Douro Valley wine tour - top things to see and do!
Sharing our wine and travel experience’s in Portugal’s Douro Valley
For many years we would travel with the family to Portugal’s west coast to enjoy the beaches and the Atlantic ocean, but to our shame, we never took time out to visit Porto and the Douro Valley in the north of the country.
It featured high on our list of top wine tour destinations that we would finally get to over the next year or so, when bang! Just like that we received the most wonderful invitation to discover this famously beautiful wine region and the home of Port wine and we are now delighted to share our discoveries with you!
We joined a fantastic group of like-minded, fun, wine, food and travel-loving people from Europe and the USA on a ‘Soul Wines, Eno & Taste tour’, designed to help promote Portugal’s amazing Douro Valley.
Enjoy discovering where we went and what we discovered - we had the most amazing time and we hope this will help you to plan your own wine tour to the Douro Valley!
Discover the best of Portugal’s Douro Valley in just a few days!
Our Douro Valley wine tour lasted 3 jam-packed, incredible days! We combined it with a blissful few days at the stunning Quinta de la Rosa wine estate, just outside Pinhão, before returning to explore Porto and Nova da Gaia and visit a port lodge.
Taking just 2-3 days out in the Douro Valley for a wine tour is perfectly adequate to experience this magical place, but it really is worth allocating some more time to visit Porto and Nova da Gaia, especially if this is where you fly into.
How to get to the Douro Valley
If you are flying, the closest international airport for accessing the Douro Valley is Porto, where you can hire a car, the best option for exploring, as long as you don’t mind windy roads, hair-pin bends and steep drops! As you start to enter the Douro Valley on the road from Porto, the scenery stretches out before you, giving you your first glimpse of what’s to follow over the next few days! The EN222 road is reputed to be to ‘the best and most beautiful in the world’ so don’t let the opportunity slip you by to experience this (see later)!
You can also take the train from Porto, leaving from the Campanhã main railway station. The train goes all through the Douro Valley, stopping frequently along the way and offering breathtaking scenery. We travelled on this train from Pinhão to Porto and the journey lasted about 21/2 hours.
Where to stay in the Douro Valley
Our beautiful hotel overlooking the Douro - ‘Delfim Douro Hotel’ - Source: Winekeller
We were based in the superb Delfim Douro Hotel just outside the towns of Peso da Régua and Lamego, in the lower Douro Valley - or the ‘Baixo Gorgo’. This provided an excellent base for exploring all 3 regions of the Douro Valley, but you could of course decide to split your stay across two locations and perhaps two types of accommodation - a hotel as well as maybe one of the traditional wine estates or Quintas. (see here for some Quinta recommendations).
We were incredibly impressed with the four star Delfim Douro Hotel and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to you. The main attraction just has to be the most incredible views over the Douro river and valley, from the hotel’s vantage point high on the hill amongst the vineyards! Each of the 42 rooms and suites offers the most stunning view and most incredible sunsets and sunrises! As we walked in the room we immediately started to unwind, relax and just immerse ourselves in the stunning views and the comfort of the room!
We can also highly recommend the hotel breakfast, with traditional and international food choices, as well as dining in the restaurant for dinner - once again a room with an incredible view! The food, wines and service were all excellent and really reflective of Portugal in terms of traditional food, local wines and wonderful hospitality!
We didn’t have time to enjoy it, but the hotel also has a lovely outdoor swimming pool!
If you fancy (or deserve!) a real treat, then maybe the nearby Six Senses Douro Valley Hotel and Spa is for you! Positioned as the ultimate Douro wine and spa experience it offers luxurious accommodation, first-class facilities and comes with your own ‘Guest Experience Manager’!
What to see in the Lower Douro
The Lower Douro or ‘Baixo Corgo’ is the Douro Valley’s westernmost and oldest port-producing region. Peso da Régua (or just Régua) is regarded as the capital of Port wine, being where historically, the Port wine was shipped in the old boats, called ‘rabelos’ down to Porto.
Douro Museum, Régua
Museums aren’t always top of the list to visit, but we would really recommend this one! It offers an amazing introduction to the Douro Valley region, its history, its people and of course its wine, namely Port. Learn about the famous Dona Antónia Ferreira, still revered in the Douro Valley for her innovation and inspiration, leading the development of the Douro vineyards and Port wine industry - and see the famous dress which saved her life when a boat she was in capsized in the Douro, claiming the life of her friend Joseph James Forrester.
You can do a self-guided tour or join a guided group tour and for just a few euros you can not only be educated for an hour or two, you can enjoy a Port wine tasting - cheers!
Visit Lamego, one of the most beautiful cities in Northern Portugal
A visit to Lamego is a must, in the midst of the Douro vineyards, an elegant city, full of stunning examples of Baroque-style architecture.
Shrine of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios
An 18th century sanctuary dedicated to ‘our lady of remedies’ dominates the town - beautiful architecture and stunning views!
Sé Cathedral
In the centre of the old town, this 12th century church is worth a visit to admire the beautiful exterior stonework and the cloisters.
Make time to buy and enjoy some of the local sweet and savoury pastry delicacies - ‘Bôlas’ from the nearby ‘Pastelaria da Sé’!
Lunch at the stunning restaurant ‘DOC - ‘Window over Douro’
About 15 minutes from Lamego on the banks of the River Douro at Folgosa, between Régua and Pinhão, lies the most fantastic restaurant, the DOC ‘Window over Douro’, fronted by world-class, Michelin star chef, Rui Paula. Superb cuisine, based on north-eastern Douro and Portuguese produce and inspirations, the setting is simply spectacular, looking over the Douro.
We enjoyed the a fabulous 3 course lunch, paired with wines including Blanc de Blancs fizz, white wine, red wine and of course Port wine! The service was outstanding - if you get the opportunity, please go, you won’t regret it!!
Boat trip on the Douro
A great way to appreciate the River Douro and its spectacular scenery is to take a boat trip! There’s lots of different options to choose from, with many types of tourist boats and sailing boats. We enjoyed a short trip down the river on a beautiful sailboat with Douro à Vela, based at the DOC restaurant - so perfect to hop on after a long lunch! Lovely boat and great company!
Enjoy local, traditional food at ‘Aneto & Table’ in Régua
Enjoy local gastronomy and local Aneto wines at this relaxed wine bar and restaurant in Régua. Aneto & Table serves tapa-style food to share, beautifully balanced and presented and absolutely delicious! Try Portuguese cod fish, cheese and sausage platters, seasonal soups and lemon cheesecake!
What to see in the Cima Corgo - the Douro Valley’s heartland
This is the most-visited region of the Douro Valley and where most of the big-brand Port vineyards are located, along with the beautiful wine estates - or Quintas - offering superb wine experiences! See here for recommended Quintas to visit or stay in.
The main town in the Cima Corgo region is Pinhão. There’s not a huge amount to see in the town itself, but there’s a luxury hotel right on the river, called the Vintage House which has great views and is a nice place for cocktails, if not to stay. Many of the large cruise ships moor up overnight in Pinhão.
Visit Pinhão railway station
Sounds odd to recommend, but even if you aren’t planning a train journey go into Pinhão railway and appreciate the beautiful, ancient blue tiles, so typical of Portugal.
Pinhão railway station with its beautiful tiles - Source: Winekeller
Drink in the stunning scenery at the best viewpoints (miradouro)
So we’ve already mentioned the EN222 road, ‘the best and most beautiful in the world’ - this runs on the south bank of the Douro. There are two viewpoints on this road which defy belief - honestly. You just can't find enough superlatives!
Frei Estêvão
In Ervedosa do Douro on the EN222, at an altitude of 435 metres, this view really explains why the Douro Valley is a Unesco World Heritage Site! There is a picnic site here and plenty of space to take a breather and enjoy!
São Salvador do Mundo
Stop at the sacred, pilgrimage site, São Salvador do Mundo, a few kilometres from São João da Pesqueira and just stand back and admire!
Casal de Loivos
Back on the north bank of the Douro, overlooking Pinhão and the River valley, the BBC called this view one of the six most beautiful in the world. Unfortunately when we visited the heavens literally opened on us and visibility was poor - but we still managed to be in awe of this amazing view!)
Visit traditional wine villages and be a real wine tourist!
Visit the wine villages of Barcos, Favaios, Provesende, Ucanha, Salzedas and Trevões to experience local traditions and the local way of life. You can get involved and have a really authentic wine tourist experience - there’s always events going on, especially in the Autumn when you can join in the grape harvest!
Wine harvest at Quinta da Avessada in the village of Favaios
We enjoyed a traditional day at Quinta Avessada, picking grapes in the vineyards, treading the grapes (yes really!), tasting the wines, then feasting on a typical lunch, eating like the locals. It was a really fun day, experiencing something very wholesome, traditional and real!
What to see in the Upper Douro
Onto the Upper Douro, or ‘Douro Superior’, where the landscape is much more rugged and dramatic and the temperatures much hotter! Yes, the windy roads can be daunting but it’s really worth a trip to experience the different landscapes of the Douro, from the gentle, vine covered slopes of the Lower Douro to the mountainous, dry, rugged terrain of the Upper Douro, where you tend to see more olive and almond trees than you do vines.
The dramatic scenery of the Douro Superior - Source: Winekeller
Visit the Côa Valley museum and archaeological park
A must when in the Upper Douro is to visit the Côa Valley museum and archaeological park. The Côa River Valley is a unique World Heritage site, where you can visit one of the world’s best-preserved archaeological sites and see the most important set of paleolithic engravings ever discovered.
The Côa Museum is located in Vila Nova de Foz Côa and here is where you can learn all about paleolithic rock engravings, dating back 10-30,000 years. After this introduction - and an excellent lunch in the museum restaurant from where the views are out of this world - you can climb into jeeps to go and see them for real in nearby Penascosa. A thoroughly incredible and humbling experience to see rock engravings of goats, horses, ox and deer, created by our ancestors all those years ago, in their natural environment in a kind of open-air ‘rock art gallery’.
Boat trip or kayaking on the River Côa
You can also explore this fascinating area further, from the beautiful Côa river. We enjoyed a 1 hour boat trip on a solar-boat and discovered more nature and engravings, pointed out to us by our excellent guides - and also enjoyed some local refreshments! It’s also possible to do kayak tours of the river.
Visit the famous Quinta do Vesúvio - the Quinta of Quintas
Now, we didn’t actually visit Quinta do Vesúvio during our trip, but if you are in the Upper Douro and have time, we think it would be worth a visit.
Quinta do Vesúvio is quite simply a national treasure and one of Portugal’s most iconic wine estates. It’s wines are legendary around the world and it has a rich history, connected to the Douro legend that is Dona Antónia Ferreira, whose home it once was. Today it is owned by the Symington family who also own and run four of the leading port houses, Graham's, Dow's, Warre's, and Cockburn's.
You must pre-arrange your private visit to Vesúvio in advance (be warned though it’s pricey!), touring the magnificent estate house and chapel and some of the vineyards which are spread across seven beautiful hills and thirty-one valleys. A wine tasting and lunch is also included.
Useful tips for exploring the Douro Valley
You can see more information about Portugal and the Douro Valley on our website pages.
See the Visit Portugal website for ideas and useful information for planning a trip to the Douro Valley.
Conclusion
We had the most magical wine tour in Portugal’s Douro Valley and if you haven’t experienced it yet, we can only encourage you to get planning your own tour! It’s the perfect wine tourism destination and will leave an imprint on your heart - that’s what it did for us!
Huge thanks and appreciation to Nervir and Soul Wines for introducing us to the Douro Valley and for enabling us to share it here, to hopefully inspire others to experience it for themselves!
