Touring the Douro is very special and we have designed a route that keeps us away from the very touristic busyness and follows small, unknown roads, from winery to winery!
This is a land rich in history. It is where Portugal, or Portucale as it was known in the 9th century, was born.
On the route, we will pass Roman and Celtic settlements, 11th Century Churches, with their typical doorways and small stone figures, and many, many medieval Castles, some preserved, some just a memory of the greatness they once had and represented. The stories those stones know and keep to themselves are many and weave the reality of the present we will experience when we visit. I am very much a lover of history and the stories that make it, so you will see me frequently talking about historic events along the way.
Called the Gold Valley due to the production of some of the best wines known to men and also how the Autumn Sun makes it seem like molten gold when it hits the vineyards at the end of another season in September and October, it is truly romantic! Narrow, winding roads twisting up and down the steep hills always with spectacular views, are definitely on the bucket list for every nature-loving traveler.
This was the very first formally demarcated wine region in the World and is now a World Heritage Site, with a history that spans over 2000 years and with very friendly and hardworking people, anyone that visits will want to come back many times.
The Douro River itself is over 900 km long, starting in Spain and crossing into Portugal through the Douro International Natural Park, a canyon that, for many kilometres, is flanked by a set of spectacular viewpoints and prehistoric rock depictions that no one knows about although they are UNESCO Heritage monuments. Fortunately, we do know about them and will be delighted to share them with you.
We start in Porto, recently described by a famous travel writer as "a town with a medieval heart, contemporary buzz, magnificent gold-leaf-laced churches – oh, and a rather nice signature tipple – Portugal’s second city merits a visit at any time,”
Carved in two by the Douro river, downtown Porto has a faded sophistication, while the seaside suburbs have witnessed something of a renaissance in recent years, home as they are to a burgeoning collection of bars, restaurants, and cafes, which offer an authentic slice of local life.
On day 1 of the tour, we will visit one of the most beautiful and romantic of all the viewpoints overlooking the Douro, São Leonardo da Galafura! From the top of its 640 meters, the landscape that can be seen triggers a mixture of reactions, above all a sense of peace. The tranquillity of a river that meanders serenely through the valley and the superb landscape is simply magical.
Moving on we descended to Pinhão, an important river port in the Douro where wine barrels were loaded on Rabelo Boats destined for Oporto and commerce to the rest of the World and that is where we will spend the night.
Day two is a full day riding the hidden gems of the Douro, taking the opportunity to enjoy some twisties and magnificent viewpoints over more than one river. The geography of this region is so rich one really has to believe this is also God's own country! We are blessed with turn after turn, each one secretly more beautiful than the previous one. The North side of the river is very much unknown to the average tourist due to the popularity of the N222 that follows the river at water level on the other side. We will get the chance to ride that one too, nothing is left out on this tour!
After crossing over to the South side of the river, we make our way to the Pocinho dam, where we go really deep into nature and fields of wildflowers, painting the landscape in yellow, purple, and blue, via a very small road full of character and pleasures impossible to describe. It is a secret road, and like all good secrets, it is delicious!
The day will end at another spectacular hotel and restaurant, but before gastronomy takes over, we will visit the first viewpoint over the Douro International Nature Park, where the river is deep in a gorge and the other side is already Spain. From here on up, Nature is queen, and vegetation and animals rule the land.
More wine, gorgeous food, and a pool await us! Not necessarily in that order, so more fun can be had for the rest of the day and into the night.
Day three sees us riding up further North, following the River, sometimes next to the water, other times taking advantage of some of the newly built viewpoints along the canyon, so high the majestic vultures are actually bellow us and we have the unique opportunity to see them from above!
This is the Douro International Park, on the extent that it separates two countries, Portugal and Spain, the Douro River runs in a deep and steep valley. With an extension of about 120 km, this course of the river is a habitat for great gliding birds like the Eagle of Bonelli, the Real Eagle, the Black Stork, the Grifo and the Vulture of Egypt, among others. These species are threatened and find in the cliffs of the river the place to nest and to maintain their colonies.
The 87,000 ha of the park covers 4 municipalities where the main activities are agriculture and livestock. The holm oak or carrasco is predominant at the level of the vegetation, where we also see important juniper, cork oak and black oak forests.
This used to be the most distant and isolated part of the country, making the people of this region very resilient and very keen on feeding us copious amounts of food, they are by far the most hospitable Portuguese citizens.
Everywhere here exudes remoteness, hence, adventure is around every corner and surprises like open air Pre-historic art are a must-visit. It is a real privilege to be so close to something someone made 10.000 years ago.
We will end the day again enjoying the magnificent views of the Douro with a nice glass of wine and ready to share the memories of an epic day riding motorcycles.
Day four takes us back to Porto via the N222, recently considered the most beautiful road in the World! We are biased, so will leave it up to you to make that judgment! This road is for sure engaging and very pleasant to ride so close to the water, seeing all the river activity of this that is, still, the way Port wine is transported on its way to the World.
It will be a pleasure to host you during your stay, showing you the most genuine and unseen parts of the Douro Region.
Thanks for reading and sharing!
The Turtle!