Guadiana and Algarve Coast Bike Tour

Day 1: Arrival in Faro – transfer to Mértola
You will arrive in Faro and be driven to Mértola, a hilltop town above the Guadiana River, where your journey begins.

Day 2: Mértola – Alcoutim
You will cross the Guadiana and ride towards the abandoned São Domingos mines. An old railway corridor leads down to Pomarão, before the route enters Spain along water channels and gentle slopes through El Granado. A boat takes you across the river to Alcoutim, on the other bank.

Day 3: Alcoutim – Vila Real de Santo António
Quiet roads follow the west bank of the Guadiana through the villages of Guerreiros do Rio, Almada do Ouro and Azinhal. A short climb to the Ermida de Santo António gives views over marshes and salt flats, and a new bike path takes you into Vila Real de Santo António.

Day 4: Vila Real de Santo António – Tavira
You will leave the mouth of the Guadiana and pass Altura and its beaches. At Cacela Velha, one of the finest views over the Ria Formosa estuary opens up, before you reach historic Tavira, where the river meets the Atlantic.

Day 5: Tavira – Faro
You will cross the medieval bridge over the Gilão River and ride past one of the largest working salt pans in Portugal. A detour leads to Praia do Barril, reachable only on foot, by bike or by a small train, and boardwalks of the Algarve greenway carry you through the salt pans to Faro.

Day 6: Faro – Albufeira
From behind Faro station, footpaths and dirt tracks lead around the airport, where you can stop to watch a plane pass right over your head. The route continues through Vilamoura marina and Quarteira, ending in Albufeira with wide views over its beaches.

Day 7: Albufeira – Lagos (approx. 90 km; +800 m)
The mountain bike stage of the tour. Paved sections soon give way to dirt trails through hills and pine forests, with technical single tracks, fast dirt sections and short, steep climbs. You will pass villages such as Porches and Carvoeiro before reaching Lagos, close to the rock formations of Ponta da Piedade.

Day 8: Lagos – Vila do Bispo
You will explore the old town and castle walls of Lagos, then ride west on quiet roads towards Praia da Luz and its unspoilt beaches. A detour leads to the ocean cliffs near Sagres and Cape São Vicente, and to the 15th-century navigators' school at Sagres.

Day 9: Departure – transfer to Faro
After breakfast, a transfer takes you from Vila do Bispo back to Faro, where the tour ends.