So, we did a bike ride along the south shore route all the way down to the Capela do Senhor da Pedra, an old stone chapel which is perched on a giant boulder stuck out into the ocean. The chapel was constructed in 1686 to ensure the dominance of Christianity over the superstitious local population. Originally, this precarious location was the site of ancient pagan worship where rituals were once performed and today neopagans continue to make an annual pilgrimage to this sacred site.
It was a nice hot day and the ride there and back was about 40km. Very pleasant, but we were tired at the end. Portugal’s coast seems to be an endless length of rocks and gorgeous sandy beaches.
We took the fishing boat ferry across the Duoro to start and wound our way down the coast on a great bike path which parallels the ocean. It’s a lot quieter on the South side of the river with a mix of condos and typical residences. A lot of old style buildings meshed in with the new. We really didn’t do anything spectacular other than ride, but we did stop for a picnic lunch on the beach before visiting the chapel at the end. The beach that surrounds the Capela apparently was on the top ten list of best beaches in Europe. There were surprisingly few people there. Maybe it was still early season.
On the ride home, we decided to forgo the ferry back across the river . . . It wasn’t that far to the Ponte Luis bridge and would have added an extra ½ hour or so. But that was not to be. Once we got to the bridge there were so many people (on both sides of the river and on the bridge) that we had to walk our bikes to get through the crowds. It took us a long time to get back to the bike path on the north side of the river where it was clear enough that we could actually ride.
Overall though, it was a great day with beautiful beaches and lovely weather. What more could we ask for! If you need a day at the beach, there are some pretty nice ones on the south side of the Duoro. Check them out if you are ever in Porto.