Hard-core shredding meets pleasure biking: Portugal offers everything you could want from a mountain bike holiday, plus picture-postcard beaches, eucalyptus forests and incredible fruit brandy. Where can you find all this? Read on…
“Tranquilo, tranquilo” – take it easy. This statement, often combined with a charming grin is a life philosophy in Portugal. The mixture of the Southern European lust for life, combined with a laid-back atmosphere can be found everywhere in the Atlantic air, enchanting most visitors from their first day of vacation. For mountain bikers, Portugal is a very serene country; and because hiking (unlike surfing) is not a national sport, you’ll hardly find any walking nature lovers in most mountain regions.
Conflict between hikers and mountain bikers? The Portuguese don’t know what you are talking about! There is a lot of freedom in the hills and the small but extremely enthusiastic mountain bike scene knows how to use it. Especially the hot-blooded enduro, freeride and downhill-community who have created a varied network of trails in the mountains, hills and forests: from flowy to demanding, all with a high fun factor! The guys (female bikers are a rarity in Portugal unfortunately) fulfill their own trail dreams with a lot of zeal and Portuguese passion; and although the trails are more tolerated by the municipalities than legal, with almost no signposts, the trails are waiting to be discovered. Therefore, it is worth letting the local guides (such as Hugo, João and Luis Pedro from the guiding company WERIDE) show you the highlights, especially because they put together the ideal trail package for each guest or group based on personal riding style, experience, and trail preferences. No matter whether you have one day or two weeks to ride, WERIDE can design a trip to take in one or multiple areas of Portugal.
We tested three of the best Portuguese mountain biking spots for you. Read below to find out more about their character:
