Discovering Portugal - Lisbon

Reception of the tour participants at the airport and transfer to the hotel with Aventura Motorcycle Tours, welcome drink, dinner, and tour presentation.

We leave the magical enlightened, historical city of Lisbon, once the capital city of the world, and ride South towards the Serra da Arrábida and its incredible views of the ocean below. In Setúbal, we take the ferryboat to cross the Sado River to start our ride alongside the Vicentina coast, with plenty of small and cozy villages on our way.

The coast on the western side of Portugal is full of surprises, and many consider it to be as beautiful, if not even more, than the world-famous Algarve in the South. Our stop for the day will be at a beautiful and tranquil 'herdade' nearby the sea, where a delicious dinner and a good night's rest will wait for the group.

Be prepared to enjoy magnificent coastal views as we ride along the Costa Vicentina and visit some of its splendid beaches, like Almograve, Odeceixe, and Monte Clérigo. 

After lunch, we will turn inland to ride through Serra de Monchique, zigzagging through the mountains until we meet the ocean again, already in the Algarve region. A short stretch of highway will allow us to avoid the busiest urban centers near the sea, and we will finish our day at Praia Verde, close to the Spanish border, enjoying a fantastic hotel within walking distance from the quiet beaches around.

It's time to head north and leave the seaside behind us. From Praia Verde, the route will take our group alongside the Guadiana River, passing by Alcoutim and Mértola, for a lunch stop in Monsaraz, a sensational medieval hilltop town with one of the most beautiful castles in Portugal.

Alentejo is s a poster region likened to Tuscany or Provence, full of wheat fields, cork oak forests, and wildflower meadows. We will ride through timeless villages to pass by Évora and reach our night at a fantastic rural lodge on a convent dating from 1182 at Aldeia da Serra. It will be a truly unforgettable stay for two nights in a place that showcases Portugal's historical roots.

We will spend our first rest day on tour visiting the super-photogenic Évora, a beautifully preserved Roman era, a still-cobbled city steeped in charm and antiquities. Transport from the hotel will allow us to stay the whole day exploring this charming town and have the chance to try the delicious Alentejan cuisine and the region's outstanding wines on a mouthwatering experience that we'll never forget. No motorcycles today, but still plenty of new experiences to be had in Évora.

 Still heading north, we leave in the morning to Marvão, another spectacularly situated walled hilltop village. Splendid views from the Alentejo will make our visit one of the highlights of the day. Out of Marvão, we will pass by the 'Alameda dos Freixos', a postcard-like short stretch of road that will make us feel like riding on a magical tunnel of impressive trees.

We then aim for Monsanto, a quintessential Portuguese town built amid giant boulders. It was awarded the title of 'most Portuguese town' back in 1938, and it definitely merits the distinction even today. Another short ride will take us to our hotel in Termas de Monfortinho for a resting night in an idyllic rural setting.

Behind us will stay the planes of the North Alentejo, and we'll have a thrilling ride through twisties and sweepers as we go by the boulder-strewn alpine meadows of Serra da Estrela, Portugal's highest mountains. We will spend the entire day climbing up and down the stunning roads, including the beautiful Loriga Pass, on our way to Torre, at the summit of the mountain range.

We will finish the day passing by the Vale do Rossim, a hidden jewel in the mountains, and visiting Sabugueiro, the highest village in the country, before reaching our rural boutique hotel in Vinhó for another excellent meal and a most restful night.

It will be a long but rewarding ride today as we leave the foothills of Serra da Estrela and make our way northeast to Torre de Moncorvo. Our route takes us to Castelo Rodrigo, another wonderful little medieval village, and Freixo de Espada à Cinta for a quick lunch. A narrow, curvy road right through the vineyards will then offer us the first glimpse of the fabulous Douro River, near the village of Mazouco.

Before we arrive at our 'Quinta' for a genuine local dinner and the night stop, surrounded by an endless view of vineyards, the group will experience yet another fabulous and lesser-known ride crossing the fantastic roads of the Douro International Natural Park.

The initial part of the day will bring us to Vila Nova de Foz Côa, where the first inhabitants of this region engraved primitive art on the rocks of the Côa River. We will follow the river Douro to Pinhão, a small and charming wine-producing town, where we cross the river to head northwest.

The roads ahead will be mainly incredible twisty stretches linking old villages where time seems to forget to move. As we get closer to Arcos de Valdevez, our gateway to explore the Serra da Peneda-Geres the next day, the subtle scenery changes give away the fact that we are now in the northern part of Portugal, close to Spain's Galicia.

Today, we will start our route by discovering the beautiful the Peneda-Geres National Park, spiraling up the thrilling curves of one of Portugal's best riding regions. After stopping to admire the stone corn granaries in Soajo, we will visit the Nossa Senhora da Peneda sanctuary, an amazing temple almost hidden in the green landscape around it. From Castro Laboreiro, our northernmost point in this journey, we pass through Germil, another little village that shows the authentic Portuguese way of life.

In the afternoon, already on our way down South to Porto, we will make a final stop at enchanting Guimarães, the birthplace of Portugal, and pay a visit to its world-famous castle to learn about the early days of the Portuguese nation. From there, we take the highway straight to Porto, where a delicious dinner will help us celebrate a much diverse day on the road.

It's a rest day in Porto, a gorgeous city at the mouth of the Douro River and Portugal's second-largest urban center. This fabled estuary town (and UNESCO World Heritage Site) combines a picturesque medieval heart and a trendy contemporary buzz, marked by old sophistication.

After exploring the city in a relaxed way, we'll finish our day by the Cais da Ribeira waterfront, watching the traditional "barcos rebelos" (flat-bottomed boats) laden with port caskets. Porto is one of the best destinations in Europe, and its romantic atmosphere will surely make an impression on us all while we watch the sun going down over the ocean and get a taste of the one and only Port Wine.

This day is fully dedicated to fully exploring the Douro Valley in-depth, admiring its tiered vineyards rising from the banks of the river. Our route passes through the N222, a part of which was voted "Most Scenic Drive in the World" by a renowned British car magazine - from Peso da Régua to Pinhão, pure riding bliss!

There are many viewpoints to be visited and plenty of opportunities for incredible photos, so have your camera ready. After lunch in Pinhão, we will cross the river to ride alongside the northern part of the valley and finally get back to the southern bank for a wonderful night stop in a traditional winery-hotel amongst the vineyards.

We turn south and start heading back to Lisbon, but not before getting to know yet another lesser-known region of this incredibly diversified country. We leave the Douro valley to find more curves on empty roads by the hills of central Portugal. Plenty of typical old villages on the way as we zigzag through the corners and admire the scenery around us.

The final part of the day will have us winding inland through the Buçaco forest for a most unforgettable stay in one more fantastic and unexpected place: a real palace that took almost 20 years to be built, from 1888 to 1907. The hotel is a real showcase of Portuguese architecture, painting, and sculpture of the early 20th century. Our night at the Buçaco Palace will be remembered long after our tour is completed.

It's our final day on the road for this tour, and there's still so much more to see and experience. To do so, we must take a more extended ride on the fast and usually empty highway heading to Lisbon to visit the iconic town of Sintra and then enjoy breathtaking views of the cliffs at Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of Europe.

Next follows a delightful road embracing the mountains down to the fishermen's cozy town of Cascais and a sublime ride alongside the coast back to Lisbon. The final night of our trip will be dedicated to the memories Portugal will have left on us all as we make a toast to new friends and new adventures!

Breakfast at the hotel and time to say farewell to our group. Aventura Motorcycle Tours will provide the transfer to the airport for your flight home.