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The Douro, Portugal

Douro Province is one of Portugal’s most popular tourist destinations. Its most important features are northern Portugal’s longest river, the Douro, and its second city, Porto. The River Douro rises in Spain and flows to Porto on the Atlantic coast, winding its way through dramatic gorges, past mountains, sensational cliffs and steep, terraced hillside vineyards that produce the area’s famous port wine. A host of small towns and villages, as well as medieval castles, monasteries and convents are dotted throughout the region and every possible outdoor and indoor activity are on offer. Swim off one of the fabulous white sandy beaches, go surfing or horse riding, take a river cruise and taste the local wine. The region is full of cafés, restaurants and bars where you can savour the best of cuisine at a range of prices to suit all, often with music to accompany your meal.

Northern Portugal’s main city, Porto retains all the ambience of a riverside community, keeping alive its ancient traditions. The city is named on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and is the country’s most important commercial and manufacturing area. It is built on steep granite hills that look out over the River Douro, with a maze of narrow 19th-century streets and alleys at its heart. The river is straddled by five dramatic bridges, which connect the town with the Vila Nova de Gaia area. This area is the traditional home of around 60 port-wine lodges - Porto’s largest tourist attraction - where you can sample the finest of local wines.

From Porto, take a day trip to Vila do Conde, a quiet shipbuilding port, also famous for its lace making. This is a popular seaside resort with great sandy beaches. The best of these are around two kilometres south of the town. Take a river cruise up the Douro Valley, now navigable all the way to Barca de Alva in the heart of the port wine country. And, for a truly magical experience, take the train from Porto to Pocinho in the Beira Alta. Alternatively, a really fine way to travel is to take the narrow-gauge Linha de Tamega railway line to the attractive town of Amarante. Worth a visit for the train journey alone, Amarante boasts a beautiful setting, and its delicious pastries also need some serious investigation. In the 1990s, the discovery of several thousand Paleolithic rock engravings in the Vale do Coa has put the small town of Vila Nova de Foz Coa on the map. Since the discovery, an archaeological park has been established in the area, and UNESCO has designated the valley a World Heritage Site.

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