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Lourinha – Caldas da Rainha via Foz Do Arelho

98 km road cycling loop835 m climbing3½–5 hoursGPX

Lourinha, Lisbon, Portugal · Road

A hilly 98 km road cycling loop from Lourinha, Lisbon through Seixal, Ribafria and Carregal, with 835 m of climbing. Most of it (56 km) is on main roads without a cycle lane, 4.2 km where the limit is 80 km/h or more.

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At a glance

Best for
Hilly days out for confident riders at ease in traffic
Distance
98.1 km
Loop
Elevation gain
835 m
9 m per km
Riding time
3½–5 hours
moving time, estimated
Difficulty
Hard
Bike
Road bike
from the mapped surface
Surface
Mostly paved
95% paved · 3% unpaved · 1% no data
Traffic
Mostly main roads
56 km on main roads without a cycle lane · 4.2 km where the limit is 80 km/h or more · 2.7 km on cycle paths or lanes
Food & water
Regular
126 cafés and restaurants · 19 shops · 12 water points · 9 petrol stations · 6 public toilets · 1 bike shop
Best months
May to Sep
Lourinha climate, 10 years
Navigation
GPX download
free, no sign-in
Start and finish
Lourinha

Map and elevation profile

Elevation profile

Total ascent
835 m
Distance
98 km
050100150m0 km2040608098 km126 m · highest, at 16.3 kmStartFinish · back at the start

Route description

  1. Lourinha
  2. Seixalkm 4
  3. Ribafriakm 11
  4. Carregalkm 36
  5. Quinta da Boavistakm 45
  6. Casal da Toiçakm 60
  7. A-da-Gordakm 66
  8. Vale Covokm 78
  9. Moita dos Ferreiroskm 83
  10. Lourinhakm 98

This 98.1 km loop starts and finishes in Lourinha, heading through Seixal, Casal da Murta and continuing on to Serra d'El-Rei at 15.9 km, the highest point at 125 m. The route features several moderate climbs, including a 4.2 km ascent from 3.9 km gaining 104 m at an average gradient of 2.5%, and a shorter 1.9 km climb near the end starting at 92.6 km with an average gradient of 4.4% and max 8.1%. The profile has around 24% climbing and 22% descending, with the longest descent stretching 2.7 km from 88.6 km dropping 76 m. The road surface is predominantly paved (95%) with small gravel (3%) and unmapped parts (1%).

Highlights

  • Serra d'El-Rei at 15.9 km, 125 m high
  • 10.1 km longest stretch without café, shop or water
  • Parque de Merendas Serra D'El Rei picnic site near 16.7 km
  • Cabeço da Serra peak at 27.7 km, 108 m height

Along the route

Measured from the route line, the Copernicus elevation model and OpenStreetMap.

Places passed

  1. Seixal 4.1 km
  2. Casal da Murta 5.6 km
  3. Alto Foz 8.3 km
  4. Alto Veríssimo 8.7 km
  5. Bufarda 9.3 km
  6. Ribafria 11.2 km
  7. Bolhos 11.8 km
  8. Casal Faísca 13.9 km
  9. Serra d'El-Rei 15.9 km
  10. Casais do Moinho da Praia 24.4 km
  11. Santa Rufina 35.9 km
  12. Carregal 36.2 km
  13. Trás do Outeiro 37.3 km
  14. Covões 41 km
  15. Casal Novo 41.3 km
  16. Nadadouro 41.8 km
  17. Quinta da Boavista 44.6 km
  18. Casinhas 45 km
  19. Alto 45.6 km
  20. Foz do Arelho 47.6 km
  21. Santo Onofre 55.4 km
  22. Caldas da Rainha 57.9 km
  23. Casal da Toiça 59.8 km
  24. Gaeiras 61.3 km
  25. Casal do Zambujeiro 61.7 km
  26. Óbidos 63.3 km
  27. Pinhal 64.7 km
  28. A-da-Gorda 66.4 km
  29. São Mamede 68.4 km
  30. Roliça 70 km
  31. Paúl 72.5 km
  32. Bairro Torre Bela 74.9 km
  33. Bombarral 75.8 km
  34. Vale Covo 77.9 km
  35. Gamelas 79.6 km
  36. Cantarola 80.3 km
  37. Casal dos Pinheirinhos 80.7 km
  38. Montes Claros 81.3 km
  39. Moita dos Ferreiros 82.8 km
  40. Papagovas 86.3 km
  41. Miragaia 87.7 km
  42. Nadrupe 89.5 km
  43. Lourinhã 92.2 km
  44. Atalaia 94.5 km

Climbs

Climbs in ride order: where each starts, what this ride climbs, and the full named ascent
ClimbStarts atOn this rideTop on this ride
Unnamed climb3.9 km4.2 km · 104 m · 2.5 % · max 4.5 %111 m
Unnamed climb13.1 km2.3 km · 54 m · 2.4 % · max 4.7 %114 m
Unnamed climb24 km2.1 km · 64 m · 3.2 % · max 4.6 %79 m
Unnamed climb46.6 km1.8 km · 66 m · 3.6 % · max 7.9 %71 m
Unnamed climb78.1 km2.1 km · 50 m · 2.4 % · max 3 %122 m
Unnamed climb92.6 km1.9 km · 84 m · 4.4 % · max 8.1 %94 m

High point 125 m at 15.9 km; low point 2 m. Passes beneath Cabeço da Serra.

Traffic, surface and gradient

Measured from OpenStreetMap along the track and the elevation profile.

This is not a cycle-track route: 57% is on main roads without a cycle lane, 4.2 km of it where the limit is 80 km/h or more. Riders should be comfortable sharing the road with faster traffic.

Roads
58% main road · 24% minor road · 7% quiet street · 4% path · 7% other roads and tracks
Main roads
56 km on main roads without a cycle lane — likely busier
Fast roads
4.2 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more
Cycle paths
2.7 km on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane
Main roads used
EN 361 (13 km), EN 8 (13 km), EM 603 (8 km), CM 1360-2 (5 km)
Surface
Predominantly paved: 95% is mapped as paved, 3% as unpaved or gravel.
Gradient
24% climbing · 22% descending · 55% flat
Steep sections
2.1 km over 5% · steepest 500 m averages 7.5% at 96.8 km
Longest descent
2.7 km from 88.6 km, dropping 76 m

Food, water and services

Within a few hundred metres of the track, from OpenStreetMap. Opening hours change — treat this as where to look, not a promise.

No stretch is longer than 15 km without a café, shop or water. Along the route: 126 cafés and restaurants, 19 shops, 12 water points, 9 petrol stations, 6 public toilets and 1 bike shop.

Food, water and shops in ride order

  1. 9.5 kmNellus · patisserie · 50 m off route
  2. 15.2 kmMoeve · petrol station · 80 m off route
  3. 15.9 kmMarket · on the route
  4. 20.1 kmFonte dos Cabreiros · spring · 200 m off route
  5. 35.9 kmCafeteria · café · 210 m off route
  6. 41.8 kmWater tap · 170 m off route
  7. 47.4 kmCentro de Saúde da Foz do Arelho · clinic · 120 m off route
  8. 54.7 kmConvenience store · 80 m off route
  9. 57.9 kmCafé Zaza · café · on the route
  10. 62.7 kmBebedouro · drinking water · 50 m off route
  11. 64.2 kmLuciano · bakery · on the route
  12. 64.7 kmPrio · petrol station · 70 m off route
  13. 68.6 kmSolar da Faia · café · on the route
  14. 75.6 kmDrinking water · 190 m off route
  15. 76 kmAmanhecer - Supermercado A Padeirinha · convenience store · 80 m off route
  16. 83 kmFarmácia Correia Mendes · pharmacy · on the route
  17. 92.2 kmMercado Municipal da Lourinhã · market · 60 m off route
  18. 92.4 kmVilla Park · café · 80 m off route

Need to bail out?

  • 57.9 km — Caldas da Rainha (station), 1.0 km off route
  • 69 km — São Mamede (station), 90 m off route
  • 75.8 km — Bombarral (station), 520 m off route

Whether bikes are carried depends on the service — check before relying on it.

Worth a stop

  • 16.7 km — Parque de Merendas Serra D'El Rei (picnic site)
  • 27.7 km — Cabeço da Serra (peak, 108 m)
  • 46.8 km — Penedo Furado (attraction)
  • 64.2 km — Miradouro da Porta da Vila (viewpoint)
  • 92.4 km — Baloiço adaptado da Lourinhã (attraction)

Know before you go

  • 10.1 km longest stretch without café, shop or water between 20.1 km and 30.2 km
  • 56 km on main roads without cycle lanes
  • 4.2 km on roads with speed limits of 80 km/h or more
  • 2.1 km of climbing over 5% gradient, max steepest 8.1%

Routes are for inspiration. Roads, surfaces and conditions change — check locally and ride within your limits.

About this route

Date ridden
Route line
Built from a GPS recording of the ride.
Elevation
Recalculated from the Copernicus GLO-90 terrain model every 50 m, not the device’s barometer.
Roads, surface, services
Measured along the line from OpenStreetMap extracts.
Best months
Ten years of ERA5 weather for Lourinha (Open-Meteo).
GPX
Generated from the route line: track points only, no timestamps or personal data.
Page added
Page last updated

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