The Big Lake Tour

Day 0

Arriving to Lisbon Airport the transfer will take an hour to Évora. Check in at the hotel and pick up the appropriate equipment; boots, pants, helmets ...
Dinner will be held at the hotel and we will make an initial briefing related to safety standards and behavior during the Tour.

Day 1 .: Évora - Vila Nova de Sto. André (179 Kms)

Breakfast at 8.00 and morning briefing to explain you how to use the GPS, talk about safety rules and other important details about the day stage. We will leave Évora towards west using the private lanes from the big land owners of Alentejo. A first short and easy lane between trees and cows to suddenly change into the narrow and twisty sections of Serra de Valverde it will be the warming up for an unforgettable 4 days of adventure. After a short break to check the first impressions of all the riders we will keep rolling across wide plains of Alentejo. The first sandy tracks will show up before lunch at Alcácer do Sal, a beautiful village planted by the banks of Sado River. After lunch heading south a few challenging sections of deep sand (alternatives are available for those who don’t feel comfortable with this kind of trails). After the sandy section that finishes close to Grândola, the Village where the Portuguese Revolution started back in 1974, we will cross a beautiful range mountain with its typical tracks between the cork oak trees, streams and a lot of turns and twists. The last section of the day is a beautiful and relaxing ride to the fantastic hotel in Vila Nova de Sto. André.

Day 2 .: Vila Nova de Sto. André - Almodôvar (202 Kms)

Breakfast at 8.00 and morning briefing to tell you again about safety rules and other important details about the day stage. Leaving the hotel we will immediately find large forest fire tracks of deep sand, exactly where some of the pro riders (Toby Price and Mathias Walkner) practiced for the last Dakar (alternatives are available for those who don’t feel comfortable with this kind of trails). Heading south a mix of hard pack with smooth bumps slaloming between cork oak trees will definitely bring you tons of emotion. Before lunch and refuel at Odemira the track leads the group to the twisty mountain range of S. Luís. Still going south on the first half of the afternoon to turn east on the boundaries between Alentejo and Algarve a flow ride with no straight road sections will take you to a nice country house for a deserved rest…and beers!

Day 3 .: Almodôvar - Moura (218 kms)

Breakfast at 8.00 and again briefing…and again safety rules and details of the stage. It`s gone a be long day with a huge variety of terrain. All day long you will have the feeling of being on a far and away land. The first section of the morning going northeast riding some easy but twisty road sections with a lot of fun and drifting topped with some deep river crossings. The second half of the morning cruising the undulated landscape of Alentejo will leads us through a region known by the wide of their plains. In the afternoon another completely different landscape with amazing olive groves. Moura an old village planted on the banks of the Biggest Artificial Lake of Europe, it’s our destination. The hotel is totally renewed and really cosy.

Day 4.: Moura – Évora (179 Kms)

Breakfast at 8.00 and again…briefing, safety rules and details of the stage. The Big Lake Tour is named like this because Alqueva Lake is indeed the Biggest Artificial Lake in Europe and we will be riding along its banks all morning, impressive… Just before lunch the astonishing medieval village of Monsaraz will give us a view over the Big Lake of Alqueva and down at the bottom of the hill we can spot on our stop for lunch, a very nice restaurant planted on the banks of the Lake. In the afternoon coming back to Évora we will use some of the spectacular sections of an International Baja race with a huge variety of terrain and landscapes.

Motorbikes
- KTM 450 EXC 2020-2022 model range
- GPS loaded with routes
- 3rd party Insurance (on our fleet of motorbikes)

Accommodation and meals
- 4 nights in twin share accommodation at Hotels or Country Houses
- 4 Breakfasts
- 4 dinners
- 4 lunches
We recommend you to upgrade your booking with the last night and dinner. Take the opportunity to discover the City.

Back up assistance
- Support vehicle with mechanic and spare parts
- Tour Leader

Not Included

- Fuel

- Drinks (except water)

- Flights to/from event location

- Transfers between airport and hotel (on the arrival and departure days)

- Transport of motorbike when privately owned (rental bikes will be transported by the organization)

Do not forget
- Medical insurance with repatriation (mandatory)
- 1000€ returnable deposit for bike and gps damages
- Driving licence (mandatory)
- Citizen card

Gear
- Boots
- Googles
- Gloves
- Helmet
- Chest Protector
- Knee Protectors
- Elbow Protectors
- Enduro Trousers
Note: for guaranteed comfort, we always recommend you bring your gear. However, we can supply these for a one-off charge of 90€. (Enduro waterproof jacket is not included)

Clothing and other stuff
- Lightweight thermal underwear the best option to use over your skin
- Sports Socks
- Swim wear
- Camel Back with about 1.5 litres (OBLIGATORY)
- Waterproof jacket

Medical stuff
- Aspirins/paracetamol – some form of pain killer
- Anti-inflammatory pills/cream
- Lip salve – to avoid chapped lips
- Plasters
- Sun cream
- Re-hydration powders.
- Energy/glucose tablets

Transfers to and from Lisbon Airport
We can manage that four you with other riders to reduce costs. Starting at 35€/person (each way) for groups with more than 3 people.

Reservation process

Reservations are made on HorizonAdventures website (www.horizonadventures.pt). Several extras can be added during the booking process, right after the selection of your tour. The optional extras will be displayed in several lines right below the booked tour. We strongly recommend all participants to plan the return flight on the day after the last riding day. For this reason, the last day’s dinner and accommodation is a pre-selected add on. If a participant need to catch the return flight on the same day, he’s free to remove this extra, before closing the bill.

When finalizing the booking the participant will be asked for a first deposit to reserve his bike. A 3% handling fee will be added to cover administrative costs.

As soon as we receive the first deposit, the place on the tour will be reserved. This payment is non-refundable in any case, but can be used if the customer wants to relocate to another tour, as long as it’s booked within 12 months after the initial tour date.

Once we receive confirmation of the bank transfer, we will send an email notification confirming your place on the tour. In this email you will find a link to be used to proceed with the second payment (the customer must enter the same importance as on the first deposit). This payment should take place no later than 60 days before the start of the tour.

The remaining payment is due at your arrival, before the start of the event.

Reservations are accepted only after the acceptance of the present Terms & Conditions, by ticking on the related check box.

Payments can be made by Paypal. Contact us for other methods of payment.

Transfer IN / Transfer OUT

We can arrange the transfers from/to the Airport. We will try as much as possible to join more participants booked on the same tour. If you’re interested to share these transfers, please don’t forget to add it on your booking process.

The extra cost included on the Booking extras is calculated for a minimum of 4 persons. If the group to be transferred is less than 4 participants the cost will be higher, and balanced on your arrival (send us an email should you want more details on these over costs).

Cancellations

If a participant book a tour, but for some reason the payment has not been processed, or if only the first payment was done, but the second payment is overdue with less than 60 days prior to the event, HorizonAdventures will not secure the place on the tour, and reserves the right to cancel the reservation and open this place for other participants.

If a participant withdrawals his participation with more than 30 days before the start of the tour, HorizonAdventures will return the full amount paid to date by the participant, except the first deposit, which is non-refundable. This amount will be kept as a credit and can be used on any other tour for 12 months from the date of the initial tour.

If a customer withdrawals his participation with less than 30 days before the start of the tour, Horizon Adventures will apply penalties that will be deducted on the amounts previously paid. The credit is calculated based on the formula CREDIT = PAYMENTS - PENALTIES. The penalties are applied on the sum of payments previously done for the mentioned tour, on the following basis: less than 4 weeks notification 10% penalty; less than 3 weeks notification 20% penalty; less than 2 weeks notification 30% penalty; less than 1 week notification 40% penalty; No Show without any notification to Horizon Adventures 50% penalty. The credit is valid for 12 months from the date of the initial tour.

HorizonAdventures reserves the right, at any time, to cancel, change the itinerary or interrupt a tour when, for any reason, the safety or comfort of the participants are not guaranteed in countries or regions visited on the tour, including force majeure as riots, floods, earthquakes, pandemias, etc.

If HorizonAdventures defeat the realization of the tour, no penalties will be applied to any customer, and all participants will be reimbursed in full amount they have paid except the first deposit, which is non-refundable. This amount will be kept as a credit and can be used on any other tour for 12 months from the date of the initial tour.

Specifically on tours “The Big Lake” and “Atlantic Odyssey”, HorizonAdventures reserves the right to change the itinerary of the tour if 30 days prior to the starting date, there are less than 4 riders confirmed. In such case “Atlantic Odyssey” will be replaced by a 3 days tour + 2 days loop, and the “The Big Lake Tour” will be replaced by a 2 days tour + 2 days loop. A loop is when the start & end of the day stage takes place in the same location (in this case Évora). In such case 2 options are available:
1. Accept the itinerary changes
2. Relocate to the next tour
In any case, if till the last minute the minimum of 4 riders is achieved, HorizonAdventures will come back to the initial itinerary as described on the website.

Bikes

The bikes included in the tour package are limited to be used exclusively in the scope and course of the tour. It doesn’t include and will not be allowed to use the bike outside the described route, or particular uses on rest days and / or at the end of daily stages.

In some HorizonAdventures tours a spare bike is carried. This bike will be used free of charge if there is a mechanical breakdown. During the tour HorizonAdventures is not obligated to replace a damaged bike due to fall or accident.

Before beginning the tour, the client agrees to pay a deposit of ONE THOUSAND EUROS, to cover any damages caused on the bike, during the event. This amount will be returned in full provided that no damage has occurred.

A final check will be done in the presence of the participant to evaluate any possible damages. If for whatever reason it is not possible to check the bikes at the end of the tour (eg: Urgency to catch return flight), HorizonAdventures will have up to 7 days to advise the participant of those damages, which the participant accept to be charged.

Wheelies are not allowed - If damage is caused as the result of doing a wheelie the client will be responsible for the cost of all damages, independently of the deposit to cover damages.

Safety

The personal and group security is a priority for HorizonAdventures.

Horizon Adventures has a contract with the world's biggest rescue company, with a wide medical care coverage around the globe. If a severe accident occur we will put your safety first and therefore we will activate this rescue service. If the Rescue Service is activated, independently of the severity of the injury (that might only be confirmed later at the medical care facilities), Horizon Adventures may be asked to support extra costs outside the rescue insurance we have contracted. In such cases, Horizon Adventures will charge the customer for such costs, as they derive from the accident which the customer accept to be is solely responsibility.

The client must hold a full motorbike driving license which must be brought on the tour, and has made known of any endorsements or restrictions made to it by the licensing authorities.

The irresponsibly use of the bike, disregarding the rules of transit or the tour, will not be tolerated and cause the immediate suspension of the pilot, and the bike will be locked.

In the event of an accident involving a third party, in which the participant (driver) is found guilty, in particular for infringing the traffic rules, the participant's responsibility will be the total replacement of the damage caused on the bike, regardless of the initial deposit

All fines, judicial costs, etc., derived from any form of traffic infraction or other, caused by the client during the tour, will be payable by the client.

For all intents and purposes, the client is aware of the current legislation in Portugal and therefore assure, under Article 40, paragraph 2 of Law 5/2007, from January 16th, approving the Basic Law of Physical Activity and Sport, that does not have any contraindications to the practice of various sporting activities, which will be taking place.

The client declare that he has taken note of the program, including the fact that he will mainly engage in driving motorcycles and all risks associated with the practice of this sport, taking any and all liabilities arising from acts performed by him of which result in damages to HorizonAdventures, or others, and accept to be obliged to pay compensation to the affected parties at the precise extent of this damage.

If the client leaves the tour voluntarily before completion of the tour, or is required to do so by HorizonAdventures, (on the grounds that the client’s presence is detrimental to the safety or well-being of the tour or any one person on the tour), then all liability that HorizonAdventures may bear to that client (namely the event insurance) will cease immediately. HorizonAdventures will have no responsibility for repatriation of the participant, or any other expenses which may arise out of such an event.

Insurance Policy

HorizonAdventures has contracted for all its activities a Liability Insurance, mandatory for all Touristic Animation Agents, according to article 27 of Decree-Law No. 108/2009 of May, 15^th amended by the Decree-Law No. 95/2013 of July, 19^th.

The motorbikes of HorizonAdventures are covered by a Liability Insurance (civil responsibility third party).

HorizonAdventures has a Personal Accident Insurance to cover his clients on any tour. The client is aware of the conditions of the Personal Accident Insurance, inherent to the tour, in particular the conditions and the coverage, according to article 27 of Decree-Law No. 108/2009 of May, 15th assuming responsibility for any damage not covered by its Policy, as well as any expenses that exceed the coverages of that policy, or any disease / pernicious situation that may occur.

Additionally, each participant must book in his country of residence a travel insurance including health care with repatriation to his own country, to be used in the event of an accident or medical emergency. This insurance must explicitly not exclude the bike as means of transport, and has to be valid in all countries included on the tour. The client acknowledges that this specific risk coverage is his solely responsibility.

Room distribution

All tour prices are based on a twin room sharing.

The Single room supplement can be added on the booking process (extra cost). There is a limited number of single rooms which will be confirmed on a first come, first serve basis. If you are traveling alone but wish to share a twin room, HorizonAdventures will try to find you a roommate in the same situation.

If HorizonAdventures is unable to find a roommate, the last participant to book the tour will have to be charged for single room supplement.

Rules during the tour

In the initial briefing, some basic rules will be communicated to the group. Failure to follow these rules or any other staff indication that could compromise the security of any member of the group will result in immediate suspension of the participant.
GENERAL RULES:
- Do not surpass the Tour Leader;
- Do not leave the GPS track;
- Respect traffic regulations and local speed limits;
- Do not consume alcoholic beverages during riding hours;
- Meet the timetables set out in the daily briefing;
- Comply with the directions and decisions of the Tour Leader.

Tour Changes

Tours are operated on a seasonal basis. If variations in weather conditions that may result in damaged / dangerous road conditions, HorizonAdventures may change the tour itinerary and accommodations. In such case, the route will be adjusted and alternative hotels & restaurants will be used.

Required documents

- Valid passport with expiration date higher than 6 months after the end of the tour.

- Driving license is mandatory for all tours.

- Credit card for online pre-payment authorizations (eg: deposit for bike damages).

- Travel insurance including health care and repatriation to the country of residence.

Photo and video material

Photos and videos produced by HorizonAdventures in any tour are property of HorizonAdventures. The copyright is owned by HorizonAdventures.

With the acceptance of these terms and conditions, HorizonAdventures is authorized to use all this material for advertising and marketing purposes, including images of tours where participants can be recognized. Participants aren’t entitled to any claim against HorizonAdventures due to the use of these materials.

Final considerations

The client will comply strictly with the laws and customs of all countries visited, whether in respect of health, immigration, exchange control, drugs or any other matter.

Any discrepancy that may arise between the client and HorizonAdventures will be dealt with under the jurisdiction of the Company's home country - Portugal.

Read carefully the conditions described above and clarify all of your doubts.

To complete the booking process the client must agree and accept all these terms and conditions by ticking on the related checkbox.