Mums do travel

Travel with and without teens

  • Home
  • Destination
    • UK
      • London
      • Kent
      • Northern Ireland
      • Wales
      • Elsewhere
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Croatia
      • France
      • Gibraltar
      • Greece
      • Hungary
      • Italy
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Russia
      • Spain
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • USA
      • Canada
      • Carribean
      • Costa Rica
    • Africa
      • South Africa
      • Tunisia
    • Asia
      • Thailand
      • Bali
      • Singapore
    • Australia
  • Inspiration
    • Things to do in…
    • Things to do in London…
    • Where to stay
    • Language learning
    • Family travel interviews
    • The journey
    • Recipes
  • Published in
  • About
  • Contact
  • Travel shop
Home / Destination / Europe / Portugal / Ria Formosa Algarve bike tour

Ria Formosa Algarve bike tour

April 24, 2018 by Gretta Schifano 11 Comments

Cycling in the Ria Formosa, Portugal. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Cycling in the Ria Formosa, Portugal. Copyright Gretta Schifano

As we stand and watch the serene flamingoes, our guide João asks: ‘Do you know why these flamingoes are white, rather than pink?’

We don’t know, so he explains that flamingoes become pink because they eat shrimps. These particular flamingoes eat shellfish, so their feathers are white. There are fish leaping and splashing in the water near to where the birds are standing, but all else around us is quiet and calm.

MegaSport cycling tour

My husband and I are on a MegaSport bike tour of the beautiful Ria Formosa nature reserve on Portugal’s Algarve coast. João picked us up from our hotel, the Vidamar, first thing that morning. With our three rental bikes strapped to the roof of his car, he’d driven us to Quinta Do Largo, which is one of the most exclusive residential areas in the country, and which is next to the Ria Formosa. Our bikes are just the right sizes (we’d sent our height measurements in advance) and there are helmets for each of us. We put on some sunscreen as it’s a warm, sunny spring day, João gives each of us a bottle of water and we’re ready to go. There’s a light breeze and it feels like perfect cycling weather. We set off from the car park at the end of Avenida Ayrton Senna da Silva (the Brazilian world champion racing driver had a home nearby) and head into the Ria Formosa.

If you'd like to go cycling on Portugal's Algarve, the Ria Formosa nature reserve lagoon area is a good place to start. Click through for details of an excellent half-day guided cycle tour with MegaSport - definitely recommended!

Ria Formosa

Ria Formosa is a protected area of lagoons and islands which spreads for more than 30 miles along the coast around Faro. It’s a haven for birds and other wildlife, and a beautiful and peaceful place to explore on foot or by bike.

I find it easy to cycle through the nature reserve as it’s mostly flat and there are clear tracks to follow. We stop at various points so that João can explain things to us or to take photos. João speaks very good English and he’s led hundreds of tours here and so is very knowledgable about the area.

A long wooden pedestrian bridge (João says that it’s one of the longest in Europe) crosses the lagoon from Quinta Do Largo to the beach. The bridge is a local landmark, and we stop there to take some photos.

Pedestrian wooden bridge, Ria Formosa, Portugal. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Pedestrian wooden bridge, Ria Formosa, Portugal. Copyright Gretta Schifano

We cycle on through the reserve and across a road bridge to Faro Island, one of the barrier islands in the lagoon system.

Faro Island

There’s been a storm the previous week and so there are sandy drifts partially covering the roads on the island. The further we cycle away from the bridge and along the island, the simpler the buildings are. The road comes to an end and we continue along a narrow boardwalk. João explains that most of the buildings in this part of the island were originally huts where fisherman from Faro would store their equipment and stay overnight. Some of these places are now used by local families as places to stay at the weekends or in the summer, and some are actually permanent homes.

Fisherman's hut, Faro Island, Ria Formosa, Portugal. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Fisherman’s hut, Faro Island, Ria Formosa, Portugal. Copyright Gretta Schifano

As we continue along the boardwalk, the island narrows and we can see across the water as far as Faro in one direction and out to the Atlantic in the other.

We retrace our route back along the boardwalk to the road. Where the boardwalk joins the road, we stop at a small local bar, Nau Catrineta. We lock up our bikes and go inside. We sit at a table overlooking the beach and drink coffee and eat delicate pastéis de nata, Portugal’s famous egg yolk sweet pastries. Back on two wheels, we cross over the bridge from the island to the mainland and continue through the lagoon system. We’re close to Faro airport and see planes taking off and landing.

We reach some salt pans and João explains how industrial salt is produced here and how it is produced by hand in some places on the Algarve. We see a mountain of glistening salt crystals.

Salt mountain, Faro Island, Ria Formosa, Portugal. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Salt mountain, Faro Island, Ria Formosa, Portugal. Copyright Gretta Schifano

The last part of the 21-kilometre route takes us through the Quinta do Largo golf course. We stop at a bird hide and I’m thrilled to see some turtles swimming in the water nearby.

Three hours 45 minutes after setting off on our cycling expedition we’re back at the car. João straps our bikes on to the roof and then drives us to our hotel, chatting amiably all the way.

Verdict

I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this cycle tour, and it was one of the highlights of our trip to the Algarve. It was great having a knowledgable guide with us to explain about the area, the location is beautiful and peaceful and it was very convenient to be picked up from the hotel and to have the bikes brought to us. I’d definitely recommend this MegaSport bike tour.

Boardwalk, Faro Island, Ria Formosa, Portugal. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Boardwalk, Faro Island, Ria Formosa, Portugal. Copyright Gretta Schifano

MegaSport

MegaSport are based in the Algarve and they offer guided and self-guided cycling and walking tours and holidays throughout Portugal, as well as cycle hire. They can provide a wide range of bikes including tandems and children’s bikes, and they can deliver bikes to your accommodation in Portugal. Tours can be arranged for large groups by using extra guides, and they also offer guided tours for individuals. 

Our trip is their most popular half-day cycle tour.

Cost

The cost of the guided half-day Ria Formosa MegaSport cycle tour which we did is 50 euros per person, including hotel pick up and drop off, bike and helmet hire, and insurance.

Beach, Faro Island, Ria Formosa, Portugal. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Beach, Faro Island, Ria Formosa, Portugal. Copyright Gretta Schifano

More on Portugal

You can read more about our travels in Portugal in these posts:

A four-day trip to the Algarve, Portugal

Vidamar Resort Hotel review

A short trip to Lisbon, relaxing in the Portuguese capital

Our trip to Porto, Portugal’s second city

Praia D’el Rey Golf & Beach Resort, Portugal

Disclosure: The half day guided bike tour was provided for us by MegaSport free of charge for the purposes of this review. All opinions, words and images are my own, as ever.

SaveSave

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related

Categories: Active, Coast, Portugal, Trips without kids
Tags: cycling, Faro, guided tour, nature reserve

About Gretta Schifano

I'm a freelance journalist and blogger specialising in family travel with teenagers, trips when parents manage to travel without their kids, and 50+ travel. I also write about vegetarian travel, parenting teenagers, adoption, SEN, ADHD and anxiety. My work's been published by the Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, National Geographic Traveller, Lonely Planet and others. I've lived and worked in Italy and Spain and am now based in rural south-east England with my husband, adoptive and birth kids and our dog. I previously worked as a social action radio producer for the BBC.

Facebook - Twitter - Google+

Subscribe to posts by email?

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Comments

  1. John says

    April 1, 2020 at 2:14 am

    Nice pics! I love to explore different places on my bike. Bikes bring us places that cars never see. I would love to visit there one day on my bike. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  2. Elizabeth Meza says

    October 29, 2018 at 9:06 pm

    Well said through this blog. Usually I don’t see such kind of article. This one is uncommon and informative.I enjoyed. Thanks.

    Reply
  3. Kostas says

    October 4, 2018 at 10:50 am

    It sounds a little hard in the beginning to travel around Algarve Gretta, but I see you enjoyed it a lot. Isn’t it great to feel the wind on your face, smell all the nature and get some sunshine on your skin? Bikes are great!

    Reply
  4. Nell (Pigeon Pair and Me) says

    June 11, 2018 at 9:42 am

    Cycling’s a great way to see a place. You can cover much more than by foot, but you still see all the details that are lost on a car or train journey. I’ve never had a guided cycle tour before, but this one sounds interesting – and fun.
    Nell (Pigeon Pair and Me) recently posted…WIN tickets to the brand new Wild Child family festival in Dulwich, LondonMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      June 11, 2018 at 1:08 pm

      It was really enjoyable, and we learnt such a lot about the area by being with a guide.

      Reply
  5. Kim Mibram says

    May 29, 2018 at 9:17 am

    Great pictures, and awesome writing! It’s like I was there going for a ride

    Looks like a really interesting place.

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      May 29, 2018 at 1:45 pm

      Thanks Kim – it is!

      Reply
  6. Jenny Smith says

    May 21, 2018 at 9:20 am

    Looks amazing, Such a beautiful part of the world.
    Great job Gretta!

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      May 22, 2018 at 7:32 am

      It really is – thank you!

      Reply
  7. Jo says

    May 8, 2018 at 5:16 pm

    Those beaches are absolutely stunning. What a great way to explore the area this looks fantastic for active families who want a change from sunning themselves!

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      May 8, 2018 at 6:55 pm

      Yes, the beaches are beautiful there.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Search site

Follow me!

Email: gretta at mumsdotravel dot com
Follow me on FacebookFollow me on Google+Follow me on TwitterFollow me on InstagramFollow me on YouTubeFollow me on PinterestFollow me on Bloglovin

You'd like posts by email?

Booking.com

Most popular posts:

  • How to pack for an 8 kg luggage allowance
    How to pack for an 8 kg luggage allowance
  • Where to find Mary Poppins film locations in London
    Where to find Mary Poppins film locations in London
  • What to do when your teenager doesn't want to go on your family holiday
    What to do when your teenager doesn't want to go on your family holiday
  • Thailand with teenagers: a two-week summer itinerary
    Thailand with teenagers: a two-week summer itinerary
  • Itinerary for a three-night Berlin sightseeing trip with a teenager
    Itinerary for a three-night Berlin sightseeing trip with a teenager
  • Things to do in London with kids: July
    Things to do in London with kids: July
  • Top things to do near La Manga Club Spain
    Top things to do near La Manga Club Spain
  • How to shop in the souks of Tunis medina, Tunisia
    How to shop in the souks of Tunis medina, Tunisia
  • 5-night itinerary for Northern Tunisia
    5-night itinerary for Northern Tunisia
  • Top things to do in Sicily with teenagers
    Top things to do in Sicily with teenagers

Recent Posts

  • How to apply for Italian citizenship: everything we’ve done so far
  • How to explore London’s top attractions from home
  • Amsterdam virtual museum & gallery tours
  • Introducing Armchair Travels
  • How to explore Florence, Italy, from home

About

  • About
  • Published in
  • Contact

Disclosure

This is a personal blog written and edited by me, Gretta Schifano. Sometimes I’m given products or sent on trips to review, but I always make this clear and give my honest opinion. See my About page for full details.

Copyright © Mums do travel 2019
Header by Suzanne Barton
Website by
Callia Web

Sign up for my free newsletter:
Subscribe to the Mums do travel mailing list... it's FREE!
You'll receive family travel news, offers and competitions. Once you sign up you can download my tips for saving money on family travel.
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.
Sign up for my free newsletter: