Portugal
2020 was the 10th anniversary of the incorporation of Fresh Eire Adventures. And then Covid happened. Notwithstanding the events of 2020 and 2021, to celebrate this landmark, we will be offering special tours throughout 2022 and 2023 and places are extremely limited. To register your interest in this destination please send us an email today.
The Alentejo is a fascinating region with a rich history that runs through thousands of years. Its landscapes, architectural heritage, culture and monumental legacies are all unique and exceptional. UNESCO has recognised so much of this treasured heritage and awarded protected status to many aspects
Update May 3 2021: Our 2022 trip for ALENTEJO is filling fast. We have 6 places remaining. Dates are: Sunday July 10 - Friday July 15 2022.
Our bike tours in Portugal feature gourmet cuisine & outstanding local wines and, here in Alentejo, you will ride through olive groves steeped in history. Our cycling vacations in Europe bring you up close and personal with local characters and authentic experiences. Visit Alentejo with Fresh Eire Adventures: Wine, Gourmet Restaurants, Olive Groves, Vineyards and...You! #pedalon
On this trip, both our Classic and Deluxe packages feature the same hotels. The only difference between the packages is room category.
For your pre-trip (Saturday night) hotel we strongly recommend Hotel M’Ar de Ar Aqueduto in Évora. Your bike trip will commence from this hotel the next morning; in Alentejo during the summer months (June, July and August) we ride early each morning to escape the warmest parts of the day. It is easy to get to Évora from Lisbon by train and the hotel is a short taxi ride from the station. The tour will also end in Évora allowing an easy return to Lisbon, or further afield, after your memorable bike trip in the region.
Évora, the jewel in the crown, is an ancient city packed with history dating back to Roman times. Highlights include the Roman temple, cathedral, Casas Pintadas (Painted Houses), Cadaval Palace, the 16th-century University and the magnificent Praça do Giraldo square. There is so much history that the entire city has been rated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Gastronomy:
Influenced by a Mediterranean climate and Roman and Moorish heritage, the Alentejo cuisine is unique in Portugal. There is influence from the Age of Exploration too, where seasonings like coriander arrived from the East. It is a whole other world of flavors, with olive oil, local cheese, a wheat bread baked only in Alentejo, bread stews (Açorda), local meats and fish all playing leading roles. The Alentejo’s breads are rich, crusty and wonderful. But don’t forget the divine pastry and sweets created in monasteries and convents centuries ago or the many wines produced in the varied climates and soils of these lands.
In the Alentejo, a meal starts with a variety of appetizers. Cured ham, or Presunto de Barrancos PDO, is a local delicacy, and goat and sheep cheeses from Nisa and Serpa usually accompany thin slices of cured ham. Olives, whether black or green, harvested from olive groves throughout the Alentejo are a staple. The pièce de résistance of food traditions in Alentejo is fresh bread dipped in olive oil, sometimes flavored with a drop of vinegar and a pinch of sea salt. Other Alentejo specialties include roasted peppers, bread stews and octopus salad flavored with onion and peppers seasoned in olive oil. Some typical Alentejo foods share recipes with neighboring Spain, as in the case of the Alentejo gazpacho, a tomato and cucumber based soup served cold. The Bifanas de Vendas Novas are simple and tasty pork sandwiches served in a crusty white roll.
As for the main course, you can choose between local meat and fish. The Carne Alentejana PDO and Mertolenga PDO are types of beef unique to the Alentejo. One famed regional dish is Carne de Porco à Alentejana, Alentejo-style pork, a stew of pork cubes and clams with potatoes and lots of coriander. In fact, coriander is at the heart of Alentejo cuisine. The herb is most frequently used in the south of Portugal. On the fish side, there is rich fish stew, fresh crab, grilled fish and octopus. Many recipes call for rice or potatoes and a delicious sauce of tomato, garlic, onions and, of course, olive oil. But there are also traditional vegetarian options in Alentejo cuisine, such as Açorda, bread stew with coriander. It may also be served with cod, one of several variations. And we should mention two more things that are 100 percent Alentejo: Migas à Alentejana, a bread-based puree, and Alentejo sausages such as the thick Paio sausages that vary from town to town.
Almeirim is a farming town known for its Sopa da Pedra, or rich stone soup. Legend has it that Sopa da Pedra was invented by a traveling friar who asked the locals for a pot and water to make his stone soup. He kept asking for new ingredients, and the soup became a rich feast of meat, beans and vegetables. This delicacy has spread throughout the region.
Travellers with a sweet tooth have a lot to get excited about, from the traditional egg and cinnamon pudding Sericaia or Pinhoadas (pine nut nougat), to convent-made pastry, Pampilhos from Santarém and more.
In the Alentejo, an authentic meal can be found anywhere, from humble taverns to the region’s chef-driven eateries. There is no need to always seek haute-cuisine restaurants: The tastiest and most heart-warming meals can be found in traditional (and affordable) eateries, where locals will treat you like family. Cuisine and hospitality are always linked in the Alentejo.
Wine
Alentejo is Portugal’s wine country too, where centuries of tradition are combined with the latest technologies to produce world-class wines. The region’s vineyards pre-date the Romans and today house more than 250 producers. The soils are very diverse, with varied outcroppings of clay, schist, granite, marble and limestone – perfect for vine cultivation. The ideal climate for winemaking paired with the wisdom of local winemakers who create unique wines ranging from light to bold, both white and red. As for the grapes varieties, there are many and almost all distinct to the region. They include the whites grapes Antão Vaz, Arinto and Roupeiro, and the reds Alicante Bouschet, Aragonez and Trincadeira. Try the Vinho de Talha, a wine aged in an amphora, the exact way the Romans made their wines more than 2,000 years ago. In the Alentejo, wine has been cultivated for millennia, and today you can experience its creation and learn from local winemakers. During the grape harvest, in mid-to-late summer, many wineries and farms offer a harvesting experience that includes grape stomping and cellar tours. See the winemaking process first hand and discover how each grape variety is chosen and pairings are made, and learn how Alentejo’s precious cork is used to preserves each bottle of wine.
Welcome to Alentejo!
Itinerary
Day 0 (Arrival Day in Évora)
You’ll check into your hotel in Évora and a Welcome Pack from our guides will be awaiting you. This will include your complimentary Fresh Eire Adventures cycle kit by Marcello Bergamo, and some personal amenities for your week ahead (expect tissues, hand sanitizer, some sunscreen etc.). Your hotel will be able to make a reservation for you for dinner this evening. It is important to have an early night as tomorrow morning, we’ll meet after an early breakfast to begin our bike tour of the region.
Évora is a UNESCO World Heritage town with many noteworthy attractions and is the Capital of the Alentejo region. One of the monuments, the Prata Aqueduct, can be seen from your hotel swimming pool and the centre of town boasts a well preserved Roman Temple from the 2nd Century. The city of Évora is marked by the historic square in the Praça do Geraldo, where King Duarte constructed the Estaus Palace. The square is marked by the Henriquina fountain, dating to 1570, which includes eight jets symbolizing the eight streets that lead to the square. At the northern end of the square is the Church of Saint Andrew was built by Manuel Pires, in the 16th century. A rather large church three-nave church includes a valuable altar antependium from the 13th century in bas relief. In 1483, Fernando II, was executed in the square, in the presence of his brother-in-law King John II. This square also witnessed thousands of public punishments (or “autos-da-fé”) during the Insquisition; there were 22,000 condemnations during the course of 200 years.
Day 1
We’ll meet you after an early breakfast at your city centre hotel where you’ll be fitted to your bikes and enjoy a briefing on the plan for the day ahead. We’re starting early today so we can return to Évora to explore the town in the late afternoon. It is important to be mindful of the potential for high summer temperatures in the region.
Today’s ride is an introductory loop ride of approximately 50km covering all the usual types of routes typical of a first day with Fresh Eire Adventures; expect lots of quiet secondary roads, some town riding, a few busier roads with traffic and of course a few hills. We design all of our first day “warm up” rides this way so you can become familiar with your bike, the local traffic customs and the general terrain. Our destination today is Juromenha, a small village on the river which makes the border frontier with Spain. We’ll visit the ruins of the fortress here and enjoy some refreshments in the tiny village before returning to Évora.
Upon our return to Évora we’ll have an opportunity to change out of our cycling gear, before meeting to take a stroll to lunch in town. You may opt to take a nap after lunch and we’ll arrange to meet again for pre-dinner drinks.
Tonight we’ll dine in a local bistro where we’ll enjoy typical Portuguese fayre before returning to our hotel beside the ancient Aqueduct.
Included meals: Lunch, Dinner
Classic hotel: Hotel M’Ar de Ar Aquducto (4 star), Évora
Deluxe hotel: Hotel M’Ar de Ar Aquducto (4 star), Évora
Day 2
Today we will check into the Hotel Marmoris where we'll stay for two nights. The hotel is located in the small town of Vila Viçosa, considered as the Princess of Alentejo, 60Km away from Évora. You'll delight in the casual contemporary elegance and traditional marble features of the property. Narcissus Fernandesii is name of a local flower but is also the name of our restaurant tonight where the culinary art of our Chef Pedro Mendes will take you on a journey of the regions very best produce. In a natural marble quarry, the Stone Spa is the embodiment of tranquility and relaxation. The Spa has 4 treatment rooms, hammam, heated whirlpool pools, interior and exterior heated pools and a fitness room. The entire hotel is, of itself, almost a museum dedicated to marble.
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Classic hotel: Hotel Marmoris (5 star), Vila Viçosa
Deluxe hotel: Hotel Marmoris (5 star), Vila Viçosa
Day 3
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch
Classic hotel: Hotel Marmoris (5 star), Vila Viçosa
Deluxe hotel: Hotel Marmoris (5 star), Vila Viçosa
Day 4
Your hotel for the final two nights of the trip is the Torre de Palma. Dating back to 1338, the remains of the ancient house were restored in 2014 to embody the current Torre de Palma Wine & Spa Hotel. Inspired by the old traditional lifestyle of the prominent Basilii family (former inhabitants of the nearby Torre de Palma Roman ruins) and Alentejo customs, this hotel was conceived to be your home in the Alentejo.
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Classic hotel: Hotel Torre de Palma (5 star), Monforte
Deluxe hotel: Hotel Torre de Palma (5 star), Monforte
Day 5
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Classic hotel: Hotel Torre de Palma (5 star), Monforte
Deluxe hotel: Hotel Torre de Palma (5 star), Monforte
Day 6
Included meals: Breakfast