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along the route. For something a little less challenging, the Eco Pista do Dão runs 49km along a former railway line past vineyards, villages and rivers, with plenty of spots for walkers and cyclists to stop for refreshments or over night. Outside Lisbon, active


travellers can walk and mountain bike in the Arrabida National Park, where there are opportunities for pursuits including via ferrata and coasteering, or head into the Sintra Cascais National Park to discover trails through woods, along cliffs and to hidden beaches. Portugal’s north is a land of mountains, plateaus and valleys, all ripe for discovery on foot. The National Park of Peneda-Gerês is a particularly perfect choice, with geological formations sculpted by the last ice age and many traditional villages to explore. This region is also home to the Portuguese section of the famous Way of St James pilgrimage route, the Caminhos de Santiago,


including two routes, one inland and one coastal, which can be walked or cycled. Portugal’s islands are equally well suited to active holidays. In Madeira there are excellent roads and tracks for mountain biking, and walkers flock to its famous levadas – trails laid along its historic irrigation canals built to bring water from its hilly north slopes to the cultivated south. The beautiful, far-flung islands of the Azores, scattered in the mid-Atlantic, are nature’s playground, with stunning volcanic terrain to discover. Mountain bikers can choose their level, from paved roads to ultra-technical single tracks, and every island is criss-crossed by walking trails, which follow paths that have been used for centuries.


Wellness and spas Portugal is designed by nature for relaxation as well as action, with many areas benefiting from thermal waters. Porto Santo has a thalassotherapy centre,


making use of the island’s sea and spring waters, high in mineral content, and many Madeiran spa treatments use the island’s produce, including honey and wine. The volcanic Azores have thermal baths and iron water pools. There are 18 thermal water centres in Portugal’s north, with spas in the mountains, by beaches and in cities, so one is always close by, plus the luxurious spa hotels found in the wine growing areas of the Douro Valley. The Centro region has many thermal sites,


each with a mineral balance particularly suited to certain complaints – Curia cures joint problems and São Pedro do Sul is famed for aiding sleep. The Algarve also has thalassotherapy centres and thermal waters, and is dotted with luxurious hotels offering pampering spa treatments. Whether wellness means getting active, taking time to relax, or a combination of the two, every region of Portugal has the means to deliver. Find out more from the Portuguese National Tourist Office.


CITY CYCLING


It’s not all about the countryside, even visitors on short city breaks can take a leisurely cycle. Built along the Douro estuary, Porto is a great city for sightseeing by bike and a range of routes run through the city’s streets and parks, and out from the city centre along the Atlantic coast. Even in Lisbon, guided bike tours have been carefully planned to avoid too many ascents. Those that enjoy the gradient should head just outside the city to Monsanto and cycle through the woods. In Aveiro, the pretty city of canals on Portugal’s west coast, bikes can be borrowed without charge, so clients can freewheel alongside the brightly coloured boats.


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PICTURES: PAULO MAGALHES; TURISMO MADEIRA; TURISMO DE ALENTEJO; TURISMO ALGARVE


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