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Vineyards & Castles

Sep 17-30, 2005

2005 Price: US$3874 for 14 days/13 nights.
Includes 10 dinners with wine, 2 picnics, and all breakfasts.
Terrain: Moderate to hilly.
Arrive: Oporto Airport
Depart: Lisbon Airport

On our two-week grand tour, we'll bicycle through two of Portugal's most beautiful, and yet contrasting, regions. Our Portuguese extravaganza begins with a week of biking through the colorful valleys of the Minho and Galicia during the September grape harvest, sampling the region's famous food, drink, and enthusiastic hospitality. You'll share the road with grape-laden oxcarts, as vineyards famous for their vinho verde ("green" or young wine) are harvested by hand. We'll be in Ponte de Lima for the Feiras Novas celebration, one of the most colorful country festivals in Portugal. A rollicking folk parade and outdoor market highlight the day, with exuberant singing, dancing, and fireworks after sunset.

		As we continue our cycling journey in the Alentejo, you might well think you're in a different country! Vineyards and valleys are replaced by expansive plains guarded by medieval castles. Ancient olive and sturdy cork trees flaunt their distinctive silhouettes against an infinite blue sky. Picturesque whitewashed villages beckon from their hilltop perches, their façades unchanged by the centuries. We'll discover each town's intriguing personality as we ride north along the Spanish border. Our adventure concludes with a free day for sightseeing in Lisbon, a gem among Old World cities.

Portugal Bike Tours
Vineyards & Castles Itinerary

The Minho
Day 1: Late morning van transfer from Oporto Airport to an elegant hilltop pousada overlooking Viana do Castelo, capital city of the Minho. Welcome dinner features specialties of the region.

Day 2: Back roads lead through terraced wine country to Ponte de Lima for the Feiras Novas festival. (30 mi.)

Day 3: Follow the Rio Lima valley or take a challenging mountain route to Arcos de Valdevez for a two-night stay at a turn-of-the-century estate. (15 or 27 mi.)

Day 4: Spectacular challenging cycling loop through pine and eucalyptus forests, remote mountain villages, and the granite peaks of Peneda-Gerês National Park. (30, 36, or 48 mi.)

Day 5: Rewarding vistas of terraced valleys and distant mountains, before descending to the town of Monção, on the Rio Minho and Spanish border. Winery tour and dinner at our country estate. (31, 37, or 54 mi.)

Day 6: Shop in Valença do Minho, tour Tui's Gothic cathedral, and explore Mount Aloia Nature Reserve. Paella feast and two-night stay on the coast in Baiona, Spain. (43 mi.)

Day 7: Free day for shopping, beachcombing, or coastal cycling to Celtic ruins at Monte Santa Tecla. (0, 23, 29, or 58 mi.)

The Alentejo
Day 8: Van transfer to Évora, a masterpiece of Moorish architecture and hanging gardens, and a UNESCO World Heritage City. Afternoon walking tour of the Gothic cathedral, 2nd-century Roman temple, and eerie Chapel of the Bones.

Day 9: Easy loop across the Alentejo plains visits dolmens, cave paintings, and the village of Arraiolos, famous for its hand-tapestried carpets. ( 40 or 56 mi.)

Day 10: Our ride through Reguengos features a stop in a tiny village of potters to watch artisans at work. Olive groves and cactus line our ascent to Monsaraz, a walled village also known as "Ninho das Aguias" ("Eagles' Nest") for its dramatic location. (35 or 42 mi.)

Day 11: Cycle through the Redondo wine region to Vila Viçosa, where the ruined 13th-century castle of King Dinis overlooks the town, and the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança recalls the days of empire. Overnight at the lovely Casa de Peixinhos, built by the Finance Minister of Portugal in the 16th century. ( 42 or 49 mi.)

Day 12: Tour the ducal palace or bicycle an optional loop to medieval castle ruins overlooking the Spanish frontier. Late afternoon transfer to Lisbon for a two-night stay. (0, 18, or 33 mi.)

Day 13: Free day for a guided walking tour of Lisbon's many sights, from the ancient Alfama Quarter to the modern Monument to the Discoveries. Farewell dinner celebration.

Day 14: Van transfer to Lisbon Airport for noontime flights.

GETTING THERE: Easy Rider Tours has arranged a special airfare on TAP Air Portugal from Newark. Call us for details!

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