The rise of cycling holiday’s in Portugal
On your bike! – Cycling holiday’s in Portugal! When you think about European cycling, France, Austria and Switzerland immediately spring to mind, with Portugal being well down of the European cycling destination list.
Although in recent years, Portugal has emerged as a favourite destination for those wishing to explore this beautiful country by bicycle, whether it is to compete professionally or for leisure purposes.
According to figures from the Portuguese Cycling Federation (FCP) that were published in The Portugal News, the number of cycling enthusiasts that have joined the FCP is the past ten years has increased by almost 50%, from just under 4,600 in 2001 to more than 8,500 at the end of 2011.
Asides the glorious natural beauty of the countryside that is complemented by an enviable year-round mild climate, which inevitably lures people to pack up their panniers and head off for cycling holiday’s in Portugal, the number of competitions and cycling events being held in Portugal has been steadily rising in recent years.
Joao Gomes, adviser to the FCP’s management board, believes that it is the expanding amount of competitions being held across Portugal that is the biggest contributor to the growing popularity of FCP. Talking about additional reasons for the FCP’s growth, Joao Gomes told The Portuguese News:
“On the other hand, people who use bicycles individually, as part of their daily routine, also know that the fee for becoming an affiliate includes a personal accident and civil responsibility insurance, which allows them to ride their bicycles with added safety, a fact that has further helped increase the number of federated riders.”
Reiterating Gomes’s remarks that Portugal has seen a steady increase in cyclists in recent years is Paul Beesley, the founder of Algarve Activity Bike Rides, who believes the growth is also due to people becoming more inclined to adapt healthier, environmentally-friendly lifestyles.
Whilst in the likes of France and Austria, cyclists have always been very well catered for in terms of cycling lanes and signposts, Portugal has been slower to create an cycling-friendly infrastructure. Although this has changed recently with the development of many cycling paths, such as the Ecovia cycle path, a 214-kilometre, region-wide path exclusively for cyclists.
So if you are deliberating over where to head to for an exhilarating two-wheeled cycling break, be sure not to dismiss cycling holiday’s in Portugal from the European cycling destinations’ shortlist.
Maybe you would like to look at Vintage Travel’s portfolio of luxury villas in Portugal, you will not be disappointed!