Volta ao Algarve 2026: Route

Over the five days of the Tour of the Algarve, the riders cover just under 700 kilometres. There are two uphill finishes, while one stage is raced against the clock. The race gets underway this coming Wednesday and concludes the following Sunday.

Stage-by-stage breakdown of 2026 Volta ao Algarve

The opening stage should suit the sprinters. The finish line is drawn in Tavira, where a novelty is also introduced. For the first time in the Tour of the Algarve, a Golden Kilometre will feature, held on the cobbles in the city centre, with three bonus sprints packed into a single kilometre.

Climbers will be called into action as early as stage 2, with an uphill finish in the Serra de Monchique. The final ascent is the Alto da Fóia, which rises for 7.4 kilometres at an average gradient of 5.6%, with the last 2.9 kilometres ramping up to 7.5%.

Stage 3 is an individual time trial of 19.5 kilometres, with both the start and finish in Vilamoura. The course is perfect for the pure specialists.

It’s back to the sprinters on day four. The 4th stage runs from Albufeira to Lagos, where the race concludes with a 32-kilometre local circuit.

The final stage heads to Alto do Malhão in Loulé. The climb ascends for 2.6 kilometres at an average gradient of 9.3%, but eases significantly in the final few hundred metres. Malhão is a familiar feature of the Volta ao Algarve, but this time there is a twist: the climb is tackled twice.