The Alto Douro Wine Region is a wonderful place with genuinely paradisiacal scenery. A bike ride through the Douro Valley promises to be a wonderful experience.
The Alto Douro Wine Region, located in the interior north of Portugal, has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Cycling for 5 days in the Douro Valley will introduce you to intriguing and breathtaking scenery, delectable cuisine, and some of the world’s greatest wines (including, of course, Port Wine, for which the region is famous). The journey takes you on excellent roads with very little traffic.
Begin your journey at Castelo Rodrigo, a mediaeval village near the Portuguese-Spanish border with a historic castle and arched palace gates. The route will take you over the upland plain to the Spanish border, then through ancient towns to the Douro River. You’ll ride past terraced vineyards and see the region’s typical towns and villages.
The ride is as difficult as they are rewarding, with most climbs performed on the saddle as they twist around the curves of the mountains rather than bike straight up them.
Explore the most renowned vineyards, tour the most extensive collection of outdoor Palaeolithic rock art, and take in the river vistas.
Visit Pinhão, which is home to the majority of the famed Port wine farms, and Peso da Régua, the International Capital of Wine and Vineyards.
We recommend you take the following items:
- Normal daily clothes
- Padded cycling shorts
- Cycling gloves
- Water bottles
- Breathable cycling top
- Cycling helmet
- A couple of warm layers
- Sunglasses, sun cream and a sunhat
- Stiff-soled shoes suitable for cycling
- Waterproofs and long cycling trousers
- Mobile phone with roaming capabilities.
Either a front bar bag or set of panniers (and pannier rack)
– 1 bike lock
– 1 puncture repair kit, 1 tool kit, 1 first aid kit, 1 spare inner tube and a pump
– a GPS device loaded with tracks and a roadbook
Most towns along the road have cash machines, and most establishments accept major credit cards, however, cash is often preferred.
