Cycling in Albufeira, Portugal

[PonteLarry]

I'm looking to have a one week cycling holiday in May 2019 using Albufeira, Portugal as a base with daily rides going approx. 40-50km from there, making an 80-100km round trip. Does anyone know what the cycling is like around Albufeira? What are the roads like and are there any places within this distance that you would recommend to visit?

[mjr]

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=100699 contains most of what I know about riding in that area.

[whoof]

I'm looking to have a one week cycling holiday in May 2019 using Albufeira, Portugal as a base with daily rides going approx. 40-50km from there, making an 80-100km round trip. Does anyone know what the cycling is like around Albufeira? What are the roads like and are there any places within this distance that you would recommend to visit?

Sorry for the late reply but I've been on holiday. I've stayed just to the West in Armacao de Pera and to the East in Sao Bras de Alportel on each occasion doing fixed based day rides.

It's been a few years since I last went but I found that the roads inland (North of the N125) were quiet and often well surfaced. The prices in the inland bars/cafes were also a fair bit cheaper than the coast.
Some of the urban roads were pot-holed with tarmac laid on top on cobbles or in some cases just cobbles. The N125 has a relatively high accident rate, I think I once read something about a death per km per year. However to the East of Portimao it had a good sized hard shoulder each side used by tractors and horses and carts and I found it very useful to travel quickly up and down the coast to explore a new inland area.

If you like climbing and could stretch your distance a bit you could head for Monchique (either the village or mountain top) via Silves which would be approximately 60 km each way from Albuferira. If not Silves itself is a walled town and of some interest.

If you want to go West of Portomao you can't cycle over either the A22 or N125 bridges. You need to go toward Paterio and cross there. Looks easy on a map but on the return I got lost in a maze of one way streets. IMO there is enough riding for a week to the East of here.

One problem you may encounter is dogs. Many Portuguese keep one for security, fine if they have closed the gate also there are feral dogs especially in urban areas. A Dog Dazer type thing may be useful.

[whoof]

It appear that tolls on the motorway (A22) have shifted a lot of traffic onto the N125 so might be best to avoid.
https://algarvedailynews.com/news/6417- ... ly-doubles