5-Day Tour · All Levels · Winter Season
From the Atlantic shores to sweeping mountain views, the Winter Sun Tour is a 650km off-road adventure through Portugal — with a special focus on the peaceful, picturesque coastline that truly shines in the cooler months. Five days (training day + 4 riding days) taking you from Santarém to Fátima, Nazaré, Peniche, and back — a compact but unforgettable mix of dirt, culture, and coastline. Best run in the autumn-to-spring window when the coast is uncrowded, the trails are in prime condition, and the fresh grilled fish tastes even better.
| Start / Finish | Santarém, Portugal (45 min from Lisbon airport) |
| Duration | 1 training day + 4 riding days (~700km total) |
| Surface | 40% Compact dirt · 30% Rocky & gravel · 20% Scenic back roads · Optional sand |
| Level | Suitable for beginners, ideal for average riders. |
| Logistics | Itinerant tour — luggage carried on bikes. Support vehicle if group size requires it. |
| Highlights | Fátima pilgrimage site, Batalha Monastery, Nazaré (world's biggest waves), Peniche Atlantic views, central mountain trails |
We believe the best friendships are forged at the table, so this tour starts with a welcome dinner the night before. Arrive in Santarém, check in to your hotel, and join us for a feast of typical Portuguese delicacies as we brief you on the days ahead and get to know each other.
Riders should arrive the day before the tour begins. Check the FAQ for step-by-step directions from Lisbon airport.
Full day training essential skills — traction, body positioning, emergency stops, hill climbing. All exercises adapted to the level and bikes of the group. Everything you'll need to make the best of the riding days ahead. Back to Santarém in the evening for dinner and rest.
First riding day through north Alentejo, following its picturesque rally roads bordered by cork trees, eucalyptus, and grazing cattle. After a visit to the ancient Tomar aqueduct, the day ends in the iconic town of Fátima — Portugal's most famous pilgrimage site, a place where even the dustiest riders might feel a touch of the divine.
This is the perfect first day: starts easy and gets progressively harder as we cross the Tejo river and climb into the first mountains heading north-west. Dinner at one of the all-time favourite local restaurants.
We leave Fátima and head west, with a cultural stop at the awe-inspiring Batalha Monastery — a jewel of Portuguese Gothic architecture. Then lunch in the legendary town of Nazaré, home to the world's biggest surfable waves. 30-metre walls of Atlantic water — the kind that make jet skis and life insurance policies mandatory.
After lunch, pure riding bliss: tracing the rugged Atlantic coastline with the ocean on one side and the wind in your face. We finish in Peniche — a charming fishing town perched on a peninsula. A cold beer by the sea tastes considerably better after a full day of adventure.
We wake up in Peniche and head out on an exciting coastal loop — trails, villages, and landmarks around the peninsula, returning to the same hotel in the afternoon. Spending two nights in Peniche is a deliberate choice, especially in winter: if the weather turns, some riders can relax at the indoor pool while others push through. If the weather is great — and it usually is — we get two full days on Atlantic trails.
A relaxed morning loop around the Peniche peninsula — salty breeze, last ocean views, morning sun bouncing off the Atlantic. Then inland toward Santarém, swapping crashing waves for sweeping hills and quiet countryside. Rugged cliffs give way to open valleys, keeping the riding varied and satisfying to the very end.
Back in Santarém: tired muscles, satisfied grins. Shower at HQ if you're heading straight out. Extra night available for those staying on.
