We had a lovely trip to Portugal. We started with a few days in Porto. Then bicycled from Porto to just outside of Lisbon: 5 days, 250 miles, 10,500 feet elevation gain. We finished with a few days in Lisbon.
Porto
We really enjoyed walking around Porto and Gaia. And we walked miles over the days we were there. I loved the red tile roofs, cobblestone streets, and tiled buildings.
A very special highlight of our stay was a visit to the Ramos Pinto Cellars and Museum in Porto, followed by a drive to the Douro Valley to visit their estate and have lunch.
The Bike Ride
Our bike journey.5 days, 250 miles, 10,500 feet elevation gain. We were blessed with amazing weather. No rain and temperatures in the 60s so while chilly in the morning, we never got too hot. We followed the coast and went through summer beach towns where most things were still closed since we were pre-season. We cycled through forests and farms, near dunes and lakes.
It was just the four of us riding. The bike company provided detailed instructions for the route, along with information on what we would see along the way and ideas of where to eat lunch and dinner. We left our bags in the hotel lobby each morning, and they moved them to the next stop so they were waiting for us when we got in. We had amazing food, met very friendly people, and saw the Portuguese coast up close.
Janet used her old cell phone as a camera, keeping it in the back pocket of Will’s bike jersey for easy access. Will had his Meta glasses and amused all of us with his (sometimes angry) conversations with Meta and his excitement when he realized he could have Meta take a video and post it instantly to his Instagram account.
Day 1: Porto to Costa Nova — 60 miles
We got moving only 20 minutes later than expected. Getting out of Porto was terrifying. We traveled down steep, narrow, cobblestone-paved streets, dodging traffic and people. Just when we got to the other side of the river and were about to take off, we got a flat tire. Turned out that the tubes we had packed were not the right size. Fortunately, Will was able to patch the tube, and we continued on.
Most of the day, we were on a fairly flat, paved bike trail along the coast. We came to a village with a bike store and bought new tubes. We rode sometimes on a paved trail and sometimes on a wooden bike trail. We passed through a pretty forest. At the end of the day, we took a ferry to Costa Nova, which is a seaside fishing village known for its brightly striped buildings. We were told the stripes helped the fishermen identify the village from the sea.
Day 2 Costa Nova to Figueira da Foz — 45 miles
We were mostly on the nicely paved Euro Vela Road, though with 3-4 miles of gravel. We had 14 mph wind at our back. Will and stood, and the wind pushed us like sails – we were going about 8 mph without peddling at all. The ride was pretty, with picturesque bridges and lakes.
After a while, the scrubby vegetation along the shore got a bit boring. But I never tired of seeing the water. We passed many shrubs that we initially thought were olive trees. But on closer inspection (and with the help if Google Lens), we identified them as an invasive plant called the long leaf wattle. We passed the first of many windmills and took a break at a pretty lake with a huge swing. The day ended with a steep climb!
Day 3 Figueira da Foz to São Pedro de Moel — 38 miles
Today was the shortest ride. We started on a brief ferry ride and then rode through forests of fir and eucalyptus trees, which were planted to make paper. We also rode by the paper factory. Again, we passed by a pretty little lake. São Pedro de Moel had a lovely beach, which we walked along to watch the waves roar over some rock formations.
Day 4 São Pedro de Moel to Peniche — 56 miles
This was a long day with steep climbs at the end. Early in the day, we rode about 10 miles of unpaved road around a lake that had lots of kite surfers. Toward the end, we had about 5 miles of unpaved rural roads, some of which were pretty sandy, so harder and slower to ride – not relaxing at all.
We saw many farms with an abundance of vegetables: corn, potatoes, leeks, peppers, cabbage, and beans. We also passed grape vines, pear trees, and a lemon orchard.
We had lunch in a cute little beach town that was mostly empty since it was pre-season and still chilly for the beach.
As we got to Peniche, we saw a burned forest with many fallen trees. The hotel owner told us there was a fire in 2017. Then a huge wind storm in 2025 with winds up to 90 mph. The trees that had survived the fire were not strong and were felled by the windstorm. He said the town was lucky in 2017 with the fire. The wind was blowing inland, to the east and blew the fire away from the town. Otherwise, it would certainly have been destroyed or damaged.
Day 5 Peniche to Ericeira — 45 miles
This was the hardest day with more climbs than other days, though not as steep as Day 4. Beautiful coastal views, cute beach towns, and lots of farms.
Lisbon
Our friends left their rental bikes in Ericeira for the tour group to bike up. We packed our up into the suitcases and we all took an Uber into Lisbon. Lisbon is a big city so we were very glad not to be biking in!
We were in Lisbon for the Santo António Festival, which honors Saint Anthony, the patron saint of the city. The festivities begin in early June and culminate on June 12. During this period, Lisbon’s streets come alive with street parties, parades, music, and dancing. The festivities truly last all night. We had to close our window at the hotel.
I really liked the buildings with tile and the narrow winding streets. We had an amazing view of the port from the hotel.
