Bike: Bairrada-Coimbra
The self guided cycling tour "Bairrada-Coimbra" consists of a 6-days round trip, heading from thr Mondego river to the Atlantic ocean. You will stay two nights in the Bairrada wine region with the possibility to visit a wine cellar. If desired you can complete this trip with a stay at Coimbra. For the other 6 day tour look at Coimbra in between.
Included
- 5x overnight stay with breakfast
- 4x lunchpackage
- route descriptions
- route maps
- GPS tracks
- additional personal route information
- luggage transport
Day 1
You will get the opportunity to try your bicycle.
Overnight stay at the accommodation: Quinta no Pinhal .
Day 2
You
will get acquainted with the landscape of Beira Litoral; hilly/sloping,
lots of greenery and water. A drive of 39 km. The start is in Vila
Nova de Poiares cycling direction Penacova. high above the Mondego with
from here a beautiful view over this river. On the way you will pass 14
restored mills at Gavinhos, in some of them you can spend the night,
here you can test your climbing skills. Halfway you will pass through
the village of Lorvão which is known for its monastery and especially
its beautiful church. In the pastelaria (bakery) opposite the monastery
you can taste the delicacies made according to the ancient recipe of the
monks. Overnight stay: Quinta no Pinhal.
Day 3
You leave the Quinta to make a trip of 50 km to São Lourenço. You drive along the village of Penacova, highly above the river Mondego, forward to the national Parc of Buçaco with its stunning hotel
On the way you will pass numerous fountains, a lot of unspoiled villages and olive groves and orange orchards, surrounded by pineforests. In the National Parc of Buçaco you will find the Mata do Buçaco, a wood of 105 ha, surrounded by a wall of 5 km and 11 entrances. Via Luso, a spa well known for its therapeutic mineral water, you pass the wine region “Bairrada”. Your destination is Quinta São Lourenço in São Lourenço.
Day 4
70 km Today you cycle via Mira to Praia de Mira, wide sandy beaches and a fresh sea. Between the two places stretches a part of the wide pine forests with which one tries to counteract the sand drifts in the dunes - about 5000 hectares. For a change, a trip on flat roads in Praia de Mira, with its typical houses built on stilts (palheiros), where fishermen still practice traditional trawling, is a popular summer resort. Or a trip of 34 km in the wine region of Bairrada. Your visit starts at Quinta de Ortigão, founded by the man who first produced sparkling wine in this area, Augusto Brandão Alegre. Afterwards you drive on to Curia and visit the wine shop Bairrada where you can taste wine from this region. the visit ends at Caves de São Domingos. On the way back you can visit the winery Aliança in Sangalhos. Here is also a museum with African masks. *In the evening you can try the Leitão, the regional specialty of the Bairrada region.
Overnight stay: "Quinta São Lourenço".
Day 5
You start in São Lourenço for your last trip of 27 km or 67 km. The first part you will encounter ancients hamlets, some of them partly abandoned. Before you enter the famous age-old university town of Coimbra, you will pass various rice-fields nearby Gandara.You can also take the train to Coimbra, that will shorten your trip to 27 km. Cycling along the river Mondego you will reach the historical town-centre. . The ancient university and the cosy, narrow shopping streets worth to be visited
By the southide you leave Coimbra and driving along the astonishing valley of the river Mondego you ’ll reach your final destination. Overnight stay: `Quinta no Pinhal’.
Dag 6
After a benevolent breakfast your tour ends.
Equipment
Your rental bike is a hybrid bike with Shimano parts, front suspension and 21 gears, luggage rack, water bottle holder, bicycle pump, repair kit and meter. You can borrow bicycle bags for a small deposit on the spot. You can also rent a bike helmet. We recommend to wear a bicycle helmet.
Extra days
You can book an extra night at every Quinta. An extra day in Vila Nova de Poiares gives you the opportunity to canoeing on the Mondego River. You can also book a guided hike in the hills of the Serra de Lousã.In São Lourenço an extra day to visit the wine cellars of Aliança (by bike, 14 miles back and 14 miles back) or the thermal baths of Luso (15 km and 15 km back by bicycle or by train). All accommodations have a swimming pool. Additional nights are always based on breakfast or half board, lunch package is not included on extra days. If you want to spend more time in the beautiful city of Coimbra, this is accessible by bus from Vila Nova de Poiares and by train from Sao Lourenço. You can also schedule an extension after the journey in Coimbra.