By Stacey-Lee Davies

A luxury and wellbeing break sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Time to recuperate, reflect and relax. I pictured a top of the range spa with beautiful surroundings and serene landscapes. Add in a 40km bike ride and a 7km walk and that just about sums up how I spent three days in Portugal’s Algarve.

I felt somewhat duped when the bike ride was brought up in conversation with the other travellers, it was my own fault for not reading the small print. ‘Luxury bike tour’ they said, luxury and bike are not two words I would put together. I was sceptical to say the least; it had been at least a decade since I was last on a bike.

But cycling through the Algarve region opened my eyes to what I’d been missing out on. Yes there were times when the ache from the bike seat almost became unbearable, but the feeling of accomplishment after retreating back to a luxury abode for a massage and a dip in the Jacuzzi took this holiday to the next level.

The first hotel we stayed in was The Martinhal, a five star beach resort and hotel in Sagres. It’s an elegant boutique situated on the beach front and the views there are second to none. Our room was spacious and modern with elements of seventies style and a completely private balcony.

I’m a firm believer that a good day follows a good breakfast, and in The Martinhal, the breakfast was a glorious buffet of every kind food and drink you could ever wish for. I’m an early riser and managed to catch the sun coming up from my table, it was at that very moment, champagne in one hand and a croissant in the other, that I fell in love with the Algarve.

It was from The Martinhal that we set off on our bike ride, cue comical music. There were seven of us taking part in the bike tour, plus two very athletic looking instructors. Only one person fell off their bike near the end of the journey, and yes, it was me. But it would have taken more than a scraped knee to bring me down.

We cycled for around six hours and for the first hour I was sluggishly trying to keep up whilst regretting indulging in a second helping of pastries at breakfast. I had no idea where we were heading or what awaited us, but I knew when we had arrived. We took the scenic route, uphill through sandy tracks and past farmer’s fields until the world suddenly opened up in front of us.

We had cycled down through Sagres, in southern Portugal, until we reached the glorious cliffs bordering the coast. It was here we were greeted with a gourmet picnic fit for a queen. Bike Tours Portugal, the company behind the luxury on two wheels slogan, provided the equipment and the instructors, but also included in their packages is lunch, cooked fresh from their state of the art trailer.

The company is run by four people, a gourmet chef who doubles up as the driver, a keen traveller who scouts out the best cycling routes, a tour guide who makes sure everyone is properly set up with the correct equipment and the head of customer service who also joins in with the tours. Their custom-built trailer not only holds all of the bikes and equipment but boasts a fully equipped kitchen and water closet as well as space for luggage, a built-in repair shop and a wi-fi hotspot.

Bike Tours Portugal offers a premium cycling experience, I wasn’t bored, hungry or having to wait to use the bathroom, I was enthralled, pleasantly surprised that every need had been thought of, and relaxed knowing that we were in the best possible care. After the tour we returned to The Martinhal where we hung up our helmets and slipped into the dreamy spa to re-energise our tired muscles.

We moved on to spend the night in the Vila Vita Parc resort and spa which is set among 54 acres of blooming subtropical gardens. We were given a personal tour of the largest wine collection I have ever seen, I am by no means a wine connoisseur, but the nine-metre deep cellar which harbours a collection of more than 11,000 bottles of wine from around the world is enough to impress anybody. Private dinners can be hosted in the cellar with exclusive wine tasting sessions and a personal chef to tend to your every need.

There is a wide array of activities on offer in the Algarve for when you can’t muster the energy to cycle all day. We enjoyed an afternoon of wine tasting at Quinta Dos Vales, in Estombar, with an exquisite three-course lunch and a stroll through their fabulous sculpture gardens. Our final day was spent rambling along the serene coast of Lagoa. The raw beauty of the eroded mountains coupled with the warm sea air made for a memorable day out. We were led by two experienced tour guides from Portugal4u who showed us mysterious hidden caves and blissfully secluded beaches.

The final hotel we stayed in was the newly built Conrad, in Quinta Do Lago, a five star luxurious resort for lovers of golf and all things lavish. The hotel has 154 modern and spacious rooms, each with a handmade artisan door, and en suite bathroom with TV in the bath, for when you really feel like spoiling yourself. A night in the Conrad was a perfect end to a trip that opened my eyes to a side to Portugal that I’d never heard of before. There is so much more to Portugal and the Algarve than sun, sea and sand, it truly is a hidden gem that has just been uncovered.

Information and prices:

The Martinhal - A terrace room with full sea view including breakfast from £176 per night

Vila Vita Parc - A junior suite for two available from £172 per night, wine tasting at Vila Vita Parx from £32 per person

The Conrad - A king deluxe room with pool view, including breakfast from £243 per night

Wine tasting in Quinta Dos Vales - quintadosvales.eu

Bike Tours Portugal - biketoursportugal.com/en

Portugal4u - www.portugal4u.pt