April 12, 2022
Carrapateira to Lagos
After a light pasta supper last night, a good night’s sleep and a more regular breakfast (our own granola) with fruit and coffee, the steady climb out of town seemed quite do-able this morning. In fact the entire ride to Vila do Bispo on the N268 was pure delight - few vehicles, eucalyptus trees lining the road, and copses of pine trees blanketing the surrounding hillsides. We also passed several windmill farms before coasting down into Bispo.
Leaving Bispo knowing we were out and back the same road, we chose to go the faster route on the shoulder of the N268 for the 9km to the Fort at Sagres. At the fort we met lots of tourists (the parking lot was half full). After the cliffs at Pontal da Carrapateira last night Sagres was less impressive so we were happy to take a few photos of the vistas and cliffs around the fort before turning back to Bispo for a late lunch, this time cycling at a more leisurely pace on a secondary road that runs alongside the busy N268.
Over after-lunch coffees, a dark cloud poured rain but just as quickly, it passed and we were on our way. Today was to be our longest day so far, and yes our bottoms are almost back in shape for hours in the saddle, but not quite. So instead of secondary roads which would have made the trip longer, we opted for the N125 highway with its wide shoulder and flew the last 21km to Lagos.
We have a lovely stucco cottage in a touristy resort with a pool in Lagos for our first break of the tour. We are here three nights to enjoy the cliff walks, town, replace the chains on the bikes (we've been carrying the new ones since Lisbon) and relax.
| Heart | 5 | Comment | 3 | Link |
2 years ago
Today's ride: 69 km (43 miles)
Total: 317 km (197 miles)
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