More detailed descriptions can be found on the Ride Rating System page
Ride Coordinator: Sue Bunten
Report by: Virginia Beckwith
The 2025 Southern Portugal ride was a delightful mix of history, culture, local food and wine, quiet rural roads and best of all sunshine for the entire trip. From the start in Evora to the finish in Tavira temperatures were pleasant and the skies blue making for epic views and lovely picnic and café stops along the way. We were a group of 17 that enjoyed sharing stories and photos and learning about the regions we visited.
We began our ride in the historic, medieval city of Evora, the designated capital of the Alentejo region. The castles in the 3 towns we visited in the region were imprfssive and our leader, Sue Bunten, did a wonderful job sharing history as we traveled. Cork tree Forests (in the Oak family) were a focal point of the routes in Alentejo where we observed harvesting and milling. We made a loop that returned us to Evora for a rest day with an option to cycle out to see the prehistoric Almendres Megaliths, the “Stonehenge” of Portugal.
On day 7 we turned southwest towards the coast on our longest ride of the trip. We were rewarded with a stay at a lovely retreat with an infinity pool, sweeping views and a delicious dinner of regional specialties. The following day we arrived on the coast at Porto Covo, a quaint seaside village with a bustling square full of restaurants and nautical shops. We continued down the coast entering the Algarve region and the town of Sagres, at one time thought to be “the end of the world” as it is the southwestern tip of Portugal. It is associated with the Age of Discovery and home to a tremendous fort on the point and a maritime monument. The view of the harbor from our hotel brought magnificent sunset and sunrise views.
Lagos was a fun layover day. Most folks ventured onto the water to experience the Cliffs of Lagos, an array of rock formations, stacks, arches, caves and pools. The Cliffs are spectacular from above with a 1.5km boardwalk along the rim. Inland Algarve was full of orange and avocado groves thriving in the coastal air. The 8th century Castle of Silvas was a great place to view the expanse of the Algarve and see a well-preserved castle.
Our last stop was Tavira, a town on the Rio Gilao at the mouth of the North Atlantic Ocean. We stayed at Pousada Convento Tavira, a16th century convent built for the Order of Saint Augustine which was renovated into a luxury hotel only steps away from the Castle and a Roman bridge across the River. We had a delightful farewell dinner at the Pousada where we celebrated a wonderful, safe trip and toasted our BAC Trip Coordinator Sue Bunten and Alen and Luka from Sitnica Tours for all of their outstanding planning and execution of 2025 Southern Portugal.
Bicycle Adventure Club
PO BOX 23998 San Diego, CA 92193
Telephone (858) 715-9510 office@bicycleadventureclub.org