Why this ride
From Porto it runs 162 km to Porto; allow about 2 h 33 of riding. It goes by way of Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zo, Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga and back through Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zo.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Historic Centre of Oporto and Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga · 162 km from Porto
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 162 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 2 h 33
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Historic Centre of Oporto
Porto is a city built on a granite slope above the Douro, and for a rider that means two things immediately: the views are wonderful, and the streets are steep, narrow and paved with stone that turns slippery as soap in the rain. Tram rails cross the old centre, cobbles are everywhere, and traffic is dense, so the best plan is to park the bike once and walk. The historic centre, from the riverside quarter of Ribeira up to the cathedral and the Clérigos Tower, was listed by UNESCO in 1996.
Read the complete Historic Centre of Oporto write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Historic Centre of Oporto is where the day begins. Next is Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zo.
2. Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zo
Aqui nasceu Portugal, says the slogan painted on an old section of the town wall: Portugal was born here. Guimarães claims to be the cradle of the nation because Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, is said to have been born here, and in 1128 he won the battle of São Mamede nearby, against his mother's forces, a key step towards independence. The castle on the hill, a compact fortress with a tall keep, and the small Romanesque church beside it, where he is said to have been baptised, are the symbols of that story.
Read the complete Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zo write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zo comes up about 55 km into the recorded legs. Next is Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga.
3. Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga
There are 577 steps up to Bom Jesus do Monte, and a good many pilgrims still climb them on their knees. The sanctuary hangs on a wooded hillside above Braga, in the green Minho of northern Portugal, and what makes it extraordinary is the staircase. It zigzags up the slope in a series of baroque landings, each with its own fountain, chapel or statues, and each telling a different part of the story, from the five senses to the three virtues. Work began in the early eighteenth century and went on for decades, and the white church at the top, with its twin towers, was finished later, in neoclassical style. UNESCO listed the whole ensemble in 2019.
Read the complete Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 76 km into the recorded legs you reach Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga. Next is back through Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zo.
4. back through Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zo
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zo write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zo, late in the day. Next is Historic Centre of Oporto.
5. Historic Centre of Oporto
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Historic Centre of Oporto write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Historic Centre of Oporto. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Historic Centre of Oporto to Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zo
Historic Centre of Oporto → Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zo is 55 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zo to Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga
Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zo → Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga is 21 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga to back through Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zo
Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga → back through Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zo is 29 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zo to Historic Centre of Oporto
back through Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zo → Historic Centre of Oporto is 57 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.