Douro Valley, February 2017: With cycling tourism booming and “active and adventurous travel” pegged as a key trend for 2017, the demand for new and unique cycling experiences is at an all time high. Already offering the best in luxury wine experiences, The Vintage House Hotel in the Douro Valley has partnered with Portuguese cycling expert, Live Love Ride to create their “Cycle the Douro” programme. Set to launch this March, the three-day bespoke cycling programme is designed to take cyclists on a tour of the best routes, views, gastronomy and wine from across the Douro region.

From back roads and trails through the “socalcos” (terraced vineyards), challenging hill climbs to the Douro's best viewpoints, thrilling descents, visits to the famous Quintas and wine tasting at The Vintage House Hotel, the new programme incorporates all the valley has to offer – all to be enjoyed on two wheels.

Designed by Live Love Ride's team of expert guides and riders, the programme includes bike hire to suit each guest's ability and preference, be it touring, road or electrically assisted. A detailed route book incorporates the best cycle circuits with a pre-programmed GPS to help guide cyclists through the UNESCO world heritage site.

After exploring the culture-rich region on wheels, cyclists dismount and enjoy a guided tour of Quinta da Roêda, overlooking the picturesque village of Pinhão, and sample some of Croft's famous Port wines, from the Fine Ruby and Tawny to the innovative Croft Pink.  Delicious Portuguese dishes can be enjoyed at the hotel's Rabelo Restaurant, featuring A La Carte options, inspired by the flavours of the Douro region.

Heralded as the oldest demarcated wine region in the world, the Douro Valley has drawn wine lovers to its terraced landscape for many years and, since its re-opening last year, the Vintage House Hotel has offered a tranquil and chic resting place for those exploring the valley.

Equipment:

Touring/Mountain: Scale the valley's steep landscape on aluminium framed Scott Aspect 930 bikes, equipped with disc brakes, suspension lockout and your choice of touring or mountain tires to better adapt to your needs or full-suspension Scott Spark 930 bikes, adding grip and comfort to your ride.

Road: The Scott Addict 20 is ideal for the valley roads, helping to provide riders with perfect balance and comfort on the roads. It's lightweight carbon frame makes it ideal to climb the immaculate tarmac of the Douro roads, and is equipped with Shimano Ultegra 11speed components, for extra durability.

Assisted: A fleet of Scott E-sub tour or E-Aspect 920 bikes is at your disposal, if you wish to climb the Douro landscape with extra assistance. The 500w battery of the bikes, paired with a 250w Bosch or Shimano motors, make them a great way to explore the area with great autonomy, comfort and extra power.

The Cycle The Douro Package includes three nights at The Vintage House Hotel in a Standard Room, dinner for two at The Rabelo Restaurant, Bicycle hire for three days, cycling insurance, detailed route book, GPS Garmin, visit to Quinta da Roêda with Port wine tasting and Douro wine tasting at The Vintage House. Prices start from €1,035 for three nights (March and November), €1,077 (April) and €1,182 (October) based on double occupancy.

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About The Vintage House Hotel:

Located on the banks of the River Douro in the heart of the world's oldest demarcated wine region, the Vintage House Hotel offers a chic country-style retreat for the discerning wine traveller. Originally a 19th century Port wine storage warehouse, the hotel was purchased by The Fladgate Partnership in 2015 and underwent refurbishment, reopening in April 2016.  The hotel houses 50 suites and rooms, many with private balcony and stunning views over the river as well as The Rabelo Restaurant, offering A La Carte dishes inspired by the Douro region. An outdoor pool with river views, a superb menu of Portuguese wines and an on-site shop, featuring an impressive collection of wines from the Douro Valley make it an ideal place for those looking to enjoy the best of the authentic Douro Valley.

About Live Love Ride – Portugal Bike Tours:

Live Love Ride is a Portuguese travel agency that operates premium bike tours across the country. It's drive is to plan the best cycling holidays and experiences for guests that want to discover Portugal on a bike. Accompanied by experienced local cyclists as guides, guests can experience Portugal's culture, history, gastronomy and nature while riding the best and less travelled trails and roads in the country.