KTM Adventure bike owner? You’ll want to know that the European KTM Adventure Rally – one of separate seven events run in Australia, China, New Zealand, South Africa, USA and South America – is heading to the Algarve in Portugal next year.

October 7 to 10, 2024 are the diary dates for orange adventurer riders where the annual rally event – which has all the good bits of a multi-day rally event and without the racing bit – heads to the picturesque bottom corner of Europe.

The weather, the quality of the dense network of trails and the hospitality of the locals we can already vouch for having spent many hours riding in the Algarve region.

Enduro21 can also wave the flag for the KTM Adventure Rally event itself which we attended in Greece a couple of years ago. Though it was a departure for us to jump on a bigger bike to normal, the event had a great atmosphere and the riding days were long, at times challenging and a good laugh. 

2024 KTM Europe Adventure Rally key points:

• Scheduled for 7th -10th October 2024 in Lagos, Portugal
• Limited to 250 spaces, available to book from 30th January 2024 starting at 12:00pm
• All KTM Adventure models welcome
• High standard four-star accommodation
• Expertly selected routes from KTM staff and ambassadors, with dedicated daily special stages
• Participation of KTM stars Chris Birch, Johnny Aubert and Giovanni Sala

Unlike the packed beaches and holiday resorts on the Algarve coast, just north is a vast and largely untouched rural landscape mostly hidden from the tourists and littered with trails.

KTM says due to high demand, next year’s event will see an increase to 250 spaces for its seventh edition as part of the worldwide 2024 KTM Adventure Rally programme.

The event is run very much like the rally events you’ll see racers competing in such as the Dakar with arrival days, technical checks and registration, followed by three days of riding which caters for all levels of Adv rider.

As previous years, you have the option to ride in groups of riding ability or you can tackle trails rally-style with a GPS route to follow.

KTM says it will plan trail loops with “a mixture of easier and intermediate routes, through to hardcore sections for the more extreme rider experience” to provide a wide range of trails to choose from across the three days and 450 miles approximate total distance.

Birchy, Gio and Johnny show

KTM ambassadors Chris Birch, Johnny Aubert and Giovanni Sala will be along for the ride, offering guidance and instruction to help make the most of the four days on location.

Assistance will also be provided by the KTM technical crew (who are also not shy of a party in our experience), which ranges from the R&D team in charge of developing these bikes, to experts in Product Management and Customer Service representatives. So if you have any questions about your bike – bring them!

The programme will also include riding and bike set-up workshops. With an emphasis on inclusion and encouragement for all KTM Adventure models and riders of all skill levels – when we were there it was great to see the range of bikes.

As a note to this from when we did the event two years ago, make no mistake the routes can be tailored are for any rider but the days are long a certain amount of riding stamina will make your life easier! 

The KTM Europe Adventure Rally is one of seven worldwide rallies on the 2024 calendar taking place in Australia, China, New Zealand, South Africa, USA and for the first time next year, South America.

Registrations for the 2024 KTM Europe Adventure Rally in Lagos, Portugal, will go live at midday (12:00pm CET) on January 30, 2024, but be quick - places have traditionally filled up fast.

Riders can register on the dedicated KTM website. 

Or check out the behind the scenes film from the 2023 event in Norway...

Photo Credit: Enduro21 + Marco Campelli + Francesc Montero