Pinhão is a small village in the heart of the Cima Corgo, the central part of the Douro valley, where the Pinhão river flows into the Douro. It belongs to the municipality of Alijó and has just a few hundred inhabitants, but around it are some of the most famous port wine quintas, and for many it is the ideal place to stay in the valley.
The station
The village's symbol is its railway station, on the Douro line, decorated with about 25 blue and white azulejo panels from the early twentieth century showing the harvest, casks being carried on barcos rabelos and valley landscapes. Arriving here by train from Porto or Régua, with the river flowing alongside the tracks, is unforgettable.
The quintas
The surrounding hills are covered in terraced vineyards and dotted with quintas and their white houses, some belonging to great port wine names. Many offer tours, tastings, lunches and rooms; some can be reached by boat. Short cruises in traditional boats run along the river.
The viewpoints
Above Pinhão, the village of Casal de Loivos has one of the most spectacular viewpoints in the valley, looking straight down on the Douro's bends and vineyards. About twenty kilometres away, in the municipality of São João da Pesqueira, the São Salvador do Mundo viewpoint overlooks a narrow gorge of the river. The village of Provesende, with manor houses and a Baroque fountain, is one of the loveliest in the area.
Getting there
Pinhão is reached by train from Porto (about two and a half hours) or Peso da Régua (half an hour), or by car along the N222, one of the finest roads in Europe, which follows the river between Régua and Pinhão.