A week to experience the magical Douro valley on this self-guided cycling holiday in the North of Portugal, a sunny region and "must-see" for wine lovers, starting and finishing in Porto, one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. We have selected easy rides, leaving time for sightseeing, relaxing and tasting the great Port wines, Vintage, LBV or Colheita, but also some surprising red and white wines and exceptional olive oil!
The Douro and its numerous tributaries have created a hydrographic basin with spectacular landscapes where nature and culture intertwine beautifully, and always with the majestic Douro River accompanying you. The old Corgo railway line has been converted into a cycle path ‘cyclovia’ offering comfortable rides through villages, forests, pastures and vineyards. From the highlands you descend little by little to the Douro, passing by Vila Real, where you can visit the Mateus Palace, a masterpiece of Portuguese Baroque architecture. You finish the trip with a bike ride along the estuary and the Ocean, where the Port wines that came from the valley matured in Porto before being exported to the 4 corners of the world.
Optional transfer from the airport to your accommodation in the centre of Porto (not included).
Depending on the flight schedule, you may have time to explore the "capital of the North". While displaying a modern flair, Porto conceals a unique atmosphere in its medieval streets, squares or on its quays, and is an ideal place for a gentle stroll.
Meals included: none
Night: Porto
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contact@intura-travel.com
Collect your bikes and transfer (1h30) to Pedras Salgadas, a small town renowned for its sparkling water. You cycle by the thermal baths before joining the international ecovia of Tamega and Corgo, a cycle path built on an old railway track. The itinerary follows the Corgo valley, crossing fields and pastures, dotted with hamlets with their "espigueiros", traditional granaries made of granite. After the small town of Vila Pouca de Aguiar, the Corgo valley turns into a forest until you reach Vila Real, a university town worth visiting by bike, notably for its facades, coats of arms and churches.
The day begins with a tour of this architectural jewel of northern Portugal, a masterpiece of the Italian architect Nasoni. After a stroll through the beautiful gardens of the Palace, the cycle route continues towards the sculptured Corgo Valley. Old railway stations, hamlets and hilltop villages line the route through forests and terraced vineyards.
Train or transfer (with your bikes - around 4€ / pers) to the small train station of Mosteiro, downstream on the Douro. The itinerary goes up the Douro, on the left bank then right bank, over bridges and dams, through tributaries, and hamlets and villages suspended in time. You cycle through the vineyards and terraced olive groves, and with each turn you get a new perspective, a new light. You can visit a small museum on route dedicated to the "rabelos", the traditional boats used for the navigation on the Douro River.
Cycle up the Douro River in the heart of the region of the great Port Wines, to the emblematic village of Pinhão. Today you have several ride options and you will have the opportunity to stop at several "quintas", the wineries that have been producing and exporting Porto wine around the world since the 18th century. The often steep hillsides have been sculpted into terraces for centuries, justifying the classification of this exceptional landscape as a World Heritage Site by Unesco. Return by bike, by train or transfer (with your bikes) to Regua.
Transfer (1h30) to Porto with your bikes. You cross the Eiffel Bridge in Porto to reach Vila Nova de Gaia, where the wineries of all the great Port Wine houses stand by the river. You go along the estuary of the Douro with its small port before reaching the ocean and its long beach where huge blocks of granite emerge. You follow the coastline southward via a cycle path along the sea. Return by bike, by train or transfer to Porto. Return the bikes at the end of the afternoon in Granja or Porto. 
End of the trip after breakfast. Optional transfer to the airport.
