Atlantic Coast biking vacation in Portugal
Highlights
Porto | Douro River | Furadouro | Aveiro Lagoon | Sao Jacinto Nature Reserve | Mira Beach | Figuera da Foz | Sao Pedro de Moel | Nazaré fishing village | Lisbon |
Travel Team
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Responsible tourism
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Activity: Few vacations have as little detrimental impact on the environment and local residents as a cycling trip. It is a quiet, low impact activity requiring comparatively little resources to support. We try to operate on a ‘leave no trace’ basis, which involves being vigilant with proper disposal of waste and being sure to leave any flora, fauna and historical sites undamaged. Most rides will be point to point which means transport is barely needed during the week thus reducing even further carbon footprints.
Water:
Water is a really important issue with trips such as this and whilst we must stay hydrated, it is also vital that we have a system for providing clean water without causing lots of waste with plastic bottles. Wherever possible we provide safe alternative sources of water to buying single use plastic bottles. This may be through large water containers, or encourage our passengers to filter, sterilise or purify water. We encourage all our passengers to come prepared with a reusable water bottle for this purpose.
Group Size:
This is a small group tour, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.
UK Office:
It all starts at home where we work towards reducing our carbon footprint in our offices through energy conservation measures, recycling policies and the promotion of cycling and walking as a means for our staff to commute. Our head office has become a plastic-free zone with the use of plastic bottles being banned in our head office and we distributed reusable water bottles and tote bags to every staff member. We also support a large number of community and environmental projects in different parts of the world and try to give something back to the places we visit.
The Impacts of this Trip
Local crafts & Culture:
During the trip, we will visit several cultural and heritage sites such as the picturesque town of São Pedro de Moel and Nazaré, one of the most famous fishing town in Portugal, providing clients with the opportunity to experience the culture of Portugal. This cycling tour actively encourages guests to chat with local people, visit local cafes and bars, purchase local produce, gifts and crafts and discover what life is really like in this part of Portugal.
Accommodation & meals:
On this trip we spend the week in a variety of hotels along the Portuguese Atlantic coast. Most of the hotels are locally owned and employ local staff. The group eats dinners and some lunches in independents restaurants and cafes in each town visited thus providing income to a variety of small local communities. When picnics are organised, the food is purchased at small shops and supermarkets. The majority of local cafes and restaurants are family run businesses and uses ingredients which are all sourced locally.
Activity: Few vacations have as little detrimental impact on the environment and local residents as a cycling trip. It is a quiet, low impact activity requiring comparatively little resources to support. We try to operate on a ‘leave no trace’ basis, which involves being vigilant with proper disposal of waste and being sure to leave any flora, fauna and historical sites undamaged. Most rides will be point to point which means transport is barely needed during the week thus reducing even further carbon footprints.
Water:
Water is a really important issue with trips such as this and whilst we must stay hydrated, it is also vital that we have a system for providing clean water without causing lots of waste with plastic bottles. Wherever possible we provide safe alternative sources of water to buying single use plastic bottles. This may be through large water containers, or encourage our passengers to filter, sterilise or purify water. We encourage all our passengers to come prepared with a reusable water bottle for this purpose.
Group Size:
This is a small group tour, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.
UK Office:
It all starts at home where we work towards reducing our carbon footprint in our offices through energy conservation measures, recycling policies and the promotion of cycling and walking as a means for our staff to commute. Our head office has become a plastic-free zone with the use of plastic bottles being banned in our head office and we distributed reusable water bottles and tote bags to every staff member. We also support a large number of community and environmental projects in different parts of the world and try to give something back to the places we visit.
The Impacts of this Trip
Local crafts & Culture:
During the trip, we will visit several cultural and heritage sites such as the picturesque town of São Pedro de Moel and Nazaré, one of the most famous fishing town in Portugal, providing clients with the opportunity to experience the culture of Portugal. This cycling tour actively encourages guests to chat with local people, visit local cafes and bars, purchase local produce, gifts and crafts and discover what life is really like in this part of Portugal.
Accommodation & meals:
On this trip we spend the week in a variety of hotels along the Portuguese Atlantic coast. Most of the hotels are locally owned and employ local staff. The group eats dinners and some lunches in independents restaurants and cafes in each town visited thus providing income to a variety of small local communities. When picnics are organised, the food is purchased at small shops and supermarkets. The majority of local cafes and restaurants are family run businesses and uses ingredients which are all sourced locally.
3 Reviews of Atlantic Coast biking vacation in Portugal
Reviewed on 14 May 2019 by Nanako Watabe
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
I enjoyed cycling through beautiful natural scenery such as woods, coast best. Also our guides organized our lunch and dinner well so I was pretty much satisfied with them.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
The first cycling day would be easy for guides to see how well we cycle so that any level cyclists can enjoy this tour. If all the attendants cycle well, the distance gets longer and sometimes you should climb a short steep hills. But there is always a van to take you through these hills so if you feel like not trying climb, you can always ride on a van.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I felt my vacation benefited local people as we stayed in good 4 star hotels, enjoyed lunch and dinner, and sightseeing each town we visited. We keep one bottle to refill water and bring everyday in order to reduce environmental impacts.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
I enjoyed this tour very much as our guides were very well prepared for this tour as this was the first time this year and made every effort to meet our requirements. The route we took was very safe and sometimes scenery was breathtaking, and I enjoyed every meal from breakfast to dinner. When there was not an appropriate restaurant for lunch, the guides prepared a picnic for us.
Reviewed on 24 Jul 2019 by lyse landreville
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Certainly the scenery! We got to ride through lovely small villages, fields of fresh produce, eucalyptus and pine forests and pear and lemon orchards. There were also rides along the Atlantic ocean and several rivers. We had the opportunity to swim in Cantanhede, Cadima, a man made lake where locals go to cool off on hot summer days. Our last hotel in Òbidos, The Literary Man, was fabulous! If you love books, their smell, their look and their feel, this is the place to go. From wall to wall, floor to ceiling there are books and all sorts!
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Make sure to train for hills! The first two days were relatively flat, but the third to fourth day were quite hilly.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Absolutely! We had pit stops in many small villages along the way. We often visited the local coffee shop and were always received with wonderful smiles. The coffee was always fresh and delicious and relatively cheap. Most shops had lovely and freshly made pastries, the portuguese love their pastries!
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
A memorable trip where we got to meet incredible people and see wonderful scenery! If you enjoy biking, the sun and making great memories ... this is the trip for you!
Reviewed on 21 May 2019 by Ian Jarvis
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Fabulous weather and scenery.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Ask questions as to the composition of the group. We had a 43 year old, two early 50+ year olds and rest were over 60 including an 81 year old. This affected speed we could cycle.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes. We used local restaurants and hotels throughout the week. Water was purchased in large containers locally and divided between cyclists.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
We had a really good time. Fabulous weather for cycling. Stayed in excellent hotels and ate in very good local restaurants. It would have been a full house of excellent ratings if we had an experienced guide. Unfortunately we had a first time guide who was very young and extremely risk averse. This affected the quality of the cycling activity.
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