6 independent reviews for Algarve self guided cycling tour
Reviews for Algarve self guided cycling tour
Andrew Merrall review 26 Jul 2024
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Cycling above the cliffs on the Atlantic Coast around Carrapateira.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
If you like the beach, go south. If you like rugged landscapes, go west. Either way the cycling is easy providing you can handle the heat.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I believe the money did stay with local businesses but beyond this I doubt there was a positive impact. The hotels used were frequently at the ‘upper end’ of the luxury scale, presumably with commensurate water and energy consumption, food waste, etc - so probably not the most environmentally sensitive choices.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Extremely well organised - did ‘what it said on the tin’ and did it well.(Dorothy) Olwyn McKay review 31 May 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Diversity of track, geography, geology, ocean scenes, mountain scenes, cultural scenes and experiences. Exploring bits not tabulated in notes!2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Beware of severe direction inconsistencies! Several times our final destinations were not where we were directed!3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Not especially - bikes of course great. Beware of inaccuracies between info given - Garmin directions and paper maps were inconsistent.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Accommodation superb - a really lovely high standard - the one exception being at Sagres where the reception was poor and unwelcoming. But inconsistent route directions were awful - tg we were on e-bikes ! eg our directions to Alte were way out snd ended in a very stressful situation. That accommodation was lovely ( hardly a “traditional house”)but without being told about the 5pm closing that made the extra kms all the more tricky! It’s not an easy place to find without a Garmin end pin!Read the operator's response here:
Thank you for the feedback on this tour and for rating the tour as 4 star overall.
There were some unfortunate inconsistencies between the written notes and the garmin route file that were supplied and this did lead to some confusion on one occasion. Our apologies for not explaining this possible inconsistency at the initial briefing session. We provide clients with an Itinerary document which shows the names of the hotels that have been booked for each client and these may be different from client to client depending on accommodation availability at the time of booking. We also provide a printed paper google map which shows the exact location of the accommodation that has been booked in each town.
On the day that the clients rode to the village of Alte, they followed the gpx to the end and this took them to the wrong accommodation. This is understandable, but it was not the accommodation on the google map or the itinerary. Upon realising this the clients found the correct accommodation.
Unfortunately, they arrived after 5pm and the accommodation was no longer manned by any staff. We managed to have the management of the accommodation call the clients to explain how to gain access to the accommodation and this was achieved in around 10 to 15 minutes . I can understand that this was stressful situation for the clients after a long day on the bikes and I apologise for us not foreseeing this situation with more attention to detail at the initial briefing session.For future clients we will provide a printed sheet giving access information in the event that they arrive at this accommodation after 5 pm.
I dont think these clients had any similar issues on any other days and they were able to navigate without any problems .
I think that they also enjoyed the remainder of the holiday.
Regards
Paul Beesley
John Oliver review 15 May 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Bert did a fantastic job planning and booking accommodation for our bike tour of the Algarve. The route took us along narrow country roads and lanes through orange groves and forests of olive and cork trees.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
This is a challenging bike tour and if you are not prepared for long assents you should have Bert book you an e-bike.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Hard to say…. All the accommodation appeared to be small operators. By nature a bike tour has a lower environmental impact than a driving holiday. Our luggage was transported by car between accommodations. A lower impact option would have been to offer a service to transport luggage only from the beginning to end if the trip. Cyclist would then carry only the luggage they need for the week.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very Good!David Grainger review 14 Jun 2021
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Cycling in off the beaten track Algarve2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Set off early in morning to avoid the heat3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Supported local businesses4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
ExcellentGreg Liebman review 18 Apr 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Each and every day held it's own memorable moment. The beauty of remote, empty beaches, the fragrant miles of orange groves, incredible views from empty castles, the grueling but worthwhile slog up to Monchique, followed by the exhilarating descent....it was all good!2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Make sure you know the difference between the routes. One is mostly coastal and the day's distances and climbs are short. The other includes inland detours and mountains, and the distances are greater. The coastal route is suitable for anyone, while the route that includes inland hills is better suited for folks who have done some riding. Also, you are given a GPS as well as cue sheets. Use both, as the cue sheets are occasionally difficult to decipher, but the GPS can get overwhelmed and have to be rebooted. Keep your GPS charged--I took advantage of lunch stops to "top it up". Don't be afraid to detour, and don't get frustrated if you get lost. It was almost always possible to use the map or ask directions from a local to get yourself back on course, and interacting with locals is always part of the fun. If you choose the route that includes Monchique, stop for lunch either in Monchique or the restaurant just before the turn to your lodging, as they have no restaurant (or bar) at the hotel-which is beautiful, by the way - and it's about 1KM to walk back for lunch and/or dinner.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
In the sense that money spent in (mostly) locally-owned lodging and restaurants was involved, yes. But, I'll confess that I felt guilty having my luggage transported between overnights. It wasn't my original plan, but I had logistical issues that prevented me from using panniers-only.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Fantastic!Holiday Reviews
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