L'EXPÉRIENCE
PORTO & DOURO VALLEY

Trois jours exceptionnels à rouler au Portugal. Pour ma cinquième fois, trois jours exceptionnels dans la Vallée du Douro avec l'équipe Freeride Spirit. L'organisation est parfaite (timing, assistances, repas, etc.), les paysages sont superbes, les motos sont impressionnantes par leur capacité à franchir les obstacles et les chemins pour rouler sont très bien étudiés en avance pour faire profiter au maximum de l'expérience. Un grand merci à toute l'équipe nous reviendrons!

4 Day Douro Valley Trip A fabulous 4 day trip up and down the Douro valley and surrounding hills. Wonderful scenery and a real mix of roads to keep you on your toes. As many corners as you can manage in a day and there were some optional off-road sections that were straightforward, even on a big trailie, to take you a little further off the beaten track. I had a KTM 1290 Adventure - which was perfect for the conditions and came with plenty of storage space as well. The route planning and guide book were great - points of interest were flagged but you can choose those that you want to visit. Special mention for the hotels en-route - these were really good and with great restaurants for the evening. Plenty of excellent local wine available as well. I would totally recommend this Freeride Spirit trip - the team are extremely friendly and helpful as well.

Freeride: Best Experience Ever! Amazing experience! I didn't really know what to expect from a dirt bike tour company. I was blown away. Jose and Francisco were experts at their craft and provided the perfect balance of knowledge and friendliness. The hotel was perfectly located. And the riding was beautiful! We did the four-day trip out of Viana. Each day was a mix of fire roads, streets, single track, mountain climbs, Roman roads, coastline, forests, rocks, etc. Loved the variety. I will say that the 4-days of riding was a bit exhausting. By the 4th day, I was ready for a nap. I also loved the bikes. We rode the KTM 250 EXCs (XC-Ws in the US). I was a bit skeptical of a 250 2-stroke with PDS (I ride a 350 XC-F). The 250 EXC might be my new favorite bike, especially for single-track, technical riding. I can't wait to go back to Portugal for Coast to Coast.

Lousa short trip with FRS (3 days - 21-23 april 2023) Lousa short trip with FRS (3 days - 21-23 april 2023) : very good organization, nice guide and assistance, nice accomodation in the village, good new KTM bikes 250 EXC well equiped and maintained, various difficulties depending on your level, good challenge, nice weather with only one rainy afternoon. Just one impolite little frenchy in a group of 7...it's not the fault of FRS ! Talked to the organization about it to avoid problems like that if possible next time...because I'd like to be back from the 4th time in the future !

Experiencia increíble Experiencia increíble, muy bien organizado y en un terreno perfecto para la práctica del enduro. Sin duda repetiré

Le best de la moto au Portugal Le top du trip moto que j’ai essayé Une organisation parfaite et complète On arrive les mains dans les poches et il reste plus qu’à profiter

Best Motorcycle Holiday By Far what a fantastic holiday it was, So............... the driver was waiting to pick us up at the airport @ midnight & whisked us to our hotel, then next morning.............. Day 1, picked up again & taken to FS Hq. there we were given our riding gear , good Revit suits, gloves & boots with Schuberth flip up helmets with communication. we had a KTM 790 adventure (plenty enough for 2 up & all the gear!) & we filled the bags for the topbox & panniers, set the garmin to Day 1 & off we went, following the route out of Porto, down the Douro valley & into the mountains, riding roads 500 ft higher than Snowdon! over the pass of hell which was a bit out there!! the scenery was amazing. after a long day we ended at a fantastic hotel the Delfim Douro, set above the Douro river, greeted by Hello Mr. & Mrs. Evans without us saying a word! A dip in the pool to cool off, a few beers & a lovely 3 course evening meal & a good nights sleep. Day 2, we set off again having hit 'Day 2' on the satnav, heading south east through amazing scenery, visiting Castel Rodrigo, massive dams & amazing vistas, eventually ending at the Colmeal Countryside Hotel, which was a modern retreat hotel built into the ruins of a small village. Again a nice pool & a fantastic evening meal under the developing view of a billion stars! Day 3, this was a bit of a loop taking in al that region had to offer in the Douro National Park, vast vineyards, quaint villages & a visit to a double walled citadel on a hill in the middle of nowhere containing lovely places to eat & drink. Almost run over a 6 foot snake as it slithered across our path on a tiny road through a narrow gorge. The hotel today, the Casa Santa Cruz, was a converted 13th century farmstead, beautiful done with an honesty bar with some nice wines! It was in a small village butt the hotel was the only place for a drink! The pool was a joy after the hot ride & the evening meal including wine was to die for. Day 4, Today we saw a mix of roads from almost dirt tracks along the Douro Riverbank for 5 miles to ‘Biker Dream Roads’ snaking 7 miles down a mountain, great surface, sunny & no traffic, which was a theme of every day, how little traffic there is in the Portuguese interior! More massive dams to supply water to the coast & tremendous vistas in every direction. Today we ended at Alijo, at the hotel Pousada, this was in a small town where there were shops & bars. Again a nice pool & friendly staff. Day 5, our last day on the bike, we travelled down the Douro valley never knowing which way to look for the greatest view, lots of small towns & villages, we stopped in Vila Real for a spot of lunch by the river, the 1st nights hotel in view down the valley on the opposite bank. When we got back to FreerideSpirits base in Porto we arrived to open gates (all bikes are tracked for safety) and a welcome beer before a debrief, getting changed into our clothes & a taxi to take us back to the hotel. Normally there would be a sixth day on the bike but we opted for the 5 day instead

Excellent! Fantastic days! The staff is very skilled and a lot of fun to hang out with. The authentic Portuguese meals are amazing. Surroundings and tracks are spectacular! See you next year!! 😉

Séjour entre potes Merci à toute l'équipe pour ce séjour organisé de façon très professionnelle. Je salue la compétence et la gentillesse des guides qui s'adaptent à tous les niveaux de pratique et la qualité de l'accueil et de l'hébergement. J'ai apprécié la diversité des parcours et les motos étaient parfaites.

Douro 3 day tour - superb Four of us did the Douro 3 day tour. A great mix of staggering views, endlessly winding roads and great optional off road sections. Ideal for groups is mixed off road abilities. A few minor niggles with some of the Satnavs but other than that the whole trip and the organisation was excellent. The staff at Porto were very friendly and helpful, lovely people. All in all, highly recommended!