Cycling Tavira: 4 best cycling routes of the eastern Algarve, Portugal

Tavira warm-up ride

Marco from BikeSul says “This route makes a wonderful, relatively easy introduction to cycling around Tavira. You start by riding east towards Spain, passing Cacela Velha which is one of the picture-postcard villages of the Algarve. It’s a small village from Moorish times where the street signs are still in Arabic. The traditional houses vie for attention with the impressive church and fort. It’s also very close to the beach and at low tide you can walk to the beach.

From here there’s a gentle climb inland to Pisa Barro, passing the famous Monte Rei golf course. You then descend down through the forest of “Mata Nacional da Conceição” (sadly burnt due to wildfires in 2021) and the Curral de Boeiros area.

After Malhada do Peres you climb up and get fantastic views of the mountains and down to Tavira. From here there are a few hills (but nothing too hard) and the traditional village of Santo Estevão, as you return to Tavira.”

Coast and Hills of São Miguel & Alcaria do Cume

Marco from BikeSul says “Starting in Tavira, this route takes you through a variety of Algarve landscapes and terrain types.

The first section follows the coast and the Ria Formosa, including Santa Luzia and the popular summer destination of Pedras d’el Rei.

Heading inland, you’ll cycle through the distinctive barrocal countryside, with small farms and fields of citrus trees. Next you climb the famous São Miguel hill, which is a 3 km climb on an old cobbled road, with an average gradient of 10%. There are spectacular panoramic views from the top. A beautiful backroad takes you towards Mesquita, where you can stop for a break.

After Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo, there aren’t many places to stop or refuel for the remainder of the ride so detour into the centre of Santa Catarina village if needed.

The section towards Alcaria do Cume includes long, steep climbs – from the top though it’s mostly downhill for the final 30 km!”This RideWithGPS route contains cookies...
I’m fine with RideWithGPS cookies

GPX DownloadTerms of use reminder

Tavira hills and villages

Cristina from MegaSport Travel says “This route takes cyclists through the hills around Tavira. It offers exceptional views, good roads and the historical city of Tavira.”

Alcoutim and Guadiana river loop

Marco from BikeSul says “This is a challenging but beautiful route to the historic village of Alcoutim and the border with Spain that is formed by the Guadiana River.

You head inland up a long challenging climb to Alta Mora. From the top there are wonderful views of mountain and sea. On really quiet roads, you wind through the Serra Sotavento.

A long downhill takes you the historic village of Alcoutim, on the Guadiana river banks. Spain is on the other side and both Alcoutim and Sanlucar, the the Spanish village on the other side, are topped by medieval castles.

You ride along the Guadiana river and then back to Tavira. The terrain is easier than the first part of the ride, although still with some short but steep climbs.”

A huge thank you to Marco and Cristina for sharing their expertise. We hope you enjoy exploring this area of the Algarve – let us know how you get on in the comments below!

Looking for other routes in the Algarve?

A reminder about our articles sharing:

• The best cycling routes from Albufeira
• The best cycling routes from Lagos
• Our article on the best cycling events in the Algarve to watch and take part in.

Have you ridden in the Algarve? Tell us about your experiences in the comments below.

For more cycling regions and routes in Portugal take a look at this overview guide.

Cristina Dias from Megasport Travel says “Megasport is a tour operator for cycling and walking tours in Portugal. We’ve been operating in Portugal since 1993.

Megasport are supporters of environmentally sustainability practices, and are specialists in organising guided and self-guided tours for  individuals, groups, family holidays and tailor-made experiences.

With great knowledge of the region, we can offer bicycles, accommodation, transfers, daily luggage transfers, road books, GPS route files and travel documentation. Our cycling programs are designed to provide customers with memorable and joyful moments of relaxation, adventure or sports during their holidays.

In addition, we offer daily bicycle rental services and daily guided cycle tours with delivery and collection at the site.”

Marco Fernandes has been involved in cycling for most of his life, beginning with road cycling in his youth and later competing as a professional mountain biker. Later Marco worked for the Portuguese Cycling Federation and he continues to collaborate on the Cyclin'Portugal project.

Since 2018, Marco has been coordinating the Tours and Rentals department at Bikesul Portugal, a leading bike rental company in the south of Portugal which also operates as a KTM Bike Industries concept store in Guia, Albufeira. Bikesul organises and promotes cycling holidays in Portugal and Spain, as well as corporate events and daily tours.