Portuguese Way from Lisbon

[Odyssey-50]

I am planning to ride from Lisbon, starting approximately Sept 1, 2022. I would rent a bike from Bikeiberia in Lisbon.
I envisage an easy paced 40k per day
Any tips on the best route to follow (I would definitely prefer non-tarmac roads) and accommodation along the way would be much appreciated.
I would be travelling solo (so far) but would be open to the company of 1 or 2 more bikers.

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

The walking route involves a lot of either tarmac or cobbles! This might be a useful link for you: it covers all the Portuguese biking tracks. There are a lot of dedicated bike routes; many of them recently developed on abandoned railway rights of way. You might be able to put together a series of them to cover the length of the country!

Portugal

en.eurovelo.com

Bom caminho!

 

[Corned Beef]

Your route will be influenced by your bike choice. Which type are you getting?

Also carry spare tubes and tools as you don't want to have to push a bike too far.

Eurovelo 1 goes up the coast and would be an ideal route for tourists but if you want to cover the pilgrim route you'll be further inland

Here is the first section of the CP which goes north from Lisbon. EV1 goes west towards the coast then north.

CP01 Lisbon - Porto (Road)

236.8 mi, +14115 ft. Bike ride in LSB, Área Metropolitana de Lisboa

ridewithgps.com

 

[Odyssey-50]

I am planning to ride from Lisbon, starting approximately Sept 1, 2022. I would rent a bike from Bikeiberia in Lisbon.
I envisage an easy paced 40k per day
Any tips on the best route to follow (I would definitely prefer non-tarmac roads) and accommodation along the way would be much appreciated.
I would be travelling solo (so far) but would be open to the company of 1 or 2 more bikers.

The walking route involves a lot of either tarmac or cobbles! This might be a useful link for you: it covers all the Portuguese biking tracks. There are a lot of dedicated bike routes; many of them recently developed on abandoned railway rights of way. You might be able to put together a series of them to cover the length of the country!

Portugal

en.eurovelo.com

Bom caminho!

Thanks for this information and the link. I will see what I can put together from the routes as close as possible to the pilgrimage route.

 

[Odyssey-50]

Your route will be influenced by your bike choice. Which type are you getting?

Also carry spare tubes and tools as you don't want to have to push a bike too far.

Eurovelo 1 goes up the coast and would be an ideal route for tourists but if you want to cover the pilgrim route you'll be further inland

Here is the first section of the CP which goes north from Lisbon. EV1 goes west towards the coast then north.

CP01 Lisbon - Porto (Road)

236.8 mi, +14115 ft. Bike ride in LSB, Área Metropolitana de Lisboa

ridewithgps.com

Thanks CB. I will be renting a MTB from bikieiberia.
Ridewithgps have the complete route but it is for the WALK, not the bike path per se. .... https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38030257

When I walked the CF in 2019, there were some sections with horrendous boulders and rocks. I came across a couple who were biking and had chosen to take the "walker's" route throughout. They had to almost dismantle their bikes (exaggerating a bit) and carry bit by bit through that difficult section. I definitely want to avoid that
So I guess I can use that route above as a guide; get off the unpassable sections and take the nearest road if need be.

 

[Corned Beef]

I may have the MTB route on RWGPS. If so will put a copy up for you to amend.

I’ve done Porto to SdC with a BikeIberia MTB which was perfectly suited to that section. Can’t see the southern section being any different. But you can test that for me ;-)

 

[Odyssey-50]

I may have the MTB route on RWGPS. If so will put a copy up for you to amend.

I’ve done Porto to SdC with a BikeIberia MTB which was perfectly suited to that section. Can’t see the southern section being any different. But you can test that for me ;-)

In fact, I will most probably be riding only UP TO Porto, meeting a friend there to WALK the rest of the way to SdC
"But you can test that for me ;-)" ..... sure thing!!

 

[Corned Beef]

Here is my interpretation of the route from Lisbon to Porto - 97% paved. There is the option to detour to Fatima at around Golegã which might be of interest. Blue arrows instead of yellow.

CP01 Lisbon - Porto (Road)

236.8 mi, +14115 ft. Bike ride in LSB, Área Metropolitana de Lisboa

ridewithgps.com

Porto is a great city for R & R so give yourself some time there.

Also once north of Porto you have a number of options if walking e.g Coastal or Central or Variante Espiritual (plus others if you contact @jungleboy).

Keep us all updated.

 

[Givesome]

My wife and I walk the pilgrim route from Lisbon to Santiago in 2018. From Porto we took the coastal route instead of the more traditional inland route. A lot of pilgrims only do the Portuguese Camino from Porto and avoid the section from Lisbon. This section is very industrial and you only see other pilgrims in small numbers compared to the French route. The accommodation is hostels and not albergues so much. Expect to share accommodation and meals with construction workers in some towns. It was still beautiful and if we have to do it over again, we will do the same.

A word of warning though. The roads from Lisbon to Porto have a very narrow shoulder and there a lot of trucks on these roads. So be very careful when you cycle along the pilgrim route. Some sections go through plantations which are very muddy when it rained. Talking about rain, it rained the first seven days constantly when we walked the route in May 2018.
Some of the most beautiful towns on the section from Lisbon is Santarem and Tomar. We stayed in Tomar for two days to take a rest day.

You can read more about our Portuguese Camino on https://wetanddustyroads.com/category/caminos/camino-portuguese-april-2018/.

 

[Odyssey-50]

Here is my interpretation of the route from Lisbon to Porto - 97% paved. There is the option to detour to Fatima at around Golegã which might be of interest. Blue arrows instead of yellow.

CP01 Lisbon - Porto (Road)

236.8 mi, +14115 ft. Bike ride in LSB, Área Metropolitana de Lisboa

ridewithgps.com

Porto is a great city for R & R so give yourself some time there.

Also once north of Porto you have a number of options if walking e.g Coastal or Central or Variante Espiritual (plus others if you contact @jungleboy).

Keep us all updated.

Thanks CB. This is awesome

 

[Odyssey-50]

My wife and I walk the pilgrim route from Lisbon to Santiago in 2018. From Porto we took the coastal route instead of the more traditional inland route. A lot of pilgrims only do the Portuguese Camino from Porto and avoid the section from Lisbon. This section is very industrial and you only see other pilgrims in small numbers compared to the French route. The accommodation is hostels and not albergues so much. Expect to share accommodation and meals with construction workers in some towns. It was still beautiful and if we have to do it over again, we will do the same.

A word of warning though. The roads from Lisbon to Porto have a very narrow shoulder and there a lot of trucks on these roads. So be very careful when you cycle along the pilgrim route. Some sections go through plantations which are very muddy when it rained. Talking about rain, it rained the first seven days constantly when we walked the route in May 2018.
Some of the most beautiful towns on the section from Lisbon is Santarem and Tomar. We stayed in Tomar for two days to take a rest day.

You can read more about our Portuguese Camino on https://wetanddustyroads.com/category/caminos/camino-portuguese-april-2018/.

Thanks for this Givesome. I will go through what looks like a very comprehensive compilation by you.

 

[makingtrax]

I am planning to ride from Lisbon, starting approximately Sept 1, 2022. I would rent a bike from Bikeiberia in Lisbon.
I envisage an easy paced 40k per day
Any tips on the best route to follow (I would definitely prefer non-tarmac roads) and accommodation along the way would be much appreciated.
I would be travelling solo (so far) but would be open to the company of 1 or 2 more bikers.

Im walking at present and as a cyclist im watching lay of the land . So far u could ride all way to Villa Franca no problem on a road/ mountain syrle bike. Goid luck

 

[Odyssey-50]

Im walking at present and as a cyclist im watching lay of the land . So far u could ride all way to Villa Franca no problem on a road/ mountain syrle bike. Goid luck

Thanks so much. That's encouraging news. Please keep me informed of your progress, especially if you encounter some terrain which may be TOO challenging for a biker. Bon Camino!

 

[walkinglover]

I am planning to ride from Lisbon, starting approximately Sept 1, 2022. I would rent a bike from Bikeiberia in Lisbon.
I envisage an easy paced 40k per day
Any tips on the best route to follow (I would definitely prefer non-tarmac roads) and accommodation along the way would be much appreciated.
I would be travelling solo (so far) but would be open to the company of 1 or 2 more bikers.

There are some VERY rocky spots in Portugal.

 

[Odyssey-50]

I am FINALLY on my way to bike from Lisbon.(currently holidaying in Spain before caminoing). Phew! 35deg in Madrid today
I will be starting from Lisbon (with a rental bike) on 6th Sept, approx 9 days to Porto at an easy pace of max 50k per day.
I will be staying at a hotel in downtown Lisbon 3days, before i start my camino and wondering how to get my credential stamped for Lisbon. I am reluctant to go to the Se Cathedral and leave my bike unattended just to go in and get a stamp. Is there any other convenient spot on the yellow arrowed route just outside of Lisbon that I can achieve the same?
I'm planning to stick to the peregrino route for as much of the route as I can.

Anybody else ridden from Lisbon please share your thoughts. I have downloaded WisePilgrim's app and will follow that as closely as the yellow arrows permit, bearing in mind that WisePilgrim route is for peregrinos not bicigrinos.

Any advice would be welcome

 

[peregrina2000]

I will be staying at a hotel in downtown Lisbon 3days, before i start my camino

You could get your credential stamped at the cathedral on any one of those three days before you start. I assume you won’t have your bike while you’re a tourist in Lisbon.

And btw, if you want a good walking route in Lisbon, look at this old thread. It’s got a lot of hills, and it is also a route that really gives you a pretty good idea of the main central sections of Lisbon. You can walk it without stopping in around 2 hours, but that would be a shame because there are lots of nice places to stop.

 

[Odyssey-50]

You could get your credential stamped at the cathedral on any one of those three days before you start. I assume you won’t have your bike while you’re a tourist in Lisbon.

And btw, if you want a good walking route in Lisbon, look at this old thread. It’s got a lot of hills, and it is also a route that really gives you a pretty good idea of the main central sections of Lisbon. You can walk it without stopping in around 2 hours, but that would be a shame because there are lots of nice places to stop.

 

[Odyssey-50]

Thanks for that tip, p2000. I will get the stamp during the 3 day stay there. The walk-around Lisbon seems very interesting but unfortunately not for me. My wife has a condition that makes it unable to walk for long stretches, which is also why she goes home while I do the camino on my own.

 

[Helen O'Shaughnessy]

I am planning to ride from Lisbon, starting approximately Sept 1, 2022. I would rent a bike from Bikeiberia in Lisbon.
I envisage an easy paced 40k per day
Any tips on the best route to follow (I would definitely prefer non-tarmac roads) and accommodation along the way would be much appreciated.
I would be travelling solo (so far) but would be open to the company of 1 or 2 more bikers.

It’s such a pity you are cycling now, I plan to start on 4th October. I’ll be keen to follow your adventure. I’m cycling to Porto, aim to follow the walking path, but not religious about it. While I don’t mind tarmac, I do mind lorries! And will avoid by using lesser roads where I can. My husband Brett was to accompany me, but he’s gone and broken his arm. So I’m on my own. Any tips would be very helpfu.

 

[Odyssey-50]

It’s such a pity you are cycling now, I plan to start on 4th October. I’ll be keen to follow your adventure. I’m cycling to Porto, aim to follow the walking path, but not religious about it. While I don’t mind tarmac, I do mind lorries! And will avoid by using lesser roads where I can. My husband Brett was to accompany me, but he’s gone and broken his arm. So I’m on my own. Any tips would be very helpfu.

Hi Helen,
I had initially planned to ride EASY and enjoy the trip. I had planned for a max of 50k per day. I stuck to the first 4 stops of my plan....Ville FDX, Valada, Azinhaga, Tomar. I followed the WisePilgrim route for the most part.
When I learned of the impending storm while at Tomar, my future plans fell through, as I had a deadline to get to Porto. I knew that I would be stuck for a couple of days at least at perhaps one or two spots due to heavy rains.
My departure Tomar, following the walking route (within the first10k) was horrendous (pic attached) and prompted me to abandon the walking route and take to tarmac. I put in about 80k that day, doubling my planned daily distance and increased my target distances for following days.
That was followed by 2 days of 60k each, all on tarmac. True to predictions the incessant rain kept me indoors for 2 nights about 15k from Porto. But thankfully I had made up for that delay with the extra distances. With a break in the weather window on my final day, I made it to Porto within my deadline.
So, yes, I did find the walking route upto Tomar easy going; but can't say anything more about the rest of the route as I stuck to tarmac (and cobblestones, yikes!!), for pretty much 90% of it.
I would recommend Casa das Portas in Azinhaga, a lovely place to pull in for the night.
Hope my spiel helps and best of luck with your trip.