Azure Ocean Ride (Self-Guided Leisure)

Cliffs above the Atlantic

Most of this ride sits on the cliff line above Portugal's western shore, with the ocean on the right and pine forest on the left for much of the way. It is a coastal proposition rather than a mountain one — pitched at the leisure end of Saddle Skedaddle's grading, built for cyclists who want to clock decent distances without grinding climbs. Secondary roads, country lanes and dedicated cycle paths do most of the work, keeping you well clear of the bigger Portuguese cities and their traffic.

E-bikes are an option if you'd rather have battery help on the lumpier sections, which frees up energy for whatever you fancy doing once you're off the saddle. Either way the bike is yours alone — this is a self-guided trip, so you ride at your own pace with a GPS unit, route notes and background maps to navigate by.

From Porto down the coast

The route begins in Porto, Portugal's second city and the home of port wine, sitting in the estuary of the Douro. From there you head south along the Atlantic, threading through fishing villages, beach towns and a few proper historical set-pieces.

Early on the ride runs alongside the Ria de Aveiro, a forty-kilometre lagoon that's flatter and bluer than anything else on the trip. Then come the fishing villages — Furadouro and Praia da Vieira among them, the latter where you can lend a hand pulling in the day's catch if the timing's right. Nazaré, further south, is best known now for its giant winter waves, but the Sítio viewpoint above the old town gives you the long look down the coast that the route is really built around.

Inland for a stretch you reach Óbidos, a village still ringed by its medieval castle walls and worth the time off the bike. The peninsula of Peniche, jutting out into the Atlantic with its cliff scenery, is another high point, as is the small town of Vimeiro towards the south.

How the holiday works

Eight days in total, with prices from £1,825 per person. You're met at Porto airport on arrival and transferred to your first hotel in the city; from then on, your luggage moves between accommodations each day while you ride. Hotels have been chosen for both quality and location, so you turn up to a room with your bag already waiting — the only real decision left is where to eat.

Start dates are flexible and Porto is well connected by direct flights from the UK, which makes this an easy trip to slot into a calendar. It suits cyclists who want a long line of coast under their wheels without the navigational stress of a fully independent tour, and who like the idea of finishing the day with a glass of vinho verde in front of the Atlantic rather than camping in a forest somewhere. There's also a supported version of the same route, ridden in a small group with a guide, for anyone who'd rather not handle the GPS and the logistics themselves.