Portugal Bike - The Charming Pousadas in the North

Guimaraes, Portugal Bike Tours

	Guided	Unguide	Notes
July	2,210 Euro	1,780 Euro	person/week
August	2,280 Euro	1,850 Euro	person/week

*Please contact advertiser for rates & availability for your travel dates.

Guimaraes, Portugal Bike Tours

Guimaraes, Portugal Bike Tours

Active Adventure

Tour Highlights

1. Accommodations in Historic Hotels in Castles, Palaces, Monasteries and Fortresses
2. Magnificent views over the rivers and luxuriant vegetation
3. Santa Luzia and the beautiful view over Viana
4. Churches and Manor houses everywhere
5. The rich gastronomy and the famous wine of the region: vinho verde
6. The religious city of Braga and its churches
7. Guimaraes �" the birth of Portuguese nationality
8. Re-live history itself in each stone, each glance and each object
9. Peneda/Geres National Park and the amazing landscape
10. Feeling a different outstanding atmosphere in each Pousada.


Summary

This is a gorgeous Road bike tour (on which you can also use a Hybrid Bike) which takes you to several Manor Houses, Palaces and Monasteries; these magnificent places were once inhabited by the clergy or the Queens and Kings of Portugal and now are converted into exquisite lodgings, which we call POUSADAS. This Tour starts in Valença do Minho which is a historic village in Northern Portugal located near the Spanish border; the border line is the beautiful river Minho and the village is surrounded by walls. There is a fortress with two towers and double walls, several manor houses and small palaces and several churches too. Then we will ride to Viana do Castelo, a town founded in the 13th century and whose port was one of the main ports from which the Portuguese explorers set sail, due to the Discoveries in the 16th century. We will visit Braga, the oldest Portuguese city and one of the oldest Christian cities in the World. It was founded in the Roman times as Bracara Augusta and it has more than 2000 years of History as a city. We will cross the hills in Gerês and will stay in a 12th century Monastery converted into a charming hotel. Next stop will be in a Nature hotel located in the heart of Peneda/Gerês National Park with a breathtaking view over the river and the peaceful Caniçada dam. On our last day we will ride to Guimarães which is traditionally known as the birthplace of the Portuguese nation. You can visit the medieval historic centre, the castle and the palace nearby and feel the medieval atmosphere around you.

Typical Day

Programme

Day 1: Arrival �" Welcome at Oporto airport. 1H00 drive to Valença, briefing about the tour followed by dinner. Lodging in a Pousada which is set on the highest place of the old fortified area of Valença, with a great view to Spanish border.

Day 2: Cycling along the river borderline �" 56km (35mi), level 3. After breakfast we leave Valença and ride towards Viana do Castelo, a city founded in the 13th century and whose port was one of the main ports of sailing during the Portuguese Discovery Journeys in the 16th century. Picnic on the way. Dinner with the group. Lodging in a Pousada set on the hill of Santa Luzia, overlooking the city and the beautiful estuary of the river Lima.

Day 3: Towards Braga, the capital of Minho region �" 54km (34mi), level 4. After breakfast we ride towards Braga, the most ancient city in Portugal and one of the most ancient Christian cities in the world; it has more than 2000 years of History. Picnic on the way. Dinner with the group. Lodging in a Pousada which is the result of the restoration of a late nineteenth-century palace and is the ideal base to discover the magnificent city of Braga.

Day 4: The most typical views in Minho region �" 26km (16mi), level 2. After breakfast we ride on the green and luxuriant Gerês Hills and here and there we can find some houses. Picnic on the way. Dinner with the group. Lodging in a Pousada that is the result of the restoration of a former Cistercian Monastery from the 12th century.

Day 5: Climbing the green luxuriant hills �" 18km (11mi), level 2. After breakfast we leave the 12th century Monastery and we ride up the green Gerês Hills. Our ride is short but very steep until we get to our next Pousada; however the dazzling views make the effort worth. Picnic on the way. Dinner with the group. Lodging in a nature Pousada with a unique location, right in the heart of Peneda/Gerês National Park.

Day 6: Guimarães, the birthplace of Portugal �" 38km (24mi), level 3. After breakfast we ride towards Guimarães, the birth of Portuguese nationality. We leave the Peneda Gerês National Park and we start to ride down to this historic city. Visit to the medieval historic centre, to the castle and palace where you can feel the medieval atmosphere around you. Picnic on the way. Dinner with the group. Lodging in a Pousada located in the medieval historical centre of Guimarães.

Day 7: Departure �" Farewell at Oporto airport �" 0H40 drive.

Age range, type of group

Technical Data

Type: Road Race Bike Tour
Class: HISTORIC TOUR
Version: Guided or Self-Guided
Region of Portugal: Minho (coast and inland)
Duration: 7 days / 6 nights / 5 days cycling
Begin: Valenca (Minho)
End: Guimarães (Minho)
Difficulty level (1-5): 1 2 3 4 5
= Intermediate. You must be in good shape
Distance: 192km (120mi)
Average: 38km/day (24mi/day)

Sleeping and meals

The price includes:

- 7-day Road Bike Tour with a Guide (*)
- Transfers from and to Oporto Airport
- Accommodations (6 nights in Pousadas �" luxury Historic Hotels): one 12th century Monastery, one 17th century Fortress, one 20th century Palace, one 19th century Palacelike Mansion, one typical House in the mountains, one Palacelike Mansion. Double bedroom occupancy.
- 6 Breakfasts
- 5 nourishing and energetic picnics (*)
- 6 Dinners (including our famous wines, our amazing cheeses and lovely desserts) (*)
- Daily energy-bars and water (*)
- Luggage transport from Pousada to Pousada
- Documentation about PortugalBike Tour
- Personal Accident Insurance
- Liability Insurance
- Techno-Mechanical Assistance
- First-Aid assistance on location
- Permanent Backup Vehicle (*)
(*) Not included in Self-Guided Tours

Rates

Dates and Prices for 2012:

July 29 - August 04:
Guided: Euro 2210 (Single Suppl. + € 370)
Self-Guided: Euro 1780 (Single Suppl. + € 370)

August 12 - 18:
Guided: Euro 2280 (Single Suppl. + € 400)
Self-Guided: Euro 1850 (Single Suppl. + € 400)

August 26 - September 01:
Guided: Euro 2280 (Single Suppl. + € 400)
Self-Guided: Euro 1850 (Single Suppl. + € 400)


=> Prices per person, double bedroom occupancy in Pousadas - luxury Historic Hotels.
=> If you want a different date, ask us about prices and availability.

Other Information

On this tour you will ride with this bicycle:

ROAD RACE BIKE: BH L41 Carbon Spirit Ultegra
DETAILS:

Frame: Carbon fiber
Fork: Carbon fiber
Brakes: Shimano Ultegra
Gears: Shimano Ultegra/105, 30 Speeds
Pedals: Normal (with cages or not), Shimano SPD or Look Keo Classic
Tires: Road, 700x23
Weight: 9,2kg
Other: Man or woman seat, frame triangle bag, seat bag.
(please see the picture #26)

Guimaraes, Portugal Bike Tours

Cristina Henriques (View My Profile)
Being a Portuguese-owned Company, we know our country better than anybody else and we want to expose people to places and curiosities about Portugal that only a Portuguese knows! Our goal is that you visit Portugal …riding a bicycle!

On PortugalBike Tours you have the opportunity to visit our historical, cultural and landscape heritage in our National Parks, enjoy the sun and the beaches, and at the end of the day you can recover your strength with an exquisite dinner. You can taste our famous wines, amazing cheeses and lovely desserts, and sample typical dishes of each region of Portugal.

Travelling with PortugalBike will connect you deeply with the country, becoming part of its everyday life, observing details that typical tourists miss and enjoying spontaneous encounters along the way. You will rest in cosy and charming accommodations. We always choose 4-star quality hotels whenever possible in each region or Bed & Breakfast units. Our accommodations are always the best offer of each region.

PortugalBike Tours are designed so that we begin at a certain point and we end elsewhere. You do not start and end at the same place. We think that is the best way to discover Portugal ...riding a bicycle! Read the specific information about each ride to learn more details.

PortugalBike Tours have a maximum of 16 participants, and a minimum of two. Larger groups are also possible upon request and according to our availability. Our Bike Tours are prepared for one week (7 days / Sunday to Saturday).

The dates of PortugalBike Tours are according to our calendar, or on request, according to our availability. The prices below are for the scheduled PortugalBike Tours. If you wish a different date, ask us for prices and availability.

WE ARE PROUD TO OFFER YOU A GOOD PRODUCT AND A QUALITY SERVICE