Senhora da Rocha
Rolling cliff road, one steep drop to the beach.
- Distance
- 9 km
- From
- Carvoeiro
- Climbing
- 80 m
- On the bike
- 40 min
one way, by road
nearest delivery town
one way
unhurried, with the assist
What is worth stopping for in Senhora da Rocha
Not an itinerary. These are the things people come back and mention, in no particular order — see two of them or all four.
- 1Fort of Nossa Senhora da Rocha
- 2Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Rocha
- 3Fishing boats
- 4Beach of Nossa Senhora da Rocha
Before you ride to Senhora da Rocha
- The chapel on the headland is one of the oldest in the Algarve — the building is dated before the 16th century and parts of it are thought to be considerably older.
- There are two beaches, one either side of the rock, joined by a tunnel cut through it. At low tide you walk between them; at high tide you do not.
- The name is the whole explanation: Our Lady of the Rock. The chapel and the fort are both up there for the same reason — from the point you can see a long way in both directions.
One bike, and it does this ride
80 m of climbing over 9 km is nothing the motor cannot absorb. It is a hybrid with a motor on it — if the assist runs out you ride on, on seven gears.
- Model
- Wayscral Everyway E200
- Battery
- 468 Wh
- Gears
- Shimano Altus, 7 speed
- Rider height
- 150–170 cm
€30 a day
Book a bikeIf that is too much, or not enough
Ferragudo
- Ferragudo town centre
- Angrinha beach
- Grande beach
- Church
Flat river road, cobbles in the old centre
Worth knowing · The castle at the river mouth, São João de Arade, is privately owned. You photograph it from the beach and that is as close as anybody gets.
Carvoeiro
- Carvoeiro beach
- Fort of Our Lady of the Incarnation
- Algar Seco
- Paradise beach
Quiet back roads, a short climb into town
Worth knowing · Algar Seco is ten minutes east of the beach along the clifftop boardwalk: eroded sandstone with two holes worn through it that everyone calls A Boneca, the doll.