Portugal – from Porto to Lisbon

2022, August 5-26

route day by day | conditions of participation | map

Portugal has a centuries-old colorful history: from the global upsurge in the 15th and 16th centuries to political declines, from once a vast empire to today’s small state. The face of Portugal was shaped by aliens from the North and the Moors from Africa. We will visit the famous cities, mountains, caves, waterfalls and other spectacular views of nature. We will sunbathe at the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean and will cool ourselves under the trees in highlands. We will listen to fado – famous Portuguese songs about love, betrayal, death and despair.

Porto, located at the Atlantic Ocean, is the start point. After a walking and cycling through its historic old town, we will definitely visit the Romanesque Cathedral, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. One of the oldest cities in Portugal (over 2200 years!) – Braga – is on our route then. It has been the ecclesiastical capital of the country since the 12th century. The country’s only national park, Peneda-Gerês. We will also find ourselves in the first Portuguese capital – Guimarães founded in the 9th century. We will pass the second longest suspension pedestrian bridge in the world (516 m, up to 175 m high!) near Arouca. We will definitely visit another old capital (up to 1255 m) – Coimbra. The next charming city on our itinerary is Tomar with the castle-monastery of Knights Templar and an aqueduct. Who wants, can pilgrim to Fátima. Then we will cycle to look at the stalactite caves Santo António and Alvados, and admire the Fórnea waterfall. After the famous Moors Castle in Sintra, we will reach the westernmost point of Europe Cabo da Roca. We will end our journey in the capital Lisbon, where (including suburbs) one in four Portuguese residents live. The city gained a modern face when it began to build a new city after the earthquake and tsunami of 1755. There are a lot of places to visit in and around Lisbon, so we will spend a few days here.

Route coordinator: Rolandas Liutika, rolandas.klaipeda@gmail.com

Ride coordinators: Maryla Zielińska, 604 255 722, bc2022@bicycle.pl; Sigitas Kučas, GMPR Lithuanian Fund, +37068659375, bc2022@bicycle.lt