Douro Valley Overnight

A 292 km loop from Douro Valley

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Why this ride

A rider’s loop: clean exit, memorable middle, calm return. 292 km round from Parede - plan on about 5 h 19 of riding. On the way it passes Barcarena, Scenic stretch near Sobral de Monte Agraço and near Alenquer. The climb of the day is Monte Estoril.

Roadbook

1. Parede fuel

   Parede is a seaside town on the Estoril coast west of Lisbon, strung along the Marginal road between Carcavelos and São Pedro do Estoril, with houses climbing the low slope above a small, rocky-edged beach. It is mostly a residential place for people who commute into the city, but it has an old reputation of its own, and it makes a practical, pleasant start and finish point with fuel, coffee and the ocean right there.

   The reputation is medical. In the early twentieth century, the beach at Parede was considered especially good for health, thanks to the rocks and seaweed that people believed released extra iodine into the air and water, and doctors sent children with bone diseases and tuberculosis here for treatment. Sanatoriums were built nearby, and some of the grand old buildings from that period still stand above the coast. Today the beach is just a beach, but older Lisboetas still talk about the air of Parede.

   The Marginal itself, the coast road from Lisbon to Cascais, is the classic local ride: the sea on one side, palm trees, villas and forts on the other, and a long sequence of gentle bends and roundabouts along the shore. It is beautiful but busy, with buses, cyclists and summer traffic, so it suits an early morning start or an evening return. Beyond Cascais the road climbs past the windswept dunes of Guincho, a famous surf beach where the wind seldom stops, and on into the Sintra hills, where narrow wooded lanes twist up towards Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe.

   From Parede, the Douro Valley rides head north, which means a long run on motorways and then into the vineyards along the river, where the terraced hillsides of port wine country are among the most spectacular landscapes in Portugal. It is a big day, so leave early and with a full tank.

   Fuel is easy here, with stations along the main roads, and there are pastelarias everywhere for a coffee and a pastel de nata before setting off. On the way back, a walk along the coastal promenade at sunset, from Parede east toward Carcavelos, is the right way to stretch out tired legs, with the light going gold on the water and the lighthouse at Bugio blinking at the mouth of the Tagus.

2. Monte Estoril pass

   Faded grandeur and Atlantic light define Monte Estoril. The district rises from the coast between Estoril and Cascais, west of Lisbon, with villas, gardens and old hotels on the slopes above the sea, and a long promenade along the beach below. This was once one of Europe's most fashionable resorts, and some of that elegance survives in the palm-lined avenues and the houses with their tiled facades.

   Estoril's golden age came in the early twentieth century, when the casino and grand hotels were built, and during the Second World War, when neutral Portugal became a refuge for exiled royals, refugees and spies of every nationality. Ian Fleming, who worked in naval intelligence, spent time here, and the casino is often said to have inspired Casino Royale. After the war, deposed kings and their families settled along this coast, giving it the nickname the Coast of Kings.

   For motorcyclists, Estoril has another association: the Autódromo do Estoril, the racing circuit in the hills behind the town, which hosted the Portuguese Formula One Grand Prix for many years and later the MotoGP championship. Its corners are a reminder that this coast has a long love affair with speed.

   The coast road, the Marginal, runs along the sea from Lisbon to Cascais, a pleasant if busy route with views of the ocean and the mouth of the Tagus. Beyond Cascais, the road continues to the wild cliffs of Boca do Inferno and Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe, with strong winds and spectacular views. The roads through the Serra de Sintra, a range of forested hills dotted with palaces, are narrow and twisty, with damp, mossy surfaces in places.

   The rides from here head far north, to the Serra da Estrela, the highest mountains of mainland Portugal, with long climbs and wide views, and to the Douro valley, where vineyards cling to steep terraces above the river. Both are long journeys, so start early. Fuel, food and every service are easy to find around Estoril and Cascais, and the seafront cafés make a good stop for a coffee and a pastel de nata. Traffic on the Marginal and around Lisbon can be heavy, especially on summer weekends, so plan your departure and return accordingly.

3. Barcarena finish

   Gunpowder was made at Barcarena for more than four centuries. The royal powder factory in the valley of the Ribeira de Barcarena, a small stream that winds down to the Tagus estuary, supplied the Portuguese army and navy from the sixteenth century until the twentieth, and the old mills, workshops and storehouses have been restored as a cultural park, with a museum and gardens by the stream.

   Barcarena lies in the municipality of Oeiras, in the hills west of Lisbon, between the city and Sintra. Oeiras was the home of the Marquis of Pombal, the powerful minister who rebuilt Lisbon after the great earthquake of 1755, and his palace and gardens are open to visitors.

   The Marginal, the coast road from Lisbon to Cascais, runs a few kilometres south, along the estuary and the Atlantic coast, with beaches, forts and promenades. It is a scenic ride, though often busy, and the beaches at Carcavelos and Paço de Arcos are popular with surfers and swimmers.

   Coming back from the Douro valley, a long weekend of vineyards and river views in the north, you finish on the A1 motorway south and the ring roads around Lisbon. Traffic can be heavy, especially on Sunday evenings. Several Portuguese motorways use electronic-only tolls, so check how a foreign-registered bike pays before you go.

   Any neighbourhood pastelaria will do for the last ritual: a bica, the short Lisbon espresso, and a pastel de nata still warm, with cinnamon shaken over the top. Fuel is on the main roads into Oeiras and Queluz.

4. Scenic stretch near Sobral de Monte Agraço scenic

   Scenic stretch near Sobral de Monte Agraço, about halfway.

5. Photo stop near Alenquer photo

   Photo stop near Alenquer sits at 199 km, about halfway.

6. Lisbon / Portugal return swim

   Alcácer do Sal sits on the Sado river, about twenty kilometres south of this point, and it takes its name from salt: the Romans called the town Salacia, and the Arabs later gave it the name that stuck. For centuries the marshes around it have been worked for salt, which was shipped from the river to the northern ports and across Europe.

   This region is better for swimming than the label suggests. The Sado is slow, wide and tidal, with sandy banks and small beaches here and there, and in summer, local people cool off in the water or on the reservoirs in the area. The landscape also has real wildlife value, with storks, flamingos, herons and spoonbills on the estuary, and wild boar and foxes in the forest. Dusk, when mist rises off the water, is the best time.

   The riding is relaxed. Straight, shaded roads pass pine plantations, cork oak groves and the occasional vineyard or rice field, and the surface is generally smooth, though in places sand and pine needles collect on the tarmac. There is little traffic away from the main road, and long, empty stretches invite you to relax. In summer the heat can reach forty degrees, so take water and ride early. Vendas Novas hosts a large military training area, so be aware of the occasional convoy.

   Fuel is available at Vendas Novas and Alcácer do Sal, with supermarkets and cafes. For lunch, look for a family restaurant serving local specialities, such as roast lamb, rice with seafood or cod with bread. The salt from this area, the flor de sal, is sold in small shops and makes an excellent present. The best seasons are spring and autumn, when the heat is bearable, and the light has a clear, golden softness that suits the flat land.

7. Food stop in Comporta food

   Rice is not what most people expect in southern Portugal, but here at Comporta the land flattens into wide green paddies laid out along the Sado estuary, with herons and white storks standing in the water and the smell of mud and salt on the wind. Comporta is a small village of whitewashed houses and reed-thatched cottages on the edge of these fields, set between the estuary to the east and a huge Atlantic beach to the west, on the long sandy peninsula that runs south from Tróia.

   For a long time this was a poor, quiet farming and fishing area, owned for decades by a single large estate that grew rice, pine and cork. Because development was held back, the coast stayed largely empty, and in recent years Comporta has become a favourite of designers, architects and well-off Lisbon families, who have built discreet houses among the dunes and pines. The village has kept a low-key feel, but it is no longer the sleepy place it once was, and in August it can feel crowded with sunglasses.

   The riding through here is flat, open and easy, along the N261 and the roads that link Comporta to Tróia, Carrasqueira and Alcácer do Sal. The surface is generally fine, with long straights broken by gentle bends through cork oak, stone pine and rice. The wind off the Atlantic can be strong and gusty in the afternoon, and sand drifts onto the edges of the road near the coast. If you come from Setúbal, the ferry across the mouth of the Sado to Tróia takes vehicles and makes a lovely short crossing, often with dolphins, since a resident group lives in the estuary.

   Just south of the village, at Carrasqueira, fishermen built a harbour on wooden stilts in the mud flats, a maze of crooked walkways and huts reaching out into the estuary. It is one of the most photographed sights on the coast and worth a short detour, especially at low tide in the late afternoon light.

   Comporta has cafes and a few restaurants serving rice dishes with seafood or duck, which is the obvious thing to eat here. For fuel, the nearest reliable stations are towards Alcácer do Sal or back towards Setúbal, about eighteen kilometres away across the water, so check the tank before setting off on the long, empty roads south.

8. Back to Parede finish

   Back at Douro Valley. That is the ride.

Where this sits

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