Atlantic Coast biking vacation in Portugal

Planet

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.

People

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.