| Start | End | Type | Distance | Climbing | Feed-station |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alter do Chão | Albernoa | Flat | 198km | 1.671m | Nª Sra de Guadalupe |
The highlight of the 5th stage would probably have to be the plains itself This stage is The Flat one of Transportugal Roads, with … no climbs to worth of that name!!... the challenge of this stage is definitely not the climbs. Alentejo is one of Portugal’s most calm and traditional areas, and it’s going to put you to the test due to its hot and dry climate and its immense plains.
The route leaves Alter and takes to Benavila where you first see Maranhão dam, currently one of the most tranquil Portuguese lakes. Following pleasant, free of traffic roads with the dam as your trusty companion, the route takes you to the beautiful village of Avis with its replete landscape of cork and holm oak fields, ancient olive trees and grazing land for as far as the eye can see. At the top of the granite hill, surrounded by the water of the nearby reservoir, Avis was once protected by the monastery of the order that gave the town its name.
At every turn of our route, awaits a new feast for the eyes, with the water as backdrop and the land dotted with the typical cork and holm oak trees of the region. Every step, every push and pull in the paddles, is a scenic experience with the horizon marked by the distance and the sparkling white of the typical villages of Alentejo. Soon now, you get to cross Pavia, another picturesque white village of this region and not too much further, in a gentle climb just ahead of you, the village of Arraiolos with its well preserved Castle appears right in front of your eyes.
At 99 km you get to the 6D “refueling stand” of this stage in Nossa Sra. de Guadalupe village, where you can collect your 6D bars and your Water Bottle. 99 km so far, another 99 km to go…
The 6D feeding station is like a landmark on the route, because after this point the route will lead you through plains, and plains, and plain… desert plain, until you get to Viana do Alentejo, and soon after the typical village of Alvito, on a gentle climb where you can take a look to the neverending plains of Alentejo.
During the last 50 km you’ll pass through a few small villages more, but most of the route is ridden in a complete isolation until you get to the farm where the Vila Galé Club de Campo is waiting for you with its sunset like no other hotel around.
Enjoy a well-deserved rest, in this lovely hotel and relax with the storks all around.
HOTEL: Vila Galé Clube de Campo
