Day 1 - Arrival in Faro
Welcome and transfer to your accommod
tion in Faro. Depending on the flight schedule, you may have time to discover the city. Faro is a peaceful little town, on the edge of the lagoons and salt flats of the “Rio Formosa”. Take the time to stroll in the pedestrian streets of the center, decorated with typical Portuguese mosaic. Near the “marina”, the old city "Vila dentro" - in the ramparts - is a jewel of Pombaline architecture of the 18th century. You will be astonished by the storks nesting on the steeple of the cathedral, the orange trees on the squares ... You will taste in Faro the gentle lifestyle in southern Portugal.
Night: Faro
Morning bike delivery. Bike ride from Faro to Tavira, via Olhão, the largest fishing port of the Algarve. Don’t miss Olhão’s colorful market that is a real “must”, where you can gather fresh and dry fruits for the day. The salt marshes is a beautiful landscape for cyclists and bird watching. You pedal alongside the Ria Formosa park, passing by Fuseta: a small fisherman village with a lovely little beach and a café. Opportunity to swim in Fuseta on the small beach in the Ria Formosa. You continue onwards to Tavira. Tavira is one of the most charming towns of the Algarve, with a beautiful, preserved architecture. You will enjoy having a well-deserved aperitif on a terrace ... just like locals!
You cycle along the banks of the Gilão river by a small road which then crosses the orchards of orange trees, lemon trees and carob trees. A break allows you to discover "the well of hell", a deep basin created by a waterfall, a real sub-tropical paradise. The ride crosses the hinterland passing by the charming village of Santo Estevao, a beautiful example of Algarve architecture with its colourful facades, sometimes covered in azulejos, its cornices decorated with friezes and its impressive fireplaces. You then reach the superb Barril beach on the island of Tavira. You will have to leave your bikes on the mainland and cross a footbridge and follow the path to the immense beach and it’s ’arraial’, once a temporary hamlet for tuna fishermen, as evidenced by its anchor graveyard. You return to Tavira by crossing the Santa Luzia the ‘Octopus Capital’ as well as an area of salt marshes frequented by many species of birds.
After a stop at the colorful market of Tavira to buy fresh and local products, the coastal paths go along the salt flats, the canals of the Ria Formosa Natural Park, through the orchards and the pine forests towards Fuzeta, a small fishing harbor on a sandy bank at the edge of the lagoon with turquoise waters. As you near the village of Moncarapacho, we recommend visiting the ‘orchard of flavours’ on a self-guided tour. A superb botanical garden dedicated to tropical edible plants, as well as the Monterosa estate, where you can taste local olive oils. The return to Tavira is via small inland roads, in the "barrocal" with its farms, gardens and orchards.
A ride along the coastline via the ‘ecovia’, a comfortable and well-equipped cycle path. Cacela Velha is one of the most beautiful places in the Algarve, a proud bastion on its rocky outcrop overlooking the lagoons and sandbanks of the Ria Formosa, a show that changes with the tides and the light. The paths and small roads of the ecovia lead to Castro Marim, a town protected by two fortresses, one medieval and the other from the XVIII century. You follow the Guadiana River, the border river with Spain, to arrive at Vila Real de Santo Antonio, a villa that dates back to the XVIII century, built in the Pombalin style. Opposite, on the other side of the river, the small Andalusian town of Ayamonte.
A small ferry boat (regular crossings - 15 min) allows to cross the river with the bikes to Ayamonte, in Andalusia. So close and so different from its Portuguese neighbor, this passage into Spain allows us to better understand what links and differentiates these two regions, these two Iberian countries. From the "ramblas" of Ayamonte, a cycle path leads to Isla Christina, a peninsula prized for its long beaches. After returning by boat to Vila Real de Santo Antonio, paths lead through a large pine forest that borders the coast. In this forest refuge of biodiversity, be careful not to run over a chameleon! A final opportunity for a swim in the Ocean or to enjoy a drink on a terrace overlooking the water. Back at your hotel you’ll meet your bike partner to return your bikes (or the next morning).
Transfer to Faro airport.
