Friday March 8 | Porto to Furadouro | 44km
THE BROCHURE DESCRIPTION: Start by crossing the D. Luis I metal bridge to the Douro south bank, where you will have amazing views over Porto and the Ribeira area. Soon you will reach Afurada, a fishermen’s village between Douro and the Atlantic. From here you will cycle along the coast and heading south. At Miramar beach you’ll see the impressive hexagonal Senhor da Pedra chapel was built on the ocean rocks thought to have once been a pagan temple until a mass 17thC Christian campaign sought to end heretic practices. As you keep going south, you will arrive to Espinho, a big town with plenty of options for a coffee or lunch. After that break, you will cross wood boardwalks by an interesting coastal lagoon and then arriving to Esmoriz. On the final part of the ride, you will use a lovely bike path surrounded by a pine forest till your destination, Furadouro.
OUR VERSION: And so it begins. We spent a lot of time studying the route information, paying particular attention to the distances and elevation each day but never considered the variable of the winds coming off the ocean. As we left Porto this morning, the weather information contained a Severe Coastal Event Warning that included forecasted winds of 26 – 36 kph and gusts up to 50.
Overall an interesting and at times challenging ride, but a good first day as we got used to our bikes and the navigation system that was provided by our tour company. Two thumbs up on all accounts plus a chance to stop and see some fantastic waves on the ride and from our hotel room across from the beach in Furadouro.
