How about taking a sidecar ride and then parachuting from the sky?

Have you ever thought about taking a motorcycle ride with a sidecar and then taking a jump tandem in free fall? This is the most radical experience for the Algarve summer of 2017, a novelty launched by Bike my Side, which promotes tours in sidecar in the Algarve and is now swinging towards even more original experiences.

The adventure begins on dry land, on a motorcycle ride with sidecar through the city of Portimão, and also Praia da Rocha, Alvor and surroundings, with so many secrets and natural beauty to discover.

Afterwards, it's time to feel the adrenaline to the max: very securely connected to a “highly qualified instructor”, the most adventurous will be able to experience the thrills of free fall.

It all starts with a short plane ride, overlooking the Algarve coast, before taking the thrilling 5000 meter high jump. The instructor will open the parachute in tandem after 65 seconds of free fall, bringing the adventurer/adventurer safely back to earth.

This pure adrenaline rush, which will allow you to discover unique views of the land and sky, called “Land & Sky Experience”, costs 210 euros.

But not all offers from bike my side are that radical. In fact, just remember the stories told by Delfim Martins, guide and CEO of the company that has its headquarters in Portimão, from where the tours radiate.

One of them is that of the septuagenarian couple from Hawaii, who, in 2015, arrived in Portimão aboard a cruise ship, took a motorcycle tour with sidecar, through Portimão, Ferragudo, Alvor and Praia da Rocha. Now, in 2017, already 81 years old and with a cane, the couple returned to Portimão on a round-the-world cruise and wanted to repeat the experience, which «made them feel capable of everything».

“It's incredible how our tours have an excellent acceptance among people of all ages, genders and physical conditions. We have also transported in the sidecar people with reduced mobility who report that they feel safe, comfortable and free».

But there are more stories than the young architect Delfim Martins, who drives the Ural motorcycle with sidecar, he recalls with a grin on his face. «Another unforgettable story was the surprise marriage proposal on the tour “As Mais Belas Praias”, with the groom declaring himself and placing the request on the cliff of Praia da Marinha».

“The stories are countless and it is comforting to feel that we are providing the experience of a lifetime. a tour of sidecar is really part of bucket list of many people!” he adds.

From a sunset tour of Portimão, Ferragudo, Alvor and Praia da Rocha (70 euros) to a tour of Lagos and Sagres, called «Histórias do Oeste/West Side Story» (200 euros), there are many different proposals to get to know the Barlavento Algarvio comfortably installed on the motorbike guided by Delfim and in the sidecar.

Most customers of Bike My Side in the Algarve they are foreigners. Delfim tells that there are many Americans, Canadians, but also Dutch and English, most of them over 50 years of age. In order for the Portuguese to discover this different way of doing tourism, last month, on the occasion of the 10th of June, the company even offered tours at lower prices, especially for the national market.

In addition to the tour itself, visiting some of the most beautiful places in the region, talking about the geological, natural and heritage richness, Bike my Side routes can also include wine tasting or tastings of regional cuisine or preserves. «Even for those who already know the places – or think they do – the experience of riding a motorcycle and sidecar it's very different: all the sensations are different, from the angle at which you see things, to the wind hitting your face, to the smells», guarantees the guide. O Sul Informação he had the opportunity to experiment and guarantees that, in fact, this way of getting to know the Algarve is very different.

Delfim Martins is an architect and his experience at Bike my Side began in the years of the Troika crisis, when he lost his job. “Now there is already some recovery and the office in which I work has had a lot of demand for new projects”, he reveals. But even so, there is always time to devote a morning or an afternoon to sightseeing with tourists. Also because Delfim likes this interaction with his customers: «we go side by side, so we always talk».

Mounted on the black 750 cubic centimeter Russian Ural motorcycle with the sidecar docked, Delfim made, last year, around fifty trips, but this year things seem well underway to reach 70 to 75, as is his goal.

This year, another of Bike my Side's novelties in the Algarve, to mark its five years, is the relaunch of your website implemented by Crochet, a Design & Communication company, which sought to follow the best HTML markup practices, in terms of syntax and semantics. A focus was placed on the usability and accessibility of the platform so that all users, without exception, can access it with the least possible restrictions. This work is still ongoing, seeking to reduce as much as possible any difficulties in navigating the site.

According to Turismo de Portugal, Inclusive Tourism or Tourism without Barriers is defined as “the enjoyment of tourist activity that is accessible to all people, with or without disabilities, and which includes all those who may have temporary or permanent limitations on mobility, hearing, vision, cognitive and psychosocial, independently and with equity and dignity”.

Portugal aims to be recognized as an accessible tourist destination for all and the experience of bike my side it falls into the category of inclusive tourism product, a scope that is now also reinforced with its website, which bears the W3C logo, recognizing its accessibility and usability for all.

Bike my Side offers tours of sidecar in Lisbon and the Algarve, being the only company with this type of experience in the Barlavento Algarve. The differentiating factors of these private tours are the means of transport used - a motorcycle sidecar Urals whose history goes back to the 40s of the XNUMXth century, by itself, a reason for interest - and the personalization and originality of the tours, bringing together elements of contact with Nature, History, Gastronomy, the Sun and the Beach, always focusing on the most striking features of the region.

Bike my Side offers, in the Algarve, seven options of thematic itineraries in order to diversify the experience in terms of interest, price and duration of the trip. In Lisbon, five tours are available, with the option of sidecar, wasp or jeep – another new feature for 2017.

More information about Bike my Side at www.bikemyside.com. on facebook at /SidecarTours.Bikemyside and on Twitter /Bikemyside. #bikemyside