Douro and port wine itinerary

The Douro valley is one of the most extraordinary landscapes in Europe: for more than a hundred kilometres the river winds between schist mountains that people have turned into an immense staircase of vine-covered terraces, the socalcos, built by hand over centuries. It is the land of port wine, the fortified wine that conquered England in the 18th century and then the world, and of great dry reds and whites that are winning more admirers every year. Since 2001 the Alto Douro Wine Region has been a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape.

This six-day itinerary starts in Porto, with the port lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia, and travels up the valley through Amarante, Peso da Régua and Pinhão, among the quintas, wine estates where you can sleep among the vines, riverside viewpoints, one of the most beautiful railway lines in Europe and a boat cruise. It goes as far as the prehistoric engravings of the Côa valley and returns via the Baroque sanctuary of Lamego.

Port wine

Douro wine became famous at the end of the 17th century, when wars between England and France pushed English merchants to look for red wine elsewhere. To make it travel safely, grape brandy was added: this is how port was born, a sweet, strong wine in which fermentation is stopped to keep the grape's natural sugars. In 1756 the Marquis of Pombal created the demarcated Douro region, one of the first in the world, marked out with granite posts. For centuries the casks came down the river on barcos rabelos, flat-bottomed sailing boats, to the lodges of Gaia, where the wine aged before leaving for London. There are many styles: young, fruity ruby, cask-aged tawny, rare vintage, and white port, to drink with tonic water. See port wine and Portuguese wine.

Day 1: Porto and the Gaia lodges

Arrive at Porto Airport. In the afternoon go down to the Ribeira, the colourful riverside quarter, and walk across the iron Luís I bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia, where the lodges of the great port producers line the river, many with English names. Visit one or two, with a guided tour among the casks and a tasting of the different styles; on the river the barcos rabelos are moored with sails bearing the lodges' names. At sunset take the cable car up to the Serra do Pilar viewpoint, and dine in Gaia or the Ribeira. See the Gaia lodges and Porto.

Where to stay: in Porto.

Day 2: Amarante and Peso da Régua

Pick up the car and drive to Amarante (about fifty minutes), a town on the Tâmega river with a stone bridge, the convent of São Gonçalo, patron saint of marriages, and a famous convent pastry shop selling sweets of egg yolk and almonds. Visit the museum of the modernist painter Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso, who was born here. See Amarante.

In the afternoon reach Peso da Régua (about three quarters of an hour), the historic centre of the Douro wine trade. The Douro Museum, in an old riverside warehouse, tells the story of the region, its wine and the barcos rabelos. From town drive up to the São Leonardo de Galafura viewpoint, one of the most spectacular in the valley, which the poet Miguel Torga called a "geological poem". See Peso da Régua.

Where to stay: in a quinta between Régua and Pinhão, for three nights.

Day 3: Pinhão and the river

Pinhão (about half an hour along the river) is the heart of the finest port area, the Cima Corgo. Its little station is decorated with azulejo panels depicting the harvest and life on the river. In the morning take a Douro cruise of one or two hours, on a barco rabelo or a riverboat, to see from below the vine terraces climbing to the sky. In the afternoon visit one or two quintas for a tasting: many have panoramic terraces, and some serve lunch among the vines. At sunset drive up to the Casal de Loivos viewpoint, overlooking the river bend with Pinhão below: one of the finest views in Portugal. See Pinhão and the Douro valley.

Day 4: the Douro train and the Côa valley

The Douro line is considered one of the most scenic railways in Europe: from Pinhão to Pocinho the train runs for about an hour along the riverbank, through tunnels, over bridges and past vineyards. On summer Saturdays a historic steam train runs between Régua and Tua. You can take the train and arrange a pick-up, or drive the scenic road.

In Vila Nova de Foz Côa (about an hour from Pinhão) visit the Côa Museum and, with a guide in a four-wheel drive, one of the valley's rock art sites: thousands of engravings of horses, aurochs and ibex carved in the open air on schist rocks between 25,000 and 10,000 years ago, discovered in the 1990s during work on a dam that was abandoned to save them. They are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Return to the quinta in the evening. See Foz Côa and scenic trains.

Day 5: Lamego and back towards Porto

Cross the river and climb to Lamego (about an hour), a bishop's town with the sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios at the top of a monumental Baroque staircase of almost seven hundred steps, decorated with azulejos, fountains and statues, which pilgrims climb on their knees in September. Visit the cathedral and museum, and one of the cellars producing the region's sparkling wine. Try Lamego ham and cornbread. Then drive back towards Porto (about an hour and a half). See Lamego.

Where to stay: in Porto.

Day 6: Porto

On the last day explore central Porto: São Bento station, with its hall covered in twenty thousand azulejos, the Clérigos Tower, Livraria Lello and the Stock Exchange Palace. Have a francesinha for lunch, the sandwich smothered in cheese and spicy sauce, and fly home. See what to see in Porto.

How much it costs

To save money: stay in a small hotel in Régua or Pinhão rather than a luxury quinta; at many quintas a tasting costs little if you buy a bottle. The regional Douro train costs only a few euros.

Practical information

• Driving and alcohol: Douro roads are narrow and full of bends; whoever drives should avoid drinking, or book a tour with a driver from Porto or Pinhão.
• Bookings: quintas and lodges are visited by appointment; during the harvest many organise barefoot grape treading in the lagares.
• Train: the Douro line leaves from Porto's São Bento station; seats on the right-hand side, facing the river, are the best.
• Heat: in summer the valley often exceeds 40°C; the Douro is more pleasant in spring and autumn.
• Documents: EU citizens only need a valid identity card. See getting to Portugal.

Variations

• Miranda do Douro: the gorges of the international Douro on the Spanish border, with cruises between the rock walls; see Miranda do Douro.
• Vila Real: the Mateus palace, the one pictured on the label of a famous rosé; see Vila Real.
• Guimarães and Braga: the cradle of Portugal and the city of churches, in the Minho; see Guimarães.
• By boat: multi-day cruises sail up the river from Porto to the border.

What to read before you go

A good wine atlas to understand the Douro's sub-regions; a book on the history of port wine and the English; and the poems of Miguel Torga, the poet of Trás-os-Montes who sang of the Douro. See also Portuguese cuisine.

Final tips

• Pace: don't do the Douro as a day trip from Porto; spend at least two or three nights in the valley.
• Combinations: from Porto you can link up with the literary itinerary or the pilgrimages and Portuguese Camino itinerary.
• A tip: at a quinta, ask to taste a twenty-year-old tawny at sunset on the terrace above the river: the colour of the wine and the colour of the hills are the same.

See also our other itineraries in Portugal.

Douro valley on the map

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