The Douro Valley was a top priority for a day trip from Porto. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – extending over 600 kms. The hillside vineyards and wineries are very picturesque! Here’s a description that I found online which describes it perfectly:
The Douro Wine Region Valley, up to Barca de Alva, is the oldest demarcated wine region in the world. First, the river carved the deep valleys out of the land and then Man transformed the schist mountains into soil and walls and planted the vines, green in summer, flame-coloured in autumn. With knowledge handed down from generation to generation, he inclined the terraces to expose the vines to the rays of the sun which give the grapes the warmth that the wine craves. It was from the fruits of the land and Man’s labour that this unique wine and landscape were made.
I should have booked the tour before heading out on my Camino. Many of the tours were already booked by the time I came back to Porto, but I was able to grab a spot in a small group tour for May 27th. We met near Porto City Hall. The group consisted of two couples from Dublin and a group of three consultants working for Accenture in Amsterdam. All young professionals.
It takes about 1.5 hours to drive to the Douro Valley from Porto. One impressive part of the journey is the Marao Tunnel built in 2016. It is 5.7kms long and reduces travel time substantially. The journey to our first stop took a little over an hour.
We stopped in the town of Pinhao for a short break. I took in some views of the rive, hillsides and crossed over a pedestrian bridge with beautiful views of the arched Ponte do Pinhao over the Douro.
The next stop was over a winding road to the Quinta de Siexa, producer of Sandeman ports and Mateus wine. I was amazed that some large buses travelled up this road! Beautiful views from this Quinta and we enjoyed an informative tour with a tasting of a white and tawny port on a picturesque patio. I’m not a big port fan, but these were nice to taste.
We wound our way up the valley to our destination for lunch at a lovely restaurant with a nice view. It was a typical Portuguese lunch of roasted lamb and a fish stew. Of course, it included bread and local olive oil. The service was excellent and the wine was good.
After lunch, we were dropped off along the Douro River to enjoy an hour-long boat cruise through the valley. I met an Irish woman who had done a walking tour through the vineyards earlier in the day. I would have loved to have done that! It was a pleasant boat ride, although quite a few people on board so it was hard to get the photos that I wanted without being in someone’s way. The views from the river really highlighted the vertical landscape of the vineyards and gave us views of various Quintas. Most vineyards grow olive trees alongside the grapes, and often various citrus trees as well. I can’t imagine picking grapes in these vineyards!
Then the final stop of the tour at D’Origem Winery and Olive Oil Museum. We had a tour of the museum showing the ways of extracting olive oil in the old days. Now it is all done by machinery. The tasting was done on a patio overlooking the valley. We enjoyed a glass of white and a glass of red, along with local honey and almonds and bread to dip in the local olive oil. The views from the winery were also beautiful.
Now it was time to hop in the van and make the 1.5 hour trip back to Porto. Although we had threatening-looking clouds, there was no rain during our tour. However, my walk back to the hotel was quite soggy!
Although it was a pleasant day, I didn’t care for our guide. I didn’t feel he was knowledgeable about the area. I would do things differently if I return:
- Instead of booking a Viator tour, I would spend the extra money for a personal tour guide and book this at least a week in advance. This would provide a much better experience like visiting smaller family-run wineries, accessing different view points and learning more historical/cultural background.
- Another option would be to take the train to the area and stay a couple of nights. Some wineries are within walking distance, but I am sure there would be options to find a guide if needed. And it would be easy to access hiking trails!
- Renting a car and driving would be my last of different options. It definitely gives one more freedom for stops, etc. but you would miss out on the “secrets” of the area you would get with a local guide.
Douro Valley is beautiful and not to be missed if you are in the area of Porto.
