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  • (5/5) David Hodgson October 24, 2024

    Great scenery in Alentejo

    Castles and Wines of Portugal

    Very nice self-guided tour of the Alentejo region. Very good hotels and itinerary, decent bikes, good support from the tour company. We went in October 2024 and it was a bit wet.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    10
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Joelle R May 6, 2025

    wonderful experience

    Castles and Wines of Portugal

    Great trip - the cycling area was beautiful and the guides were excellent. There was SO MUCH delicious food each day. Everything was well organized and communicated and we didn't have to worry about anything. I highly recommend this trip.

    What was the date of your tour?
    April 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from bozena_kusovac May 7, 2025

      Hey Joelle,

      Thank you so much for your lovely review - we're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the trip, the scenery, and of course, all the delicious food! And thank you for sharing that beautiful photo! We hope to welcome you on another adventure soon!

      Bozena

    Castles and Wines of Portugal
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
    • View from a castle (submitted by Joelle R)
  • (5/5) Kathy Kinney Bowman May 7, 2025

    Gorgeous scenery and a very authentic experience

    Castles and Wines of Portugal

    If you are looking for beauty and authenticity, this trip is for you. Our group of 16 had a wonderful time biking through rolling hills overlooking sweeping vistas of wild flowers, vineyards, olive and cork oak groves. The whitewashed and marble hill towns with their castle walls and ruins were charming and authentic. The food was local and delicious and the wines were excellent. But best of all were our guides, Mario, Videl, and Joana, who were fun, informative, well organized, and always enthusiastic. A good example is a rainy day in Monsaraz where we spent the morning walking around the castle and village, ate lunch, then half of the group rode in the van to a nearby pottery village while the others walked to a nearby convent and megalith, then we swapped and when the sun came out around 4:00 any who wanted took a two hour ride in the rolling hills surrounding the castle. Our guides worked it all out over lunch!

    What was the date of your tour?
    April 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    Castles and Wines of Portugal
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
    • Typical scenery (submitted by Kathy Kinney Bowman)
    • Megalith (submitted by Kathy Kinney Bowman)
    • Picnic lunch (submitted by Kathy Kinney Bowman)
    • Main square of Vila Vicosa viewed from the castle (submitted by Kathy Kinney Bowman)
    • Olive trees and wild flowers (submitted by Kathy Kinney Bowman)
    • Monsaraz castle (submitted by Kathy Kinney Bowman)
  • (5/5) Kirk G May 8, 2025

    Beautiful spring Portugal journey

    Castles and Wines of Portugal

    This trip exceeded my expectations. The three guides (Fidel, Mario, Johanna) were all wonderful, kind and patient with our entire group. Constantly trying to make the trip a pleasurable experience. The hotels were all good, and generally exceeded expectations. The food was also outstanding. High quality, more than enough (no limits) and lots of drink/wine options. Beautiful tour overall, highly recommend.

    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    Castles and Wines of Portugal
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Kathleen C May 14, 2025

    Nice ride in Portugal

    Castles and Wines of Portugal

    The itinerary was good. Hotels were very nice. Food was great. An enjoyable trip all around.

    What was the date of your tour?
    April 2026
    How many tours have you completed?
    8
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    Castles and Wines of Portugal
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Rob R. May 15, 2025

    Exceeded my very high expectations

    Castles and Wines of Portugal

    I went in thinking the trip would be fun, a little educational, with good food, an appropriate physical challenge and beautiful vistas.
    The week was all of that and so much more. Our guides were terrific - not just knowledgeable and helpful but delightfully interactive and fun. They provided personal, deep insight into the region and a fantastic connection to the locale. The food was amazing. I mean truly amazing - both the restaurants and the lunches. And Portugal is beautiful. We had a truly amazing time.

    What was the date of your tour?
    April 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    two
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    Castles and Wines of Portugal
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Elizabeth 11 months ago

    Went beyond our expectations!

    Castles and Wines of Portugal

    Our guides were fantastic, the rides were pleasant and just challenging enough. We really enjoyed the historical experience.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    Castles and Wines of Portugal
  • (5/5) Fred 9 months ago

    Castles and wines of the Alentejo region of Portugal

    Castles and Wines of Portugal

    There were four great hotels and one doesn’t have to be a serious cyclist to get around

    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    Castles and Wines of Portugal
  • (5/5) Christopher 7 months ago

    First Rate Bicycle Tour

    Castles and Wines of Portugal

    The tour company provided excellent service on our guided, group tour in early November. My wife and I were the only two people on the tour, but the tour went ahead with a van and at least two guides every day. Our tour was at the end of the dry season and the landscape was parched. We encountered some rain but most of the time the weather was excellent for cycling. The tour company was very good at accommodating customers bringing their own bike. The company's ebikes also were very good bikes for the terrain. I highly recommend this tour.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    Castles and Wines of Portugal
  • (5/5) Pablito October 23, 2016

    Great Trip

    Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring

    We had a large group (16!) with varying levels of ability. All aspects of the tour were great. Logistics worked well: pick up and fitting of bikes went without a hitch. The rides were very scenic and covered a range of terrain, from mountains to the flats. All hotels were very nice and Creative Catalonia booked a couple of very fine meals in Olot and Llafranc at truly world-class restaurants. Scenery on the rides was fantastic, and the routes had little traffic and were often off the roads altogether.

    The only hiccup of the trip was that only 4 map packages were provided to our group. Would have expected that each rider would get a full pack of maps.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 9-16
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Spain
    Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Rosie September 26, 2017

    One of the best researched and organized tours I've ever been on

    Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring

    Creative Catalonia selected absolutely the best routes through beautiful countryside and seaside scenery as well as taking one through picturesque villages and selecting really great hotels in interesting cities and villages. We had a great variety of scenery and experiences. Additionally their equipment was great and their maps and instructions were very clear. Their assessments of distances and difficulty were right on and they kept us on small farm roads or streets with very few cars as much as possible. They also provided one garmen for every group that had the route programmed into it. It was impossible to get lost. They were also helpful with he small changes we wanted to make and had great suggestions for restaurants and other experiences along the way.

    This is an exceptional outfitter.

    Rosemary Heil
    fall 2017

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2017
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Spain
    Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Anne52 October 2, 2017

    An idyllic, romantic and gorgeous bike trip!

    Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring

    This was our first self guided bike trip and what a lucky choice it was! Daniel and Lucy of Creative Catalonia are a dynamic couple who were so personable and helpful. They have organized a fascinating and beautiful bike trip. We were amazed at the often paved bike paths that wound through gorgeous country side, from the mountains to the sea. The places we stayed were super, we were often alone on the paths, the side trips were interesting, the restaurant recommendations were outstanding... We can't rave enough about this outstanding bike tour.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 14 - 21, 2016
    How many tours have you completed?
    This was our first.
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Spain
    Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) george October 3, 2017

    Surprisingly luxurious biking

    Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring

    the biking was largely on old railroad right of ways or farm roads. the sections on paved roads were nearly deserted of traffic. The Costa Brava was gorgeous. Lots of medieval stone hilltop towns. The hotels were just fabulous. Great lunches and dinners for relatively little money. A side trip to the Dali museum.

    What was the date of your tour?
    mid-September
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Much easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Spain
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) GregS June 25, 2018

    Wonderful Trip, Great Experience

    Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring

    Great service, Hotels and staff were the best. Level 3 was a little tough for a beginner, but I made it.

    What was the date of your tour?
    5-8-18/5-18-18
    How many tours have you completed?
    First
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Spain
    Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • First Day of our adventure (submitted by GregS)
    • We made it to the sea. (submitted by GregS)
  • (5/5) StuNH October 14, 2021

    A tour far exceeding expectations!

    Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring

    Reading previous reviews, what most needs to be said is praise for this tour is not over rated. It was an exceptional tour! We did the tour in late September into October. The high tourist season was past, so our entire tour was quiet, peaceful, relaxing. The weather was very pleasant, and swimming in the Mediterranean was delightful. We had 3 days on the coast to enjoy that. We loved the various cycling experiences - the "Carrilet", the coast (Costa Brava), and the medieval villages. The hotels were all outstanding.
    Even though the tour was self guided, the tour operator remained in touch and was exceptional.

    What was the date of your tour?
    9/28/21 - 10/6/21
    How many tours have you completed?
    10+ (I've lost count)
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Spain
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
    • Cycling in medieval town (submitted by StuNH)
    • The Costa Brava (submitted by StuNH)
  • (5/5) Craig Williams April 28, 2023

    Loved all the old cities!

    Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring

    Great route, the cities we rode thru and old rail trails were safer than city/country roads. The guide was fantastic with educational info, language skills and expertise on coffee and lunch/dinner stops.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Spain
    Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring
  • (5/5) Ulla Dueck May 11, 2023

    Great adventure!

    Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring

    This was our first visit to Spain and what a fabulous way to see part of the country. Our guide (Daniel) was the best. The terrain varied many times along the route, but was always manageable. The hotels were great and the food was delicious. Loved the abundance of seafood.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    4
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Spain
    Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Julie Griesert May 18, 2023

    Fabulous trip

    Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring

    This was our third self-guided bike trip and probably the most organized and well-planned. Daniel met us at the first hotel and was very thorough with instructions, giving us both a map with notes as well as a gps that worked great. He even made dinner reservations at one of the hotels (the restaurant is amazing and reservations must be made in advance). We loved the variety of areas the route took us through - country and coastal. The last 2 hotels were over the top, and the last one was our absolute favorite. Things to know when considering this trip: you have to want to bike most of the day, that's what these trips are about. We'd start our days with a great breakfast and then were on the road by 10 or 10:30, biking until the afternoon (anywhere from 2 - 4pm depending on the mileage). I had an e-bike but the other 2 of us had regular bikes. I was happy to have the assist so I could keep up. You will likely run into a few stretches that aren't pleasant; maybe next to a noisy road, or suddenly it gets super windy or rainy and bugs are flying into your eyes (I recommend eye wear of some kind) but then you are in blissful sections in the middle of a quiet forest on a rail-to-trail path, or rolling through sunny fields of wheat. The less pleasant bits were rare but do note that these trips are better for people who can handle a bit of rain or wind or whatever. Food tip: Meal times in Europe are skewed later and restaurants and stores may not be open when you want to eat. Try to plan ahead and either buy picnic food in town in the am so you can eat on the road later, or be prepared to eat a fixed price multi-course lunch in the later afternoon (unless you are in a bigger town that has more options). We managed to convince a couple places to do a lower fixed price lunch with fewer dishes but it's just not the norm. By the end of the trip we were so done with large meals. It was new for us to have the 2 night stays in 2 of the hotels but they were at our 2 favorite hotels and with the one on the coast, we ended up taking advantage of the 2 nights by not doing the second day's ride. It was cold, windy, and a bit rainy so we ended up taking a very slow morning until the rain subsided, then we walked the coastal footpath, which was gorgeous. It worked out well as a nice break. Also, I recommend not looking up the hotels in advance - one of the fun things about these trips is rolling up to the hotel in the afternoon and knowing nothing about it. On previous trips we've had some pretty odd mixes of places, including one semi-creepy place (not on this trip) that we still laugh about today and even kind of appreciate that we ended up there. All-in-all a great trip.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Spain
    Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Theresa Schwingenschloegl May 26, 2023

    A fabulous 7 days

    Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring

    Our e bike tour was meticulously routed by our guide Daniel. With his planning we adapted our North American stomachs to a later lunch which was always timed perfectly for the 4 of us to to end our day, allowing us to relax and enjoy a delicious main meal accompanied by wonderful local wines and beers. It was a surprise to us that our bike tour was just the four of us but it turned out to be a wonderful active holiday at just the right pace. A mirror and a bell for my e bike are the only suggestions I could make. We were mostly on well packed trails but also had fabulous downhill riding on quiet well paved roads where you could see a good distance ahead, which gave confidence to a novice rider. The weather cooperated, our accomadations were very comfortable, our bags were always there ahead of us, the bikes were great. What wonderful holiday.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Spain
  • (5/5) Theresa Schwingenschloegl May 27, 2023

    A fabulous 7 days

    Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring

    Our e bike tour was meticulously routed by our guide Daniel. With his planning we adapted our North American stomachs to a later lunch which was always timed perfectly for the 4 of us to to end our day, allowing us to relax and enjoy a delicious main meal accompanied by wonderful local wines and beers. It was a surprise to us that our bike tour was just the four of us but it turned out to be a wonderful active holiday at just the right pace. A mirror and a bell for my e bike are the only suggestions I could make. We were mostly on well packed trails but also had fabulous downhill riding on quiet well paved roads where you could see a good distance ahead, which gave confidence to a novice rider. The weather cooperated, our accomadations were very comfortable, our bags were always there ahead of us, the bikes were great. What wonderful holiday.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Spain
    Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring

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