If cycling in the sunshine on quiet roads with fantastic scenery is your thing, then Portugal is the place to do it! I had become accustomed to riding around the lanes in Cheshire; and while they're beautiful; the volume of traffic and the North West weather certainly aren't perfect! Now we've made the move to Portugal, it's a very different story.
In the UK a base layer; long sleeved jacket, and leg warmers are usually a must (even on some 'summer' rides!). In Portugal, shorts and a short sleeved jersey are enough most days. Don't get me wrong - cycling in the Algarve is not always easy. The wind can make for a tricky ride. In the summer months; you have to be up early to avoid the high temperatures, however the rewards are tremendous!
Incredible scenery such as the image above is commonplace. Cycling along empty roads for miles is wonderful for the heart and soul. It gives you a real affinity with nature without the usual distractions of cars. The other day I was riding along with a Hoopoe bird flying beside me....look it up if you don't know what they look like!
Cycling out here is not without its challenges. You may have read in a previous post that we arrived in Portugal in the middle of a heatwave - so my first ride out here was in 38 degree heat...I felt like my head was boiling! As the photo above proves, there are always hills! The thing I love most about cycling out here is that there is a great variety of scenery. You can ride inland towards the mountains, or take a route by the sea, where you're skirting the stunning coastline.
Simply magical. I'll be sharing some photos and giving you an insight into cycling in this fabulous country in the months ahead.
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