“Just don’t look them in the eyes.” This was the most memorable moment from my last trip to Portugal in 2008. My husband Chris was staring at a plate of sardines that had just landed in front of him. His vision redirected quickly to anything else on the table once the waitperson gave his advice. We were bike touring through the southeast of Portugal, through the sun-drenched Algarve region, near the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. In 2008, Portugal was ideal – a destination that maintained a slow pace of life during a time when other places in Europe were attracting the attention of wandering travelers.
A little more than ten years passed before we had the chance to return for more bicycle adventures. We hoped that things would still be as sleepy and quiet. With a plan to spend two weeks riding, the first part would be a self-supported bikepack from Lisbon to Sagres, followed by a guided trip to explore trail riding in Sintra and the north. With sunscreen and summer riding clothes packed, we looked forward to an extension of summer into September.
Having already seen parts of the country via bicycle, I could not help but compare the then and now versions of Portugal. It’s cliche, but it was the same but different. Mostly, the good parts were still the same – a quiet place with friendly people and affordable, delicious food. And what was different? Portugal is a rising star on the European travel circuit, an honor that brings the usual annoyances – higher prices in the bigger seaside towns and throngs of tourists with a fervor to vacation hard. Fortunately, traveling by bicycle would give us the opportunity to be wherever we wanted, with plenty of time to soak up the off-the-beaten-path kind of places.
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From Dirt Rag Mag
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