This is not a long day on paper, but it has character. Pombal’s castle stays over my shoulder for a while, then the ride grows quieter: small villages, olive trees, pale walls and that dry, spicy inland air. At first the road rolls easily, almost playfully, before the real climb starts after halfway: around 8 km uphill, a little over 230 m gained, never brutal, but long enough to settle the breathing. Near the top, the landscape turns stonier, wider and more exposed. The final kilometres into Fátima feel calm – a soft roll onto a bright plateau.
