Stage 6 | Albernoa – Monchique

Leaving the Hotel Vila Galé Club de Campo through the same road you came the day before the route will take you to Santa Vitória where you will ride the National Road 2 (N2) for a few kilometers… Portugal’s Route 66, an iconic Portuguese road ​leading through the eye-popping center of the country,  crossing Portugal winding more than 700 km from the Roman city of Chaves, by the Spanish border in the north, down to the balmy southern beaches of the Algarve coast.

 

After crossing Aljustrel, the plains will stretch ahead and you will find yourself on some never ending country roads with no climbs, no descents… just rolling through the Alentejo until you get to Odemira, one of the biggest villages around, where you will find the 6D “refueling stand” of this stage and you can collect your 6D bars and your Water Bottle. 89 km so far, 63 km to go.

 

The route still follows south on the N120, but soon you’ll dive into even more remote territory… You better be sure that you’re road cycling, because you can easily feel a bit confused now… the silence, the wilderness, the short turns and the forest probably will make you wonder if you’re actually mountain biking!!

 

But no… these are the forgotten roads of Portugal, which will lead you climbing for more than 25 km up to Mount Fóia. You just entered the Algarve that just a few people know.

 

This climb is  absolutely unforgettable, with its short, steep sections with an incline of 18 percent and its indescribable views over the mountain, the ocean, the forest… you’ll be amazed.

 

And that’s it for today… you can have a coffee, rest a bit if you want, and then gently (and not in a competition mode) you can start a 15 km long descent, crossing the small village of Monchique along the way, until you reach the luxurious Hotel Monchique Resort & Spa, a tremendous and unique hotel in Portugal. A perfect location for you to recover for the last day of your ride.