Portugal Best Cycling is a wonderful company that is flexible and well organized. During our cycle tour, the weather was expected to be quite hot. As a result of the weather my husband asked if we could start riding at 7:30 in the morning. This is quite early but a great time to enjoy the crisp morning air. We expected that by leaving so early we would have to forgo breakfast. We were wrong, the company/farm house had their hostess arrive by 7:00 so she could prepare breakfast for us prior to our bicycle tour. Very much appreciated. The bikes were in decent shape and always set up and ready to go the night before. We had a briefing the night before our first ride to discuss any concerns as well as a fitting of the bikes. The bikes are hybrid/mountain bikes and are sturdy and comfortable. The rides themselves were enjoyable. The guides we had were very professional. One of our guides had a degree in archeology which was a wonderful bonus as he discussed the very early history of Portugal. Mario was very knowledgeable about all stages of history and cleared up some of the questions we had regarding the country’s kings. He is also a passionate ornithologist ( birder ) pointing out many species of birds as we road throughout the day. On our last day of riding we had a different guide , George, who was also very good. He had an extensive background in the banking sector and was able to engage in conversations regarding the current state of Portugal’s economy. There is nothing more refreshing than a swim in the pool after a long day of riding. The farmhouse, Monte do Serrado de Baixo, was quite pleasant. The internet seemed to be limited to the living room but this was an added bonus since it forced us to meet the other guests who we thoroughly enjoyed. There is an outdoor seating area that we used to chat with the other guests and view the sunset before dinner( the outdoor furniture may need some upgrading in the near future ). There is a communal refrigerator which is very handy for keeping your wine and beverages cool. During our tour, we had two dinners at Monte do Serrado de Baixo. These two dinners were by far the best dinners we had during our two week stay in Portugal. The food was incredible. Each night started with appetizers and bread followed by a beautiful salad, main dish, side dishes and ending with dessert and coffee. We brought our own wine (chilled in the refrigerator) and enjoyed the variety brought by our fellow guests. It was fun getting to know other travellers. The food was excellent !!!! I can’t stress how flexible the company was in meeting our needs. We modified our itinerary so we could visit the cheese factory. We left early every morning. Lunch was flexible depending on when we were hungry. Our rides were slightly modified depending on how tired we were and how hot it was getting. We can’t thank Portugal Best Cycling enough for the wonderful experiences and for being so accommodating to ensure a perfect bike tour.

Cycling in Paradise – Yes, it was!
Our tour with Portugal’s Best Cycling included a 7-night stay at the farmhouse outside of Evora. The farm is a welcoming comfortable home-base after a full day of cycling around the countryside! Each of the four rooms has its own full bathroom and outside sitting area; a common living room and dining room give visitors more room to spread out and a chance to meet others. An unheated pool is a relaxing spot just behind the farm house.Inside, there is an honor bar, which includes wine, beer, soft drinks, water and hard liquor, so no need to bring your own. Grab a cool drink and relax outside, enjoying the quiet countryside. Sheep, a donkey and three dogs are all just as friendly and welcoming as the great staff!
Breakfasts were delicious and included a variety of breads, cereals, meats, cheeses, sweet breads, fruit and eggs! Wonderful fuel for a day of riding! Dinners were also varied and always wonderful ~ black pork, cod, veal and chicken were entrees during our stay – and we were often given a choice! Sign up for the cooking class with your fellow visitors ~ its great fun and the meal is wonderful!
Biking – mountain bikes were in decent shape at the end of the season. And when we had a minor problem, it was immediately addressed. Our routes were a bit more ambitious at times than the guide indicated ~ I’d suggest labeling these ‘moderate’ instead of easy. Road surfaces and hard-packed dirt/gravel ecotrail paths were fun to ride on – the loose sand, not so much! This tour included really informative fun stops at monoliths, castles, a cork factory (amazing to learn about!), leather factory, pottery-making, museum about rugs (I know, but it really is very interesting!), and all as you ride along olive groves, through sleepy villages and onto vineyards and wine tastings! We mostly rode with Jorge, but thoroughly enjoyed our last day with Maria!I would highly recommend Portugal Best Cycling!

Cycling in Paradise is just that!
My wife and I booked the 7 night Cycling in Paradise Tour which has a fixed base at the farmhouse outside of Evora. Booking was easy and all questions pre-tour and pre-booking were answered quickly and thoroughly. The entire staff could not have been nicer or more accommodating. My gluten free diet – no problem. I had GF bread at breakfast and was looked out for the entire trip.

The Alentejo region is very pretty and has an undulating terrain. I would not call any day “easy” but rate the rides “moderate”. Roads were generally well graded and with light traffic. Bikes are what you see on the website; heavy hybrids with front suspensions and suspension seat posts. The gearing is good; the low-low will get you up almost anything.

Jorge, our guide took good care of us, from leading the ride to finding the coffee stops, to getting us a good lunch cafe.

Its nice that goal of the rides is to stop and learn about significant sights of the local culture: cork factory, numerous wineries, leather factory, etc. The optional transfers were really nice so we could take our time at the various stops.

The included dinners were Portuguese comfort food, good and plenty of it. The cooking class was a lot of fun. We came home with recipes that we can’t wait to try.

We had a great week, perfect weather and loved the farm! The cycling was beautiful, just a little more challenging than we anticipated. The dirt roads were sometimes soft and rutted, making them difficult to navigate. However, these roads were often through some of the most spectacular scenery (almond orchards in full bloom, ancient megalith sites, cork trees etc.). Our guide/driver Daniel was super charming, knowledgeable, accommodated our different needs, spoke perfect English and laughed at our Canadian jokes. Theresa and her team were incredibly warm and welcoming, we felt like old friends at the end of the week. The food was delicious and farm fresh and accommodations were very authentic. I would recommend the cooking class with Dena (FUN!) I would also recommend taking a cab (and getting staff to help arranging) into Evora the evenings when dinners are not provided as there is not much available at the farm. Evora is a beautiful town in the evenings.

April 2023

We had a lovely cycling week. The eco-trail (old railway trail) was hard dirt with soft spots but we loved the challenge. We also did some road cycling on serene country roads. We had a guided day with Daniel who was amazing: Thoughtful, articulate and engaging, He took us to Mont Serrat castle a good climb on our bikes. We visited the cork factory, pottery places, megalithic monument. The sites were breathtaking. Beautiful flowering almond trees were everywhere.

We loved our stay on the farm, Annabella greeted us each morning with a delicious farm breakfast, always ready with coffee. She was a delight.

Theresa and her team at the farm with professional, kind, generous, and always giving us great tips and helping us out when needed.

We enjoyed the vintage cars and the company of Pedro.

I would highly recommend this cycling trip !! Unique and exciting.

We traveled with Portugal’s best cycling in October 2021, exploring the beautiful Alentejo region on e-bikes with our guide Mario. When we were planning our trip to Portugal, we wanted to see Lisbon and Porto of course, but we also wanted to be able to spend some time in the countryside and better understand the culture. We got all that and more with our trip.

We had done bike tours before and while we love exploring as much as we can during the day, we are not fans of packing and unpacking every night. The Cycling in Paradise Tour was a perfect fit – the right combination of sightseeing and hanging out at the farmhouse.

We saw and learned so much – from ancient megaliths dating back to to 5000 BC, the remains of the Roman aqueduct just yards from the farmhouse, the medieval bone chapel and cathedral in Evora, to the enduring industries of marble, cork and carpets. We saw the breadth of Alentejo agriculture from olives and prickly pears to cork and wine. We were able to go at our own pace and came back to the farm house every day pleasantly tired, getting just enough exercise from our pedal-assisted e-bikes.

Our tour had the perfect combination of home-cooked meals and dining on the local specialities. Every morning started with an amazing breakfast spread with freshly baked goodies. We took a taxi to Evora several evenings to try the local fare – including our favorite of our trip – Taberna Tipica Quarta Feira. During our rides, Mario took us to a few local-only spots for lunch where we got to try our first (and best) duck rice in Portugal. But by far our favorite evening was our cooking class, where we learned how to make a traditional meal and shared wonderful wine and conversation with our hosts.

If you’re looking to immerse yourself in the culture of Portugal, look no farther than a trip with Portugal’s Best Cycling.

You can read a day-by-day account of our trip with photos on our blog, AppMyHome.