Porto

My first Exodus trip and it will not be the last. In terms of route, hotels, distances covered, cycle paths etc the trip notes are completely accurate. We were an unexpectedly small group of 6 which gelled quickly and had huge fun, with everyone making a real effort. The whole trip was extremely well organised and well thought out. Wonderful coastal scenery and visits to some really lovely small towns and village. I liked the few hours of down time when we arrived at each new hotel.

Catherine McAleavey Porto to Lisbon Atlantic Ride

I did this trip in early June. Our route took us through a variety of gorgeous landscapes – cliffs overlooking the ocean, small towns with roosters crowing, a medieval town encircled by fortified walls, beach towns painted bright colors, pine forests, sand dunes, and marshes. I believe there’s no better way to appreciate that kind of scenery than by traveling on a bike.
We were a group of 16 guests – Americans, Britons, and Canadians – and three Portuguese guides. I traveled to Portugal alone and had a roommate assigned to me. She was lovely, and, really, all of us hit it off. I think this kind of trip attracts like-minded people, and the tour leader, Ruben, told us at our initial briefing in Porto that many of us would become friends. He was right.
The first night, Ruben led us on a walking tour to a port tasting. Afterwards, the group split in half and went to two different restaurants Ruben had recommended. After that, most of us had our dinners together till the end of the bike tour. The food was always great, thanks to Ruben’s recommendations. He always sent us to places with excellent hospitality.
All three of our guides were highly professional – well-prepared, helpful, supportive, friendly, accommodating, flexible, and organized. They kept us informed, entertained, hydrated, and roughly on-time. Every briefing was clear and succinct. We understood where we’d be riding the next day, what time we’d leave, and roughly what time we’d arrive at the next hotel. Ruben was a font of information about Portuguese history, culture, flora and fauna. He held forth on topics ranging from Portuguese royalty to the efforts of environmental activists following the devastating forest fires of 2017. Margarida was a strong cyclist and reliable sweeper, and clearly cared deeply that everyone had what they needed and enjoyed themselves. José drove the van with the bike trailer and reliably had our bags waiting for us in the lobby each time we arrived at a new destination. Every time we saw him he was smiling. They prepared healthy and delicious picnic lunches for us on a couple of occasions, and it was obvious they’d put a lot of thought into them.
Anytime there was a problem, such as a mechanical issue, our guides were equipped to handle it. One day, during a coffee break in Nazaré – we had a coffee break most mornings, which I loved – I watched Ruben fix the electrical connection on another guest’s e-bike after they had taken a small spill. I have a bad knee, so I requested an e-bike from the start. A few others decided along the way to switch to one. When we started in Porto, there were four e-bikes out of 16. By the time we got to Óbidos, I think there were 10 e-bikes. Portugal A2Z, which is contracted by Exodus to run this tour, has its headquarters along the tour route, so I guess that made it easy enough for our guides to switch out the bikes overnight on request.
Overall, this tour was everything I expected after reading the itinerary, trip notes, and reviews on the Exodus website. I found the price reasonable, the guides excellent, the scenery stunning, and the hotels clean and comfortable. I will always remember how much fun I had on this trip and the great people I met. I definitely plan to book with Exodus in the future.

Robyn Turner Porto to Lisbon Atlantic Ride

I enjoyed the experience with wonderful scenery, and relaxing walks around glorious fields, and vineyards. The hotels are also comfortable with good views of lakes and nature. Good food and delicious wines and very kind staff.
The group was also very nice, we shared and laughed all the time.

Maria Ilma Saavedra Portugal: Walking & Wine – Premium Adventure