Algarve

heatonrider

We have booked hotel for a week in April in @Silves - we are looking for maps of the area for cycling (not garmin routes ..) Anybody have any ideas?

borisface

In general, Portugal is pretty poorly mapped - there are lots of roads and villages that are simply not marked on maps which makes navigation a hit and miss affair. Road signs don't really help as they'll point to a village which isn't on your map, so you're none the wiser. The 'best', and I mean, least bad, that I have used are the michelin regional series, I can't comment on tourist maps which may be better for the Algarve. In fact one of the best maps I've come across was one that was free in a hire car a few years ago.

I live in Portugal and I use a garmin with city navigator maps and generally plot a route on a mapping website such as garmins beforehand. I do this on the bike and if I'm going somewhere new in the car as I've got lost so many times trying to use a map. I also have a spain and portugal road atlas which I use in the car but that's rubbish as well.

That said, once you get away from the coastal strip you'll find quiet roads, friendly locals and lovely scenery. The weather could be fantastic and there might be orange blossom perfuming your rides I can recommend going up to Monchique in the mountains as there are some great views and also go west to the Atlantic where there are some quiet rugged beaches and its more unspoilt, although if you go west you'll have a headwind. In fact, I'm off to Silves myself in a couple of days to see the tour of Algarve.

team47b

I live in the concellho of Silves, have a look at google maps in advance to determine whether the roads are Tarmac or tracks and just set off, follow the river away from the coast, roads are even quieter, or head into the hills towards Monchique And just before you get to the main road to monchique turn right to go to Alferce, long slow climb, spectacular views, then onto monchique from Alferce and up to the highest point of the Algarve, the famous Foia, if you make this journey let me know how long it took to recover