The Slow Cyclist Founder Oli Broom shares why our latest journey, cycling along Portugal’s Coa River, is the country’s best kept secret.
You may have gathered that we’re not really into bucket list cycling trips here at The Slow Cyclist.
Rather, we seek the less obvious corners of Europe and beyond, well away from the crowds and very often far from famous sites and cities. It’s where the magic can so often be found. Our second – and final – launch for the 2025 season is full of such magic.
Portugal has been on our radar for years so I am thrilled that in spring 2025 we’ll start welcoming Slow Cyclists to the remote and wild Côa Valley in the north-east of the country.
So what to expect? Well, if you think you know Portugal, think again. This is a world away from cycling in the Algarve, the Alentejo or even the nearby Douro, into which the Côa River flows.
A few days alongside the Côa is like travelling in time. This is big sky country, dotted with remote fortified villages set amid hillsides and valleys filled with vast swathes of wild lavender, broom and cork trees in April and May and abundant fruit in September and October. It’s a wild landscape in which Wellington fought Napoleon’s forces; one that is home to wolves, vultures, wild horses, red deer, wild boar and some of the warmest people – and hospitality – I’ve encountered on my travels.
It is a very hard place to leave. I hope you’ll come and see for yourself.
If you’d like to cycle with us in Portugal, along the Douro’s most beautiful tributary, find out more or get in touch.
