Anyone done anything at all from Albufeira? I've done some googling and I'm getting the impression there's not much going on nearby, managed to find a couple of distinctly xc looking guided rides. That would be fine, I'm not after anything too crazy, but if anyone can recommend anything at all, that would be great!
I cycled in 2010 with
https://www.themountainbikeadventure.com/
it’s algarve/Praia de luz, not sure where that is in relation to albufeira, but it was good fun. My recommendation is 13 years old now but they still seem to be going.
If you can get transport up to Monchique then that's where it's at. I lived there before but that would be very far down on my list of places for MTB as it is VERY hot, at least in the summer, and the terrain can be very dry, rocky (as in super sharp rocky) but loose.
I did a trip riding with a fella called Brian at Ride Portugal, based in outside Monchique, just up from the algarve race circuit.
I don't think they operate anymore unfortunately, it was full on dh stuff, just pure luck for me, the Chain reaction dh team were out there for a training week with us too.
The trails were insane, but it was probably 8 years ago and don't really remember their location
We went to a friends for a few holidays some years back, based in Parragil ( inland NE of Albufeira ).
I hired a bike and bought a military map which is as good a map as you can get over there and went exploring. I used Strava Global Heat map too but didn't manage to find much apart from jeep tracks. There was one downhill course nearby but even that was really on tracks.
I tagged onto a local group ride a couple of times, the routes were at least 30 miles, once 50 plus miles. There was some single track by a river somewhere but not much apart from jeep tracks. It was interesting though as only one of the group spoke English so I had no idea what they were saying most of the time, apart from taking the mickey for carrying a Camelbak pack. They all just had bottles and not much more ! But I was the only one who had a first aid kit when someone went down and ripped their hand open, patched him up and carried on. They were all friendly though !
The only other thing is the bl**dy dogs, everywhere has guard dogs on dodgy chains !!
Thanks for the responses
that would be very far down on my list of places for MTB as it is VERY hot, at least in the summer,
Yes, not going there specifically to ride, just on a family holiday but if there's a worthwhile trip out to be had I might do it.
Anna's recommendation looks great, but it's a 50 minute car journey from where we are, not sure what the logistics of that would be. Not set in stone that I'll get a hire car. They have a ride titled summit to sea that has an uplift, sounds ideal!
There's a shop near to where we're staying, but the rides don't look too great, except one which is from Monchique as mentioned above, but again that's not easy to get to. 🤔
Might send out some emails, see if they offer me a lift! 😉
Just down road from Albufeira heading east there are Gravel and xc tracks over the back of Boliqueme towards Alte, can get very hot inland there, take plenty of water. Was quite a bit of road linking it though. Look up Roche amarela and area around that on heat map on strava if you have access
I went out with these people
https://www.algarvebikeholidays.com/
OK ride for a bimble on holiday
Mainly jeep tracks with a bit of single track thrown in (done a lot of the ride the day after on a jeep Safari)
Have a butchers on Trailforks....
Not much on there, but there seems to be a decent trail network just inland of Olhao. Trails with ~250m of drop.
Then there's Monchique, obviously, but even there, there are not all that many trails. Was there a few months back and didn't end up riding there.
I done a guided ride with this bike shop last year. The guide meet us at the start point and brought the bikes. It was just me and my wife so he gave us the option of a slightly harder route that we done, was nothing extreme but good just to get out for a few hours.
The tour section of there website doesn't seem to be working just now but worth emailing them
Started/finished in Paderne and was 19 miles
Hired an xc thing in Praia de Luz a few years back. Took a coastal cliff trail to Berghau and a bit beyond. Some singletrack linked with jeep trails and dirt tracks. Great fun and spectacular scenery. Had a play up around the cliffs overlooking the town, that was ace, the local kids had some balls!. Lovely, lovely place. Been back a few ties, always meant to retire there, but €500k for the golden passport? Thanks Brexit.