Porto
Grand Fondo Porto Departure
TOUR DETAILS
START LOCATION
FINISH LOCATION
Porto
DAYS RIDING
7
GROUP SIZE
Limited to 12 people
TOTAL DISTANCE
970 km
TOTAL ELEVATION
9,500 km
LONGEST DAY
127 Km
BIGGEST CLIMBING DAY
2200 m | Serra da Estrela
PORTO | AVEIRO | ALDEIAS DO XISTO | SERRA DA ESTRELA | PINHÃO | DOURO VALLEY
Capital and gateway to the North of Portugal, Porto will conquer you with its cosmopolitan city life and forceful character. Ride along the living and refreshing waters of the Atlantic, travel through traditional fishing villages embellished with colorful houses by the beach. Be enchanted by the green meadows and the blue streams. Discover Serra da Estrela, the highest mountain of mainland Portugal. Its access by paved road is a challenge to conquer and its landscapes are an inspiration to personal overcoming. Ride along Douro demarcated wine region, the oldest in the world, UNESCO World Heritage.
DAY BY DAY BREAKDOWN
The Route
Day 1
Arrival at Porto and free time to settle down. Stay at The Yeatman hotel, one of Europe’s leading wine hotels, The Yeatman is a haven for wine lovers and the prime destination for those wishing to explore the pleasures of this UNESCO World Heritage site. Enjoy an exquisite dinner at Café Guarany, an historical place, with elegance and old-world charm.
Day 2
Ride along the magnificent Atlantic Ocean line and the Costa Verde (Green Coast), full of traditional fishing villages and palace-like houses and the picturesque village of Costa Nova with its wooden huts painted in brightly coloured stripes. Discover the Portuguese Little Venice – Aveiro, intersected by canals and brightly colored boats.
Day 3
In Center of Portugal, surrounded by mountains and rivers Vouga and Dão, stands the city of Viseu, milestone of sacred art and religious architecture, as evidenced by the numerous churches that adorn the historical center. The paths are flanked by schist walls and the lands dotted with coppices providing a very striking colored scheme.
Day 4
Ride Serra da Estrela, an area of rare landscape beauty, with striking mountain drops, where you can have a deep experience of the silence of the heights. At 1,993 metres at its highest point in Torre, Serra da Estrela is the perfect sportive challenge. Run the mountains, the plateaus, the valleys, unravelling the myths of the emblematic places.
Day 5
From Serra da Estrela to Pinhão, cycle in a region where farming is still by far the most important activity, particularly famous for its chestnut production. From hot springs to rural world, countryside, nature, secular traditions and local gastronomy. Stay at The Vintage House, an idyllic riverside location in the authentic heart of the Douro Valley.
Day 6
The Douro Valley could as easily be called the enchanted valley, such is the beauty and magic that its landscapes offer. The Douro Wine Region Valley is the oldest demarcated wine region in the world. Visit one of the oldest, emblematic and well-known wineries of the Douro region and enjoy a true combination of Douro traditional flavors.
Day 7
The Douro Wine Region Valley is the oldest demarcated wine region in the world. This region of schist mountains, with poor, harsh soils, was transformed by the actions of the men who planted the vineyards step by step. End your day, looping across Porto and its tiled buildings, old churches and medieval walls.
Day 8
Time to go home and feel the exclusive Portuguese Word – Saudade. Check-out and transfer to Porto International Airport.
