Delta on Ecovia do Litoral bike trip

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Ecovia do Litoral

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We rode the Ecovia do Litoral last year and had a nasty experience on hybrid bikes each loaded with two panniers. Heading North West out of Alvor we started to skirt the limits of the river delta. Stupidly we followed the Ecovia signs down into the delta and ended up, after following a dirt track, at a small bridge that crosses a lock. The sign says “this way” so we ride over and progress onto the top of narrow dykes surrounded by loads of bird life.

Both sides of the dykes are very steep, one leading down into sea mud and the other in fresh water mud. Unfortunately the dykes have been taken over by succulent plants and some type of bilberry scrub bushes. The first is slippery when ridden upon and the second is soft to fall on but offers no purchase when you try to get up with a bike on top of you. I can attest to these facts after multiple experiences, that the bushes are very scratchy and to the humour of the local fishermen wading in the mud who saw our perambulations. After a couple of hours in the midday sun (without food) you get to a railway embankment which you have to climb (with the same @@@@@ing bikes) and then, taking care, you can cross the railway bridge before repeating a shorter version of the same path on the other side. If anyone thinks it's fun pushing laden bikes on large railway clinker across a narrow bridge then they can come and do it for me sometime. 2 1/2 hours to travel a couple of kilometers!

I've never given up on a bike ride but due to the pain and delay we ended up taking a taxi later that evening to our hotel leaving our bikes at a restaurant. Beware the delta!

If you want more information on this or other bike tours have a look at MyBikeGuide

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