MTB - Schist Villages Trail

Castelo Novo, Portugal Bike Tours

	Low	High	Notes
5 - 11 June 2011	890 Euro	1,150 Euro	guided tour
4 - 10 September 2011	890 Euro	1,150 Euro	guided tour
all year round	690 Euro	890 Euro	self-guided

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

Castelo Novo, Portugal Bike Tours

Active Adventure

In this traverse you will bike village to village, sleeping in some of the 24 Schist Villages of Central Portugal, using trails that are part of the long distance trail that connect all of them. You also have options that allow you to do the distances according to your cycling level. The route pass by forest areas, fluvial beaches, climb Lousã and Açor Mountains, crossing several important rivers and breathtaking landscapes! And believe it, you will be surprised by some secrets that the local inhabitants keep for you.

Accommodations: Comfort (3-4 star inns and mid-scale properties)
Activity Level: Sporty (You like to ride hard)

Total Distance: 174,2km/ 107,8mi + Warm up day 1 optional (min. 3,8km/ 2,4mi; máx. 29,6 km/ 18,4 mi)
Total Distance (with 2 days extension): 218,4km/ 135,9mi
Total climbing: +7666m / +25151ft
Total descents: -7961m/ -26118ft
Shortest day: 21,8km/ 13,5mi
Longest day: 34,5km/ 22,1mi

Typical Day

Day 2: Ferraria de São João | Gondramaz | Chiqueiro | Casal Novo | Talasnal
(34km/ 21,1mi | +1501m/ +4925ft | -1591m/ -5220ft | 3-4h)
The first ride takes you towards the Schist Villages of Lousã mountain, passing very near São João do Deserto sanctuary. During the first 16 km/ 9,9 mi you will climb progressively with the remainder route being more accessible with some spectacular descents. A little over halfway of the route, you will pass through the pretty village of Gondramaz. Toward the end, on the way of Talasnal, you can make a short detour to visit the villages of Chiqueiro and Casal Novo.

Day 4: Pena | Fajão
(31,7km/ 19,7mi | +1222m/ +4009ft | -1108m/ -3635ft | 2-3h)
Today you will ride towards the Protected Landscape of the “Serra do Açor” (Açor mountain). The day begins with a long climb, but at theend you will be rewarded with a fantastic downhill to the village of Fajão. At Fajão village, with its great rocks in the background, you can visit the new building Fajão-culture, where there is also the Schist villages store. You can also visit Monsignor Nunes Pereira Museum and Stª Guia Chapel with Guilherme Filipe paintings.

Day 6: Janeiro de Cima | Álvaro
(29,4km/ 18,3mi |  +1162m/ +3812ft | -1158m/ -3799ft |  2-3h)
Today you will ride in the direction of Alvaro among the meanders of Zêzere river- Geosite belonging to the Geopark Naturtejo, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its geological formations. Along the way you will pass by Janeiro de Baixo with similar house construction as Janeiro de Cima. You can’t miss visiting this village and stop by the Water mill carved in the rock.

Sleeping and meals

Accommodations: Comfort (3-4 star inns and mid-scale properties)

Meals: breakfast, 5 dinners "a la carte" and a fully refreshing picnic included in Guided tours.
The van support will include several snacks to give you the energy during the day (dry fruits, fruit, energy bars, chips, beverages...)

Rates

Guided price (890 €) includes: 6 accommodations, 6 dinners, local transfers, van support, 2 guides, daily snacks, maps and documentation, GPS tracks, insurance, A2Z t-shirt and water bottle and VAT.

Supported price (790€) includes: 6 accommodations, local transfers, van support, 1 guide, daily snacks, maps and documentation, GPS tracks, insurance, A2Z t-shirt and water bottle and VAT.

Self-guided price (690€) includes: 6 accommodations, local transfers, maps and documentation, GPS tracks, insurance, cellphone with 24h helpline, A2Z t-shirt and water bottle and VAT.

Castelo Novo, Portugal Bike Tours

Castelo Novo, Portugal Bike Tours

A2Z Adventures (View My Profile)
Because we are a Portuguese company, we take great pleasure in showing our charming country and taking you to those unique places that only locals know about. We run bicycling and walking tours in Portugal since 2006.
But you can also join us for a hiking trip in the Alps, Patagonia or the Himalayas or for a grueling bicycle ride in the Pyrenees, Patagonia or Turkey. You choose!
At A2Z Adventures we love what we do and we only run trips that we love to do ourselves.
It´s that simple.

We are a small tour company. And we are proud of it. We try hard to, as often as possible, work with local people and organizations to help the local economy grow. One per cent of our revenues is donated to non-profit organizations that work towards the development of small communities.
Fun, knowledgeable and with at least five years of experience, our guides will make sure that you have a great time, in total safety. They come from very different backgrounds, have different personalities, but there is one thing they all share: their love for traveling and the desire to show you their favorite places in the world.