Hello all
If anyone is going to Portugal soon - or has been there recently - I would love to have any useful bits of information you can share.
Good roads/bad roads, favourite campsites/cake shops, helpful bike mechanics, experiences taking your bike on planes/trains/busses etc etc
I run a website giving advice on routes and general information on cycling - www.pedalportugal.com. Although I've cycled and travelled through much of Portugal I haven't been everywhere and I don't live there anymore (sadly), so any updates or useful tips you can share with fellow riders are ALWAYS welcome.
Post here in reply or (even better) email me at [email protected] or leave a comment on the website.
Obrigado!
Huw Thomas
Check this growing network of low traffic roads in Portugal: www.ecoviasportugal.pt
There is also a Road Book with maps and GPS tracks: https://sellfy.com/p/3bcS/
Check this growing network of low traffic roads in Portugal: www.ecoviasportugal.pt
There is also a Road Book with maps and GPS tracks: https://sellfy.com/p/3bcS/
We did most of your Alentejo Circuit in April/May 2015. Your book came in very handy! A few things that come to mind:
Gonçalo Guerreiro at The Bike Zone in Castro Verde was extremely friendly and helpful. Also, the campground in Castro Verde is excellent. It is pretty new with great showers, a laundromat, a rec room where you can eat and charge your phone. Supermarket is within walking distance.
Campground in Aljezur was very nice. Pretty good showers and a nice setting for tents. German gal working at the front desk was so nice and helpful. Beautiful beach is only a few miles away.
My least favorite campground was in Evora. It was twice as expensive and very close to a busy road. No toilet paper and front desk was not that helpful.
Loved the vegetarian restaurant Salsa Verde in Evora. You pay by weight and the dishes are simple and tasty. Very clean and nice owner.
The coastal roads from Setubal to Trafaria Ferry were very dangerous. Narrow roads with little shoulder and very fast cars and some very rude drivers. Was quite a shock after cycling in the quiet Alentejo Region for two weeks.
We had no problems taking our bikes on the regional trains. We wrapped our bikes in thick clear plastic on the plane without any problems. Much easier than finding bike boxes.
Cycling from lisbon Airport to catch the ferry for Barreiro City was very easy. From the airport we rode a few miles on Avenida de Berlim to the Tejo River and then took a bike path to the Barreiro City ferry.
We stayed in Mourã at the Casa Esquivel. This hotel was just okay....very pricey. I think we paid about 45 euros in the off season. The rooms were adequate and the breakfast was fair to poor. This was the only hotel we stayed at our whole time in Portugal. We mostly camped and stayed with WarmShowers hosts for 4 nights. The other hotel you listed, Solar De Sao Bento , was closed.
Finding places to charge our iphone/GPS was challenging at times. Wish we had brought a solar charger with us. Restaurants would let us charge our phone or we had to hang around campground bathrooms till it was charged.
Feel free to ask any questions! Thanks again for a great E Book!
MEILANI