Rural Guesthouse
Algarve Countryside Cycling Holiday with map & roadbook
Discover the country side of the Algarve where time has stood still.
You like gentle cycling along the coast or do you prefer a more challenging mountain bike route along dirt tracks in the hills? Choose for a full week or our short cycle break.
A 2 day cycling break for 4 people, starts at € 119 per person, with accommodation, breakfast and All Terrain Bikes included! You´re only worry is which route you cycle that day.
Rural Guesthouse
You will stay in a 400 year old manor house in a double room with your private bathroom. This well maintained guesthouse, is officially classified as “Rural Guesthouse” in Portugal.
The 5 spacious rooms have wooden floors and original tiles in the bathroom with shower/bath and toilet.
It has a shared living room and dining room, both with fireplaces, where you can easily meet other guests. The common kitchen is fully equipped with microwave, water kettle and coffee machine. The guesthouse has a 8 x 4 meter sized swimming pool in a cosy patio garden where it is great to relax after a day cycling.
Here you can “come home” after a short trip or intensive cycling day. Relax in the common room with a nice glass of wine, next to the fireplace. The sub-tropical garden has some cosy corners where you can relax, read a book or use the free swimming pool. You can also decide to make a stroll through the village, and have a drink in one of the small Portuguese bars where all the locals gather after their working day.
Authentic Portuguese village
Mexilhoeira Grande (see map) is a small and authentic Portuguese village, at a distance of 1.5 km of the coast. The village has 3 good, but small restaurants with tasty local food. Fresh fish, shellfish from the Ria de Alvor, cataplanas and local meat dishes are served every day of the week. 1 km outside of the village you can also find a good pizzeria.
Besides 3 small supermarkets for your daily groceries there is also a bank, a post office & bakery located in the village. The guesthouse is situated on the main square in the centre, opposite to the church.1000 meter south from the village you will find the nature conservation area Ria de Alvor, protected by “Nature 2000″. Flamingos, storks and rare bird species stay here in wintertime.
Walk & cycle around this lagoon, visit salt pans and sand banks where local fishers find their shellfish, or just have a swim. In this area, the voluntary nature conservation centre, A Rocha, opens its doors every Thursday morning to inform you about the importance of the Ria de Alvor. There is no entrance fee, but we recommend a small donation for their good work.
The cycle routes
You can choose between cycling to cities like Portimão and Lagos, to go to the mountains or a fresh water lake.From this guesthouse six well worked out bicycle routes are available.
These routes are able to do for people who have some cycling experience. All routes are also defined by difficulty grade and vary in distance between 40 – 70 kilometers.
In general we see most of our guests cycling 2 hours in the morning, and 2 hours in the afternoon, depending on temperature, level of fitness and speed.
Fitness level required nº 2, difficulty B/C for the coastal & city routes.
Fitness level required nº 3, difficulty B/C for the mountain route.
Fitness level required nº 3, difficulty C/D for the lake route.
The All Terrain Bikes
The aluminium ‘all terrain’ bikes are custom made and have safe hydraulic brakes from Magura, comfortable gel seats and front suspension. The handle bar is higher than on a normal bike, so you will enjoy a safe and comfortable sit position.
The ATB´s have the following specifications:
– Aluminium frame in sizes S,M,L,XL;
– Magura HS 33 hydraulic rim brakes;
– Vuelta Airline extra strong rims;
– SRAM gripshift 24-speed; – SRAM 4.0 – 7.0 rear derailleur;
– Shimano Alivio front derailleur;
– Suntour front suspension;
– Merida comfort seat;
– 1 bottle holder;
– Handlebar bag;
– ATB helmet in different sizes.
Prices and what is included
In this cycling week you can combine some great cycling tours, with exploring the Portuguese culture and nature. Prices for minimum 2 people start at € 419 p.p. This includes:
– 7 nights in a double or twin room with bathroom in Rural Guesthouse in Mexilhoeira Grande
– 7 x breakfast
– Private return airport transfers, Faro – Mexilhoeira Grande v.v.
– 7 days ATB hire, including helmet, handle bar bag, repair set, pump and spare tube
– 6 road books with descriptions of different routes, all starting from your guest house
The price mentioned above is based on sharing a double room – please contact us for a single room or sharing with 3 people in the month you wish.
Weekends and short breaks are now available! A 2 day cycling break starts at € 119 per person, with accommodation, breakfast and All Terrain Bikes included!