We’re nearly at Óbidos, our final destination after the week’s ride from Porto. Only one more hill separates us from our hotel, but something’s changed. After days in the saddle, we’ve found our legs and ascents feel easier.
Nevertheless, the last metres to the town’s history-packed walls are bittersweet: ‘sadness because it’s over’, or ‘happiness because it happened’ feels apt after a journey that began on flat seafront promenades and finished with three days of hill climbing.

Cycleways and quiet lanes

We mainly followed cycleways and quiet lanes. Only occasionally – in Porto and Figueira da Foz – did we ride in heavier traffic. Even then, local drivers’ courtesy was impressive. Leaving Figueira, we crossed the towering bridge over the Mondego River before highway and cycleway parted and we wound inland again to Paião.

There, the climb was rewarded by the day’s first pastel de nata at another little village cafe. As punctuation separates text, so the delicious little cream pastries had become our culinary equivalent.

Refuelled and coast-bound again, long undulating straights and low horizons defined our route through the remnants of historic Pinhal de Leiria forest. Sadly, 2017’s forest fires destroyed 90% of its maritime pines and comparing the landscape with previous days’ embracing forests was emotional.

Rugged cliffs and thundering waves

Later, with the coast’s rugged cliffs, thundering waves and salty air, further climbs brought us to clifftop Farol do Penedo da Saudade lighthouse, São Pedro de Moel and our next overnight stop.

The following morning, starting our final ride, leaving Porto days earlier felt as distant as 1912’s lighthouse construction. Leaving the village, we pedalled through more forest that, not only fire-devastated, had recently been sundered by storms. By coffee-time, the Somme-like wasteland lay behind us as we sampled Nazaré’s hospitality high above beaches where winter brings the world’s mightiest surfing waves.

After a steep, twisty descent through the town, Nazaré’s seafront delighted with its rainbow-hued fishing boats. Then we were pedalling our final leg, on the way to Óbidos, perched high above valleys packed with vineyards and cherry orchards supporting the area’s renowned Ginja de Óbidos – cherry liqueur – production.

An unforgettable week

We’d arrived after an unforgettable week of magnificent coastline, peaceful lagoons and huge forests. We’d passed resting flamingos, seen nesting storks and spotted a short-toed eagle – the ‘snake eagle’ – grasping its serpentine prey.

Then there was the food and drink: world-class seafood; thirst-quenching Super Bock beer; local Port; and what felt like a lifetime’s-worth of pastéis de nata. All experienced at a pace you couldn’t possibly reproduce on four wheels. Obrigado Portugal!

Al Hidden is a seasoned traveller and retired writer, delivering snapshots of the world to Gloucestershire 400 words at a time.