DESTINATIONS ACTIVE ALGARVE ESCORTED TOURS


HOW TO SELL


Walking and cycling tours


Independence This type of trip is ideal


for travellers who want a self-guided


holiday without worrying about hauling luggage or arranging transfers.


Flexibility


Itineraries are predominantly activity-based, but extra days can be added at the client’s request, such as a free day in Sagres to relax on the beach.


Off-peak


Trips run from October to


May, avoiding summer in the


central Algarve. October and November are best, when the weather is cooler but the sea is still warm.


Get fit


Clients need a decent


level of fitness to walk long distances, but the


coastline


is largely flat, so you don’t have to be Chris Froome to cycle here.


ABOVE: Lagos coastline


LEFT: Burgau


72 travelweekly.co.uk 13 September 2018


◗ RIDING EAST TO LAGOS The next day we swap boots for wheels and test the cycling side of Headwater’s range. The first part of our ride out of Sagres is unremarkable. After a few nondescript roads, we leave town and follow a flat path to Vila do Bispo. Soon enough, we’re winding through rural backroads, passing the white-washed villages and orange groves of the traditional Algarve. Our cycling is aided by the handy Ride with GPS app we’ve installed on our phones. It tracks our distance, clocks our average speed and, most importantly, tells us where we’re going. It’s around 25 miles from Sagres


to Lagos, our final destination, and after Vila do Bispo, we start to head east, weaving down through gentle farmland hills to the coast. There’s a bit of a climb before the small beach town of Salema but, like all big hills, you’ve just got to remember there’s a descent on the other side. And this one is a beauty: an exhilarating drop down to the gleaming waters of the Atlantic. Salema has a beach of golden sand bookended, in true Algarve style, by


There’s a climb before the beach town of Salema but an exhilarating descent to the gleaming waters of the Atlantic


rough limestone cliffs. We don’t hang about too long before we’re off again, pedalling up through the village’s cobbled central street. The toughest hill on the ride stands


between us and Burgau. With an 18% incline, it’s no joke, but with the promise of lunch on the other side and a rumbling stomach, I’m up there as fast as my aching legs will take me. Within the hour we arrive at Burgau, a tiny village, with a beach and a handful of wooden fishing boats. Our final stop before Lagos is Luz, a


resort with a long beach and the most obvious signs of tourism we’ve seen so far. After a sweaty day in the saddle, the sea looks pretty tempting, but remembering that it’s still early in the year, I decide against a quick dip. Lagos is really where the touristic


Algarve starts again. The number of tall white apartment blocks and holiday condos start to increase as we get further in. Compared with the deserted beaches and imposing cliffs we’ve been used to, it all seems a bit sterile. Luckily, there’s one last treat waiting at Farol da Ponta da Piedade. By the time we reach the viewpoint, the sun is setting over Lagos and the rest of the Algarve, casting a beautiful golden light over the sandy cliffs. Book it: A six-night self-guided walking tour starts at £819, including accommodation, hotel-to-hotel luggage transfers, breakfast and evening meals. Flight-inclusive prices start from £1,019. Departures are every two days from October 10 to May 24, 2019. headwater.com


PICTURES: ALGARVE TOURISM BUREAU; SHUTTERSTOCK


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