This post recounts the seventh day of my Portugal End to End cycle tour with Peak Tours in May 2023. Read Day 6: Monsanto to Alcántara

The breakfast gods were not smiling on us today, even though we were in a former convent. The most important meal of the day was a meagre affair, and the hotel staff did not replenish supplies when they ran out. This may explain why I ran out of steam in the long session to lunch.

We had a long stretch of open road for much of the morning, with a headwind until we turned right after some 14 miles. I loved this next section. I was cruising along the flat, and built speed to get myself over the regular small rises.

Once again, Peak Tours chose a wonderful spot for the morning brew stop, by the side of an old bridge that had been bypassed by a new one. We watched the ever-present bird life as we took a breather.

It was great to see Alec back on the bike after his freak accident (see day 4’s episode) – he was obviously in fine form as he effortlessly passed us on the climb after the brew stop!

I kept with our small group for a few miles, but realised that I’d used up a lot of energy over the first 20 miles. So I settled back into my own pace, stopping every now and again to take a breather. In truth, this was one of my least enjoyable stages of the tour so far, and I was glad to reach lunch at a cafe attached to a petrol station. This may not sound like a recipe for a wonderful lunch, but we all loved it. Good, tasty food, including quirky combinations, such as risotto and fried egg!

Despite the morale and energy boosting lunch, I was still not on top form over the miles that followed straight after lunch, although as we approached the (invisible) Portuguese border I was starting to revive. Unfortunately, that was the point where we got lost. Julia, Tim and I missed the crucial turn to Monte Debaixo. (To be more accurate, our Garmins missed the turn.) We were a couple of miles down the road before we realised our error. The three of us scratched our heads, looked at our Garmins and consulted Google Maps.

Tim decided to carry on, rather than turn back, confident that he’d come across another way to our destination, Marvão. Julia and I used Google to plot a way back to our route, but this took us through farmyards and along lanes unsuited to road bikes. So we pushed our cycles and cursed our ill luck: it’s unsettling being lost in unfamiliar territory in a foreign land.

We did spot this interesting tree. Portugal is the world’s greatest cork producer (it must be helpful for all those bottles of port) and this one had its bark removed in 2002. It still looks naked 21 years on.

This is the moment we knew we were back on track. The route notes referred to a blue and white house, and it was with great relief that we saw it and pressed on with confidence. But we had added six miles to our day’s ride. I was just glad that I was not on my own during this unsettling hour.

After about four further miles, we came across cheering cyclists at a bar in the village of Portagem. It was the Peak Tours riders who had not missed the turn! I’ve rarely been so relieved to see a bar…. We enjoyed a break and a cold soft drink before heading off on the final climb to Marvão.

This was another classic climb, steep in places and over three miles long. To add spice to the mix, we could hear thunder as we neared the hill town, and I got my rain jacket ready in case the heavens opened. Fortunately the weather held until later in the evening.

This was a wonderful moment: cycling through the town walls of Marvão after a challenging day. We were staying at the lovely hotel, El Rei Dom Manuel. After settling in and having a shower I was ready to explore this extraordinary place.

I set off along the town wall outside the hotel, drinking in the panoramic views of the land below. I wonder what kind of lives were led by those who built these ancient defences? Marvão was founded in the ninth century by an Iberian who had converted to Islam, testimony to the Moorish history of Portugal and Spain. The town had a crowning strategic position, which was crucial in the days of conflict between the nations that share the Iberian peninsula.

As I approached Marvão’s castle, above, I looked down to the valley we’d traversed before the great climb. It was a very peaceful walk, in the quiet of the early evening.

On reaching the castle, I turned back down into the ancient streets of the village.

I came across a number of our group on the terrace of a bar having a beer, including Michael and Libby, and joined them for a drink before returning to the hotel for dinner.

I would have liked to have taken some night photos of Marvão, as I did in Monsanto, but the rain that we had escaped on ascent had arrived.

Read Day 8: Marvão to Vila Viçosa

The day’s stats

56.02 miles (including the extra 6 miles), 5,186 feet climbing, 4 hours 44 mins cycling, average speed 11.8 mph.

The day’s highlights video