I did the southern Portuguese coast last spring, and the northern part last month. I concur strongly with the warning about "cobblestones": almost all city and town centers seem to have them, but worse still are the forest roads, e.g the coastal roads N of Cabo Mondega, and the Marinha Grande area.

I can highly recommend the scenery of the Algarve, but you'll have trouble avoiding heavy traffic, especially just W of Faro, and you'll be surrounded by Brits. The Sagres area is especially interesting (I have lived in Africa). I didn't find the area around Sines very interesting - Setubal much more so. I took the train to Lisbon from Setubal, to avoid traffic and bridges.

The coast west of Lisbon is beautiful (but again very heavy traffic), and Sintra is a gem. If you want to go to the lighthouse at C. da Roca (westernmost point of Europe) you'll have a steep climb back out, but it's beautiful. Avoid the area between Santarem and Lisbon (horrendous traffic), but the Alentejo E. of Santarem is quiet and pretty, and the country around Porto Alegre on the Spainsh border is magnificent. Tell me if you make it to Marvao! Coimbra, Leiria (John of Gaunt is buried at Batalha near here) and Nazare' are beautiful. The Ilhavo area (near Aveira) has beautiful coastal rides and lots of campgrounds. I found Oporto too full of tourists, but I hit it at the worst possible time. The route from Ciudad Rodrigo to Guarda is very strenuous (canyons) but pretty, and Guarda is on a high hill - it took me an hour to push the bike up it.

I can recommend good places to stay if you send me a note off-list. Be aware that a Spanish "Hostal" (cheap hotel) is a Portuguese "Residencial". Also be aware that bikes on most Portuguese trains are free, and the trains are ridiculously cheap if they are needed. Portuguese food, in my opinion, is better than Spanish food.

John