Woodland, fields and small villages follow one another all day. Between the houses there’s often just a quiet country lane, lined with pines and eucalyptus.
The climbs aren’t extreme, but they keep coming. Together they add up to more than 500 metres of ascent. The descent is slightly more, and your knees will feel it. It’s mainly the length that makes this day tough: around 9 hours on the road, with few places to really catch your breath. So keep your pace steady.
Rabaçal is a small, peaceful village. After the final kilometres, that’s exactly what you want. Set off in daylight and take enough food and drink with you, so you don’t end up somewhere exposed with nothing.