Mountain Bike Madrid to Lisbon – 9 Days
Type of tour: Guided
Level: 5
Duration: 8 Nights
Distance: 51 Miles/day average
Dates: Guided: Spain half (and full Madrid-Lisbon version): Jun 12, 2015; Portugal half: Jun 20, 2015
Tour price: €1550
Start city: Madrid, Spain or Sabugal, Portugal
End city: Sabugal, Portugal or Lisbon, Portugal
Tour Description
Two countries, two capital cities, and 15 mountains between! This is one of the biggest mountain biking adventures in Europe!
A 412 mi/663 km ride, a traverse, an adventure. Overall this trip boasts a significant 115526 ft/14250 m elevation gain. The Iberian Peninsula is one of Europe’s best locations to go mountain biking. With its best secrets still to be found, spectacular natural tracks that go on for miles, and mild weather, this scenic ride is equal to none. This route is excellent in terms of diversity of trails and beautiful landscapes with mountain range scenery. As it crosses the interior of Spain and Portugal, you will also visit rich historic sites and discover local cuisine while enjoying comfortable accommodation.
You may choose between 3 itineraries/packages on this tour: the Spain half (8 nights), the Portugal half (8 nights), or the 16 night combination of these two itineraries, which will take you from Madrid, Spain to Lisbon, Portugal, finishing at Cabo da Roca Cape–the westernmost point of Europe!
Highlights: Guided Daily Program: Guided This tour is offered as 3 different packges. You may choose to cycle the Spain half (8 nights), the Portugal half (8 nights), or both versions together in a long mountain bike tour from Madrid, Spain, to Lisbon, Portugal (16 nights)! Itineraries for both sections are listed below. Spain half Day 1: Madrid Day 2: Madrid to Miraflores (38 mi/62 km, 9729 ft/1200 m elevation gained) Day 3: Miraflores to Cercedilla (41 mi/66 km, 14998 ft/1850 m elevation gained) Day 4: Cercedilla to Ávila (57 mi/92 km, 14593 ft/1800 m elevation gained) Day 5: Avila to Barco D’Ávila (72 mi/116 km, 16214 ft/2000 m elevation gained) Day 6: Barco d’Ávila to Sotoserrano (53 mi/86 km, 14592 ft/1800 m elevation gained) Day 7: Sotoserrano to Pinofranqueado (52 mi/84 km, 13377 ft/1650 m elevation gained) Day 8: Pinofranqueado to V.Fresno (67 mi/108 km, 17430 ft/2150 m elevation gained) Day 9: V.Fresno to Sabugal (35 mi/56 km, 12566 ft/1550 m elevation gained) Day 10: Sabugal —— Portugal half Day 1: Sabugal Day 2: Sabugal to Manteigas (53 mi/85 km, 21079 ft/2600 m elevation gained) Day 3: Manteigas to Piodão (43 mi/69 km, 16619 ft/2050 m elevation gained) Day 4: Piodão to Castanheira Pêra (48 mi/78 km, 17025 ft/2100 m elevation gained) Day 5: Castanheira Pêra to Tomar (55 mi/89 km, 19052 ft/2350 m elevation gained) Day 6: Tomar to Rio Maior (59 mi/95 km, 14593 ft/1800 m elevation gained) Day 7: Rio Maior to Torres Vedras (41 mi/67 km, 13782 ft/1700 m elevation gained) Day 8: Torres Vedras to Cascais (47 mi/76 km, 12161 ft/1500 m elevation gained) Day 9: Cascais to Lisbon Included Services: Guided Spain week Portugal week Bike Rentals: Guided Bike rental is not available on this tour. Please bring your own mountain bike and gear with you.
Optional transportation to the hotel is available, where you can spend some time preparing your bike and equipment before the tour briefing. Enjoy your stay in a 4-star hotel in the center of Madrid.
Overnight in Madrid
Start at the center of Madrid, in the Plaza del Sol, at the 0 km landmark where all the roads leave from Madrid. As you follow some pedestrian streets and parks, including the Parque del Retiro, the route goes north passing Madrid’s stadium, Santiago Barnabéu, and soon the ride changes to dirt roads and singletracks joining the Santiago Way. Cycling through beautiful, golden fields away from the stress from the big city, the goal is to reach the Miraflores at 3608 ft/1100 m of altitude in the Guadarrama Mountain.
Overnight in Miraflores
The tour leaves from Miraflores de la Sierra near the Guadalix River and follows a nice uphill forest track between pines and oak trees. This day is marked with high mountain scenarios with strong possibilities of encountering horses, cattle and wildlife. With nice, sinuous single tracks passing small waterfalls, long uphill sections, and fun descents, this is a day to remember. The finish to a beautiful day in the mountains occurs with a long downhill (for the last 6 mi/10 km of the stage) to Cercedilla.
Overnight in Cercedilla
The third day is filled with high altitude plains, forest tracks and cultural sites, such as Cruz dos Caidos, El Escorial and Collado de la Mina. You’ll cycle a long ridge through a windmill park and finish this long day in Ávila, one of the most interesting cultural cities along the route.
Overnight in Ávila
You’ll head west from the medieval city of Ávila, descending by streets along the wall, and following a winding forest track along a melodic creek. This day will see you reach the highest passage through Zapatero Mountain at 5977 ft/1822 m elevation at Gredos Massif. The beauty of the landscapes and the numerous km done alongside the Tormes River,with its Roman bridges, distract you from focusing on the exertion required. After a long day the route reaches Barco d’Ávila, a historical villa within this mountain range.
Overnight in Barco d’Ávila
For the fifth day of this adventure there is a challenge – the Béjar Mountain. This is a day with difficult climbs, hard tracks, and lots of single tracks that make for slow but fulfilling progress. There are also oak forests and the picturesque Candelário Villa. After 51 mi/83 km of good single tracks, you will reach Sotoserrano.
Overnight in Sotoserrano
This is a day where the terrain is softer, and is a good way to recover from the last hard stage. The mountains get lower and the terrain is now mostly made up of schist. Ride along serene forest tracks through oaks and pines, maybe enjoy the landscapes of Las Hurdes, as you cruise through another 51 mi/82 km and 13377 ft/1650 m ascent, to finish in Pinofranqueado.
Overnight in Pinofranqueado
On the seventh day of the expedition, with almost half of the traverse completed, it’s time to enjoy cruising through small villages, which feels like a trip back in time to the Middle Ages, with their old ways of life. The Serra da Gata offers nice tracks and breathtaking photo opportunities during a nice day’s ride, finishing in V. Fresno.
Overnight in V. Fresno
This is the shortest day, which helps you recover from the exertion of the past few days. Climb the mountain and cross the border between Portugal and Spain at almost 3280 ft/1000 m on the mountain of Malcata. The goal is to cross this isolated and wild mountain region to reach the first of Portugal’s many traditional villages. Go through a forest of pines and oaks and past a lake finally reaching the city of Sabugal.
Overnight in Sabugal
Take advantage of the optional transport to the train station in Guarda, Portugal, which marks the end of the tour. Or you may choose to continue on with the Portugal leg of the tour (as you have arrived already to Sabugal, your Day 11 would be Day 2 below)! See itinerary below.
Arrive to Sabugal, with an optional transfer to the hotel. There will be time to prepare your bike and equipment before a briefing.
Overnight in Sabugal.
Enjoy this beautiful day of riding through a region full of Portugal’s most historic villages. Discover Sortelha, an amazing medieval village of granite with an impressive castle. Medieval stone roads and single tracks in valleys between villages will delight as you enter the higher mountains of Portugal through beautiful forests, finally arriving in the picturesque village of Manteigas lying on a glacial valley.
Overnight in Manteigas
Enjoy stunning mountain landscapes of remarkable beauty. This day is also the highest in Portugal passing 5249 ft/1600 m near a lagoon on the country’s highest mountain – Serra da Estrela, a handsome and impressive granite massif with forests, mountain meadows and traditional mountain villages. This day ends at the beautiful schist village of Portugal – Piodão, an unbelievable valley with small houses stuck to its hillside.
Overnight in Piodão
This day goes through the central schist mountain system of Portugal. The route follows rounded ridges near to 3280 ft/1000 m. It is a day of gorgeous scenery and long windmill park crossings, and the last day at this elevation. End the day with an incredible downhill track of 2269 ft/700 m to the quiet village of Castanheira de Pera.
Overnight in Castanheira de Pera
An incredible day and a variety of landscapes, today is all about mountain scenery, traditional villages and a magnificent trail through the Alge canyon. An impressive waterfall and super fun single tracks along the river will delight any cyclist. Then the scenery changes radically as you enter in a hilly region of karst, a landscape that will dominate the next stages with its olive groves and holm oaks. You are in the limestone kingdom.
Overnight in Tomar
Start at Tomar, town of the Templars, for a day of limestone hills. The paths are flanked by stone walls built over hundreds of years, and unique and impressive scenery. End the day climbing to the last ridge of this mountainous terrain and get your first view of the Atlantic Coast.
Overnight in Rio Maior
At the beginning of this day, you’ll be crossing through some Eucalyptus forests. This is also the last bit of karst landscape for the journey. You’ll follow a beautiful path on the Montejunto sierra along a hillside with superb views across the plains, then switch to single tracks on ridges beside windmills and rivers through lush Mediterranean vegetation.
Overnight in Torres Verdras
On the last day of this epic journey you arrive at the sea. Roads and paths follow the sea. Single tracks and trails on the cliffs and beaches make this day different from the others on this long journey. Finally, you arrive at Roca Cape, the western point of Europe. Celebrate your success, then transfer or ride to hotel in Cascais.
Overnight in Cascais
This marks the end the tour. Take advantage of the optional transport to the airport in Lisbon, a 2 hour drive.
