The Easygoing Allure of Cycling Portugal End-to-End
The Easygoing Allure of Cycling Portugal End-to-End
What is it? What is it about cycling the old N2 road from the very north of Portugal to the south that is so appealing? Cycling in Portugal might not have the drama of the Alps, or the grandeur of Spanish vistas, the exotic (to our eyes) landscapes of India, or the cycle path networks of northern Europe. It’s hard to pinpoint, but as you travel south down our End to End cycle route, it’s difficult not to fall in love with Portugal, in its easygoing, gently scenic…yes, alluring, way. By the end of the cycle, the country had definitely got under our skins in the best of ways.
Pedal Nation’s philosophy, like its sister company High Places, is based on low impact travel with small numbers, with the aim to ‘leave little trace’. We accept a maximum of 12 clients on our holidays, to prevent booking out entire hotels and restaurants in a place for one night, potentially leaving them empty for the rest of the week. Small numbers also undoubtedly help with group dynamics, since you can get to know everyone, and the whole group can usually stay at the same hotel and eat at the same restaurant. I have heard of other cycling holidays with in the region of 20 to 30 cyclists, which is all very well…but hey, just not our vibe. With a maximum ratio of one to six, both the cycling guide and support driver have time for everyone. And well, it’s great for us to get to know you properly too!
This all said, the four clients who arrived in Porto for our late September 2025 tour was far from optimal from a business perspective. But due to a number of valid and very last minute cancellations, it was what we had; it also just happened that all those who could come were men (unusual on a Pedal Nation tour). We just had to hope to goodness they got on!! At least, following a nightmare raft of flight cancellations that morning, which they had all successfully navigated, we knew that they were good at problem solving and making their way! Nobody didn’t arrive…
I have always found cycling and running great for cutting across other possible divisions. Living in Cumbria, I also fellrun, and I honestly have no idea what the other runners in my club do for work. Honestly don’t care…equally, when we say that our dream at Pedal Nation is a world united by bike riding, traversing boundaries, we mean it. Despite our four PE2E riders all having very different backgrounds, careers and lives, it didn’t matter in the slightest. And everyone did get along brilliantly! Phew. So well that you might be forgiven thinking the below image an album cover for their recently re-formed boyband, with Pedal Nation guide Dwane on base! Their chart-flopping hit? Roxanne by Police, of course – a long story based around a drinking game we were wise enough not to play. But boy they could dance… Mike was surprised when his Go Pro software created a mash-up AI video of the boyband’s moves on our final morning – featuring me as guest singer with the obvious pop accessory. A bicycle pump…I will leave that one to your imagination!
The route starts in the small northern town of Chaves, with an optional first-thing-in-the-morning detour to the Spanish border for a sense of completeness. But our group decided to forfeit that for a lazier breakfast! It was still the start of the N2! The N2 road used to be the main road leading down the spine of Portugal before the parallel motorway was constructed, meaning it takes you on a surprisingly direct but quiet route down the spine of the country – the Portugal that most tourists don’t get to see. And even the new motorway is a sight to behold – its architecturally spectacular bridges spanning the valleys we have to cycle up and down! The route starts fairly undramatically, before seriously ramping up in the scenery stakes on the first afternoon as you approach the spectacular Douro valley, and get the chance to enjoy the first of many brilliant descents en route. Vines curve contour lines around the valleys, while Peso da Regua provides a wonderful stopping off point, right on the banks of the Douro river for a local white port aperitif.
Even though there is also a fair amount of ascent on this trip (by the law of what goes down must come up), the gradients are never steep, with the start of the second day a case in point. Even though you climb almost 1500m, the road very gently winds its way uphill, and it makes lunchtime satisfying, having all that ascent under your belt! Another great thing about this tour is observing the scenery shift from vines to local variants of pine trees to olive groves as you make your way south. As one of our guides Ken has pointed out, there are also fantastic opportunities for wildlife spotting – keep your eyes peeled for vultures circling overhead for dead carrion (and slow cyclists – joke!)…Oh, and what about the cakes? How have I got this far without mentioning pastel de nata, Portugal’s very own miniature custard tart delicacy?
I have always had a soft spot for the Portuguese – I find them very easygoing, keen to please and help out, and with great senses of humour – and it certainly doesn’t harm that this route takes us far from the beaten track, to areas where tourists are fewer. This doesn’t mean, however, that we don’t stop in on various unmissable sites, such as the UNESCO Heritage city of Evora with its Roman temple, narrow winding streets and Chapel of Bones. And talking about sights? Many of the hotels we stay in on this tour have swimming pools, which is a very welcome one at the end of a hot dusty day! Just don’t mention Paul’s pink (sorry Paul, salmon) swimming trunks!
I asked Ian, another of the clients, what his highlights had been, and he mentioned those sweeping descents which he carved down like a pro, and also the fact that it is a linear route, providing a great sense of achievement and completion for the inevitable photos at the famous Faro sign on the south coast. For those who like to record their route, you can acquire a yellow N2 passport in Chaves and get it stamped at towns and villages along the way. There was also genuine mutual appreciation of the camaraderie and group spirit. The group stuck together, apart from on the climbs where the two riders from Devon understandably had more hill-climbing in their legs than those from Bournemouth and Norfolk. But we always regrouped, and boy could Mike’s beautiful Trek bike purr (quickly) downhill! All but one of the clients also took advantage of our bike delivery service to and from the tour. And Ed? I think he wished he had!
Apart from a drizzly first morning, the weather was fine all the way, albeit a bit hot for fair-skinned Ed on one of the days. Mind you, he did look rather dapper wearing a bag of frozen peas (purchased for essential beer cooling properties) as a hat at the end of the day! But at that time of year, such heat was unusual…
So, what is it about Portugal that is so alluring? Why is it such a great place to ride? I am not sure I have answered my question, and I almost just want to keep it all to myself so that not too many people visit! But that line of argument is perhaps counterproductive for a cycle holiday company. Seems like you are just going to need to come and find out for yourself…
Find out more about our Portugal End to End cycle and the three dates we are running trips in 2026 here: https://pedalnation.co.uk/tour-item/portugal-end-to-end-cycle-tour/.
And a few bits of nice feedback from this trip’s clients
Well organised, friendly, great client service.
Great guides and good price bracket.
What did I enjoy most about the trip? The scenery and camaraderie.
