking route between Santiago do Cacém in the Alentejo region, on the west coast, and the dramatic headland of Cabo de São Vicente on the corner of the southern Algarve coast. This is a relatively gentle itinerary, clinging to the coast, so you don’t have to hurry a picnic at Zambujeira do Mar beach or on the cliffs overlooking the fine Cabo Sardão or Cabo de São Vicente lighthouses. This is a cycling holiday to just go tranqüilo. And even more so if you choose the option of an e-bike. Traditional hybrid bike rental is included in the price of the tour.
- Cabo Sardão lighthouse
- Vale das Éguas
- Aljezur castle
- Vila Nova de Milfontes
- Visit Cabo de São Vicente
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Santiago do Cacém
After checking in at the hotel in Santiago do Cacém, in the Alentejo region on the west coast, collect your bikes and welcome information package from the hotel reception, which includes maps and notes for the tour. Whilst in the area we recommend a visit to the castle or the Museu Municipal.
- Accommodation: Hotel Dom Nuno or similar in Santiago do Cacém
Day 2: Santiago do Cacém – Cercal do Alentejo | 37km
Leave Santiago do Cacém and head towards Cercal do Alentejo, following countryside roads surrounded by cork-oak forests. Pass by the village of Vale das Éguas, where you can taste and buy local wines at the Herdade do Cebolal wine cellar. A few kilometers ahead, take a break at Campilhas Reservoir, a splendid place to take a refreshing swim, before the last 10km to your final destination.
- Cycling for the day: 37km, ↑519m ↓554m
- Accommodation: Solar do Alentejo or similar in Cercal do Alentejo
Day 3: Cercal do Alentejo – Vila Nova de Milfontes | 33km
Follow the route inland to the São Luis hills to explore this rural landscape. São Luis is a small village, offering a glimpse into the everyday lives of the local people. Continue towards the ocean, leaving São Luis behind. Climb Cerro de São Domingos, the highest point by the coast, followed by a great descent until you reach Vila Nova de Milfontes, a village surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and Mira River. Explore Vila Nova de Milfontes on foot or just take time to relax on one of the many beaches.
- Cycling for the day: 33km, ↑461m ↓596m
- Accommodation: Mil Réis or similar in Vila Nova de Milfontes
Day 4: Vila Nova de Milfontes – Zambujeira do Mar | 36km
Today’s journey takes you through some gorgeous coastal villages. We recommend a short detour north to the fishing village of Vila Nova de Milfontes before cycling to Zambujeira do Mar. Cross the bridge over the Mira River, and cycle through the villages of Longueira and Almograve on dirt tracks through groves of cork-oaks and vineyards. The detour to Almograve beach is also worth the effort. After arriving in the village of Cavaleiro, you see the most famous lighthouse in the region, Cabo Sardão Continue along the cliffside path until you get to the coastal town of Zambujeira do Mar.
- Cycling for the day: 36km, ↑433m ↓415m
- Accommodation: Rosa dos Ventos or similar in Zambujeira do Mar
Day 5: Zambujeira do Mar – Aljezur | 48km
Leaving the town, cycle towards Carvalhal beach. The route then turns inland through countryside paths to the village of Odeceixe. Continue along the Seixe River to Odeceixe beach. Then cycle to Rogil, where we recommend trying their traditional sweet potato broinhas biscuits. After Rogil, cycle the last length of today’s route to Aljezur, a small market town of whitewashed houses and cobbled streets, near the border between the Algarve and the Alentejo.
- Cycling for the day: 48km, ↑666m ↓692m
- Accommodation: Vicentina Hotel or similar in Aljezur
Day 6: Aljezur – Carrapateira | 51km
Visit Aljezur castle (Castelo de Aljezur) to take in surrounding views of Amoreira Valley before leaving Aljezur. Today’s route goes past two beaches: Amoreira and Arrifana. Continue on along countryside paths to the village of Carrapateira, where a final loop near the ocean leads to tonight’s hotel in the idyllic little coastal village of Carrapateira.
- Cycling for the day: 51km, ↑784m ↓776m
- Accommodation: Pensão das Dunas or similar in Carrapateira
Day 7: Carrapateira – Sagres | 40km
Today’s route starts in Carrapateira and heads south, stopping at one of the highlights of this trip: Saint Vincent’s Cape, or Cabo de São Vicente, the most south-western point of Portugal and mainland Europe. From there, continue on to tonight’s final destination, Sagres which is famous for its magnificent surf and cliffs.
- Cycling for the day: 40km, ↑530m ↓541m
- Accommodation: Mareta View or similar in Sagres
Day 8: Sagres – Lagos | 42km
The last part of the tour covers one of the most popular holiday areas in the region, crossing several beaches and small villages before arriving in the city of Lagos, the place where Prince Henry the Navigator planned his maritime trade, discoveries and expansion. We recommend a visit to the beach or a stroll around the harbour to relax after your adventure.
- Cycling for the day: 42km, ↑776m ↓798m
- Accommodation: Tivoli or similar in Lagos
Day 9: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of mostly small, locally-owned hotels. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms.
Click to view default hotels
- Hotel Dom Nuno (Santiago do Cacém)
- Solar do Alentejo (Cercal)
- Mil Réis (Vila Nova de Milfontes)
- Rosa dos Ventos (Zambujeira)
- Vicentina Hotel (Aljezur)
- Pensão das Dunas (Carrapateira)
- Mareta View (Sagres)
- Tivoli (Lagos)
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included (usually buffet style breakfast). When no restaurant location is available on the route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops, or packed lunch can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before.
Difficulty and terrain
This tour is rated easy to moderate, with daily distances ranging between 35 and 50km, routes are mainly on quiet coastal and forest asphalt paths with limited car traffic, and a few occasional climbs (read more about difficulty grades). We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our local assistance phone number anytime.
When to go
This trip is available from February till the end of June and September until the end of November. The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date during the season.
The spring season is warm, with temperatures around 21C on average across the season. The autumn is typically warm and pleasant, and late season sun-seekers can still be found sunbathing throughout the autumn, enjoying maximum temperatures ranging from 26C in September to 19C in November. For more information, see our blog on the Best time to go to Portugal.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airports for this tour are Lisbon Airport (LIS) and Faro Airport (FAO).
By train or bus
- Arrival: from Lisbon airport, take a bus to Sete Rios (371 line). From there, take a direct bus to Santiago do Cacém. Tickets can be purchased in advanced
- Departure: from Lagos, there is a direct bus (1h 45mins) to Faro airport. For more information visit the national provider Alsa or use the Omio planner above
Inclusions
Included
- 8 nights accommodation
- 8 breakfasts
- 7 days’ bike rental, with panniers, lock, pump and tools included
- Daily baggage transfers (one piece per person, up to 15kg)
- Pre-departure holiday information pack including GPS-checked and regularly updated route descriptions, road notes and maps (digital format and one set of printed materials per room)
- Phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes
- Any items not specifically mentioned as included in the programme
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers.
- Mandatory surcharge during the Easter period
- Extra nights before the tour, along the way and at the end of the tour can be booked on request
- E-bike upgrade
- Airport transfers
Complimentary bike rental
We offer complimentary standard trekking bikes that are most suitable for the paths you will be riding on. The bikes come with pannier bags, lock, pump and repair tools. The bike you will receive is regularly checked; still, basic knowledge on bike maintenance is highly recommended, as you will be cycling by yourself. E-bikes are also available at an extra charge.
Sample pictures shown above, please note that the exact models may differ depending on availability, but the standard will be the same.
