Sand, A Steep Hill, and a Dog

Day 6: Alcobaça to Leiria (49 Miles / 3,320 ft.)

We moved quickly toward Nazaré, but arrived a little early for the festival and found plenty of crowds anyway. We continued to the viewpoint above Praia do Norte, famous for some of the world’s largest waves. The official Guinness record is an incredible 86 feet! Giant-wave season is generally from October through March, but even today we could feel the ocean’s power during our short hike down to the beach.

Then came the sand. And more sand. Our route followed dune-buggy trails where we pushed our loaded bikes for over a mile, filling our shoes and wondering whether any bicycle tourists had ever made this particular mistake before.

We kept postponing lunch until reaching Porto de Mós, where we found shade near the castle and ate bread, hummus, and electrolyte drinks. The final 18 miles included possibly the steepest hill we have ever ridden. Just as it eased slightly, a large dog aggressively chased Lisa. Perhaps the extra adrenaline helped!

After one final punch-in-the-face climb, we found a café and cold drinks. In Leiria, we changed rooms because of a broken bed, hung our laundry everywhere, and found Hawaiian pizza topped with Gorgonzola. A cool, quiet walk home beneath the castle glowing red above the city ended quite an adventurous day.Read more