Douro River. Landscape. Wines. Gastronomy. Culture and Leisure.
These 5 reasons are the starting line to pack your bags and travel to the Douro Valley, a World Heritage Site. A charming and luxury villa with a private swimming pool and concierge will welcome you. Nature and a stunning landscape are all around, together with friendly people, genuine traditions and histories that shaped this land for centuries. Let yourself be seduced by this lovely holiday destination in the north of Portugal.
N.º 1 The Douro River
Inspiring the poets since long time, it keeps surprising us every time we behold its beauty, as if a reflex could change the landscape around or if the colors of the vineyards could change the river.
Douro sends you a timeless invitation.
How about discovering it?
And there isn’t a better way to understand the river than to take a close look in a cruise along the elegant shapes of its course. The options are so many! It’s quite difficult to choose between the refreshing freedom of a sailboat and the charm of a vintage boat.
N.º 2 The Landscape
Encouraged by the daring outlines that Nature gave to the Douro Valley, those people worked hard in the gigantic labor of shaping the schist terraces. They prepare the land, handle the vineyards and in every autumn, the harvest takes place. So it happens for centuries, keeping perfect and unique the landscape that embraces the river.
Enjoy the overwhelming beauty of the Douro sceneries in a panoramic minibus tour or in a private van with a tour guide.
If you prefer an approach along the riverside, you may choose a journey in the historic train with departure in Régua. The trip will surprise you with never-ending opportunities to take stunning pictures of the region.
N.º 3 The Wines
The riverside gives life to the vineyards, giving life to the wines that for so long represent the Douro region in Portugal as well as abroad, bringing wine lovers from all over the world.
The exquisite quality of the noblest grapes along with the special climate of the region offer a genuine character to the wine. Highlight for the Port Wine, so much appreciated for its unique features and that originated the oldest demarcated wine region in the world.
The Quintas manage to withdraw the very best qualities of the land to the wine. Throughout the year, tourists may visit the vineyards and the cellars, as well as tasting the great variety of wines produced. In September, when the terraces fill up with people working and every hand is welcome, tourists can also experience the tasks of making the wine, starting in by the picking of the grapes, treading them in the winepress and finally tasting the first wine of the season.
N.º 4 The Gastronomy
The Douro Valley has many traditions and gastronomy is no exception. The diversity of products and the strong flavours of the recipes reflect the character of the region. The local people, with all their wisdom have developed throughout time the several ways to transform the regional products in tasty delicacies. Between elegant and typical the restaurants delight the tourists and visitors and promote the Douro Valley as a unique destination.
The recent “Rota das Tascas” has given a highlight to the range of diversity in the Douro tourism, which main focus is preserving the cultural heritage of typical food and wines and broadcasting these simple places, where authenticity is the main dish.
N.º 5 Culture and Leisure
Such a resourceful region wouldn’t be complete without its cultural side that registers the history of the Douro Valley and shares the memories of the people that shaped this land and made it a World Heritage Site.
There are three main museums in the Douro Valley with a wide range of exhibitions – Museu do Douro, Museu de Lamego and Museu do Côa, the last one included in the Archaeological Park of the Côa Valley.
For the most adventurous there are 4×4 tours and canoeing, but also radical packages such as canyoning, rafting and slides…
If you wish to spend your day in a diversions park, there is a waterpark in the region with all kind of outdoor activities for both grown ups and children.
By night, you can enjoy a delightful dinner in the riverside or one of the events suggested by the cultural agenda.