Towards the Algarve

We arrived at the Lisbon airport this afternoon for our cycling tour along the West coast of Portugal between Sesimbra and Lagos. Our route will take us through two natural parks, Arrabida and Alentejo, as well as through Sagres, the Southwestern-most town of Continental Europe. We will finish in the Algarve, which is one of Europe’s most popular beach holiday destinations.

Representatives from our tour company met us at the airport and drove us to our hotel in Sesimbra, where our adventure will begin. They pointed out sights along the way, including the Aguas Livres Aqueduct, which supplied water to Lisbon from 1748 to 1967. It is almost a kilometre long and includes 35 arches, the largest of which is about 65 metres high and 32 metres wide. The Aqueduct survived the Great Earthquake of 1755 (estimated magnitude 8.5-9.0) that almost completely destroyed Lisbon and much of the surrounding area. Hats off to the 18th century engineers who designed this incredibly strong structure.

After checking into our hotel, our reps provided us with an information package, a GPS, and a glass of delicious Portuguese Port. They have arranged hotels for us along the way and will ensure that our luggage reaches each destination before we do. Everything has been taken care of… Except the weather…

Before dinner we unpacked and assembled our road bikes. A quick road test ensured that we would be ready to go in the morning. All the while, we watched big black clouds roll in over the sea. The forecast is for clouds, rain and below seasonal temperatures.