The Algarve
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A cycling holiday giant ready to awaken
With Calpe and Mallorca becoming increasingly busy and Girona flourishing slightly later. We think the Algarve might just be the ideal cycling holiday destination for February to April travel.
The Algarve is situated on the southern coast of Portugal and stretches from Monte Gordo in the East to Sagres in the West, Each year the region hosts a popular stage race in late February and we can see why many of the worlds top bike riders choose to open their season at the race,
The East of the region is pretty flat, however as you progress West the terrain gets progressively more lumpy all the way across to Monchique and the Alto de Foia which stands just over 800m at its peak.
We have favoured staying near the centre of the region between Faro and Albufeira as we think it gives us the best array of routes for a mixed ability group. Within 15km and just to the North of the beautiful Loule you find yourself in beautiful hills - with climbs up to 7km long and quiet roads,
The weather in the region is a little warmer than the Costa Blanca though broadly similar. Making it your perfect getaway for a cycling holiday in the sun to start of a new season.
The region is synonymous with golfing holidays and this is very apparent at the airport as golfers jostle for their first early morning pint at Wetherspoon’s. Joking aside, the popularity of the region means there are flights from many of the UK’s airports which make it both logistically straightforward and fair priced.
For the sake of balance and honesty we must mention a couple of downsides- the road surfaces along the coast are a bit mixed, whilst they get better inland on the less busy roads and drivers are not as patient as Spain, though not as impatient as the UK.
To conclude, we think that the range of routes, the beauty of the region and the abundance of sports supporting hotels make this region a real prospect. And the local bike outlets are great too with numerous rental options.
We are definitely looking forward to hosting more cycling holidays in the region and our own trip their in October.
For more information on this region please do get in touch,
Sam
A link to our Algarve escape
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