👀 Book early during season 📣 Bike availability becomes limited during the season.
Starts in Nazaré
Nazaré to Fátima by mountain bike (105 km)
The long way to Fátima: through Porto de Mós and over the Serra de Aire e Candeeiros plateau, 1,500 m of climbing, then a different line home through the pines.
Route elevation profile: from 21 m to 446 m, total ascent 1489 m.
- Tour Difficulty
- Challenging
About this ride
A 105 km loop from Nazaré to the sanctuary at Fátima and back, mostly on farm track, forest gravel and limestone trail. The first 40 km to Porto de Mós are gentle. The 446 m plateau after it is not. There is no shade on the karst and the rock throws the heat back at you in summer, so ride it in spring or autumn, or start at first light.
Before you go
The ride
The GPX starts at Fanhais on the east side of Nazaré and heads inland at once. Within a quarter of an hour the sea is behind you. The Alcoa valley floor takes you east past Alcobaça (the monastery is a 3 km detour, worth it if you have not seen the tombs) and through Aljubarrota to Porto de Mós at km 40. Porto de Mós is the last real town before the mountains. Fill bottles there.
After Porto de Mós the road climbs into the Serra de Aire e Candeeiros. The steepest pitch comes between km 45 and 50 and tops out around 446 m. Limestone karst, scrub oak, dry stone walls, no shade. Fátima and the Cova da Iria basilica arrive at about km 75. The return does not retrace the morning. It swings north through the mountains on different ridgelines and drops back through the Pinhal de Leiria to Fanhais.
Surfaces and bike
Valley-floor tarmac and farm track, gravel connectors through the pines, then rough limestone trail on the serra. A hardtail or e-MTB is the right bike. A gravel bike will get through, but you will walk a few sections on the plateau.
Battery
On an e-MTB, ride the whole route in Eco. Riders who use Tour or Turbo on the early climbs run out of assist in the mountains, which is the worst place for it.
Water and food
Alcobaça (km 15, off route), Porto de Mós (km 40), Fátima (km 75). Nothing between Porto de Mós and Fátima. Carry two bottles in summer.
When
March to June and September to November. The plateau has wildflowers in spring. In July and August start at first light and be off the karst by early afternoon.
Getting back
The route is a full loop, so you finish in Nazaré. If you want to stop at Fátima, book a transfer. The buses do not take bikes reliably.
Prefer company?
We ride this as a guided day with a support vehicle: the Nazaré to Fátima guided tour. For the gravel-bike version with more tarmac, see the 90 km gravel loop via Batalha.
Along the way
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Nazaré
A picturesque fishing village famous for its giant waves, rich maritime culture, and beautiful beaches.
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Alcobaça
A historic town known for its magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Monastery, traditional Portuguese cuisine, and local wine production.
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Porto de Mós
Porto de Mós is a historic town nestled in Portugal’s Central Region, within the Aire and Candeeiros Mountains Natural Park. It’s renowned for its striking medieval castle, its proximity to São Jorge — site of the decisive 1385 Battle of Aljubarrota that secured Portugal’s independence.
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Fátima
One of the most important Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world, famous for the reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary to three shepherd children in 1917.
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