I'm Just a Little bit Dotty about the Douro (The Douro Valley - Portugal)

Member Name: Praskipark

Product:	The Douro Valley - Portugal
Date:	24/08/09 (83 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great place to taste wine, sail on a winding river, eat estufado in a wooden hut

Disadvantages: Lorries and lorry drivers

Famous for its its port and unfortified red wines the Douro Valley is one of the world's prettiest wine regions, with its undulating river, immaculately sculptured terraces and unruly hills that roll out as far as the eye can see. From its source in Spain, the river wanders 200 kilometres across the north of Portugal to its final destination, its estuary in Porto. The river makes its way through deep ravines, past hillsides made of granite and farmhouses painted white with red tiled roofs. Famous port names dominate the landscape, in white letters amongst the trailing vines. Farms and vineyards tumble down precipitous slopes along the central river, while more vines and small villages sit snugly in the tributaries. Man has tamed this wild, unruly countryside, with miles and miles of dry stoned terraces and opened up this delightful area to visitors.

The higher part of the Douro Valley has been named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the region that was once only visited by a handful of hardy tourists and wine traders, is now becoming a very smart destination. Although, I wouldn't say the region is overrun with tourists.

I have noticed that the old manor houses and quintas are being opened up to accommodate tourists; with glistening swimming pools and spectacular views. There are some very trendy hotels and chic restaurants springing up in the area too. Gone are the days when if you went to a restaurant you would be offered a dish of Caldo Verde followed by a stew made form mutton and potatoes. The roads are much easier to travel on although still a bit tricky. Whereas it used to take hours to travel up from Porto you can be there within a couple of hours on the new high speed motorway.

Even the movement of the river has changed. At one time it was tempestuous and you could hear it crashing towards the ocean. A series of dams built in the 19th century have silenced the river and the flat bottomed sail boats (barcos rabelos) no longer sail as frequently as they used to. Now the river is home to shiny cruisers who meander down the river for pleasure and speedboats that chase around to check the yearly gape harvest.

For tourists who love to be out and about there are castles and many an archaelogical site. Watersports and fishing is very popular and the river's tributaries are safe and gentle enough for swimming. Hill climbers will enjoy the terrain in the east as it is wilder, rockier and also a haven for bird watchers. This part of the Douro gets incredibly hot and vines trail and tumble all over the countryside. There is no escape.

That's my overview of the area and here's some information of 'things to do' in the Douro.

Having driven to this region of Portugal from the Algarve and also sailed in my parent's boat from the Algarve also, I would say that public transport is probably a better option unless you have your own private jet. Driving is tiring as it seems to take ages to get anywhere in this valley. The roads are extremely steep and wind round and round so if you suffer from travel sickness going by car is not a good choice. Lorries are all over the place and you either meet them head on and have to duck or they trail behind you for miles which is infuriating.

Cruising along the river itself is wonderful and very romantic but to sail from the Algarve takes a while and is fine if you are on a long trip but when we did the journey it seemed to take too long. Impatient as ever, I know.

Buses are a practical option and seem to travel far and wide throughout the valley and the other romantic and one of the most beautiful ways to travel is by train. I will tell you more in a while about this mode of transport.

My entrance to the Douro is usually from the motorway at Vila Real. This university town has mountains as its backdrop and in the foreground, a canyon. Real means Royal in Portuguese and this royal town is certainly majestic with its beautiful surrounding vineyards and grove after grove of orange and lemon trees. The citrus trees are a dominant feature of the Corgo valley which is the western part of the wine region and much easier to tend than the rugged eastern slopes because of its lush fertile hills.

The city itself is slightly industrial with an old centre that features some fine architectural gems from the 16th to the 18th century. Mainly picturesque houses and baroque churches. Vila real is a good starting point from which to explore the Natural Park of Alvao and a great centre for transport connections. Trains and buses travel the whole of the Douro Valley from this spot and also go to Coimbra and further up north to the Tras-os-Montes.

If you venture east from Vila Real there is a very special house worth visiting and it is situated in the village of Mateus. Its name is Casa de Mateus - House of Mateus.

When you come face to face with this famous house you will probably realise that you have seen it before on labels of bottles of Mateus Rose wine. However, the wine was never made in these grounds. After the Second World War, the producers of Mateus wine, Sogrape, thought the house would look good on the label of their wine.

As royalties the wine company offered the owners of the grand house a one-off payment or bottles of wine during their lifetime.

Not a bad deal, I would say, for living in such fantastic surroundings.

The magnificent house was built in 1740 for Antonio Jose Botelho Mourao, an ancestor of the current occupiers. The building is baroque and symmetrical in style and casts beautiful mirror images in the lake in front of the building.

Mirrors adorn the walls everywhere inside, reflecting carved furniture and paintings of fine art. Not all the rooms are open to the public - only ten and a vast library of historical books.

The library covers a large area in the north wing of the house. A very mellow room with dark oak bookcases covering every one of the surrounding walls. Beams of golden light shine through the dome shaped roof giving the room a warm and relaxed feel. Most of the books are antique and cover the lives and times of previous owners of the house and estate. Important and rare documents are also on display and there is a famous edition of Os Luisadas which was written by the famous Portuguese poet Luis Vaz de Camoes (1524 -1580).

The formal gardens are open for visitors which feature box designs and some amazing topiary, including a huge, 35 metre long cedar tunnel which was built in 1941. The aroma of the musky pine is divine. I have to admire the gardener who stands on special curved ladders to trim these trees.

The gardens are surrounded by fields, apple orchards and vineyards. Some of the grapes are made into a single vineyard Mateus wine which is sold in the shops in the region and also on site..

The site shop is open to sell postcards, jams and compotes, wine and books.

Close by is a barn where throughout the summer months a programme of concerts take place including classical, jazz and opera. They do start quite late - around 9pm or sometimes even 10pm.

The beginning of the wine region starts at the fortified village of Mesao Frio. The stretch of river here is really pretty and if you go a little up river you will come across Peso Da Regua which overlooks the wide valley of the Baixo Corgo and is at the confluence of both rivers, Corgo and Douro. The town isn't that pretty in itself but it is worth a visit just to see the sail boats (barcos rabelos) glide up and down the river. Look out for the port warehouses - they are interesting; long and somewhat dumpy.

I think my favourite town in the Douro has to be Lamego. The town has two hills and perched on one is a castle and on the other is an exquisite church. The Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Remedios is one of the most beautiful in Portugal - well I think so. I love everything about it; its hilltop situation, the way 611 steps form the most amazing double staircase that zigs and zags to the top featuring terraces adorned with statues, fountains and hand-painted tiles. If walking up so many steps is a problem, you can drive to the top but having taken this approach also, I think it isn't as exciting as walking the steps but the views of the main street from the top are magnificent.

During August and September pilgrims come from all over in their thousands to ascend the steps of this church on their knees, hoping for miracle cures. I have only ever witnessed this once here in Lamego and I found the whole thing remarkable if a little distressing. As it is festival time during these weeks from the last Thursday in August to mid-September, there are other things going on throughout Lamego like live folk music, fireworks, dancing (the battle of the flowers), processions of horses and ox-driven carts, and a fairground with many a reveller.

The small town of Pinhao which is on the riverside is probably known as the heart of the port industry but I wouldn't say it was an attractive town. Its situation is one of great beauty, facing south where the two rivers cross; Pinhao and Douro. Apart from harvesting time the town is rather sleepy. The thing that attracts me to this town is the railway sation. It is covered from top to bottom in hand painted tiles (azulejos). The scenes depicted are of grape harvesting in the old days and scenes of the Douro river before it was dammed. Many of the popular port quintas are scattered above the town which I think look untidy and cluttered on the hilltops.

Visiting these towns can be hard work trailing up the steep roads and it is
a good idea to have as many breaks as possible. The small village of Provesende is a pretty place to break the journey up into the hills north from Pinhao to Sabrosa. Sabrosa's claim to fame is that it is the birthplace of Fernao de Magahaes (Ferdinand Magellan), who was a very keen sailor and one of the first people to lead in round the world sailing. Some of the manor houses here are from the 15th century and are very attractive, as is the countryside around. You will notice the dusty leaves of olive trees mingled in with the citrus trees and vines.

The further east you travel olives and almonds slowly take over from vines although last time I was in the east I noticed a few new vineyards in the process of being planted. One of the most stunning views of this area is the almond blossom in Spring. It is like one long magical cloud of brilliant white mingled with dusty pink - so very pretty.

You don't have to go on an endurance test to see all the delights of the Douro you can take a boat trip, sit back, relax and just enjoy the beauty that the river and hills have to offer. Boat trips up the river leave from the quay in the Ribeira district of Porto or from (Peso da Regua), even from Pinhao.

You can choose from a short outing, day trips, or five, six or seven day cruises. These luxury cruises leave from Porto and travel to the border with Spain and back. There are times when you can hop off the boats and go ashore to visit the wine quintas, restaurants and other attractions. If you like the thought of travelling in one of the old sailing boats that port used to be shipped in, you can, except that these days they are power engined. So you don't have to worry about the wind patterns or the currents - you can just relax.

If you want to know more information about the trips - check this link -www.douroacima.pt - this is regarding the Barco Rabelo trips.

Other leisure cruises - www.douroazul.com

Now for a train journey - one of the most exciting trips I have been on. This journey is on a 175 kilometre track between Porto and Pochino which is near the Spanish border. For nearly half of the trip it runs right alongside the winding river, passing through 26 tunnels and crossing over 30 bridges. The most scenic section is from Pinhao to Tua. Many of the stations are really lovely as they are decorated with painted tiles. If you need to stop en-route to pop into one of the quinta's for a bottle of port or an overnight stay then look for platform signs that say - Vargelas or Vesuvio.

More info on the train journeys is available from the Portuguese Rail Company. www.cp.pt

Accommodation

So many types of accommodation ranging from wine lodge's, vintage houses, wine quinta's, manor houses. prices range from around 50 euros per night to 350 euros+ per night.

My recommendation is Quinta do Vale Dona Maria. This used to be a vineyard workers' dormitory and has now been renovated to a very high standard by the owners of the quinta. It is about 15 minutes from Pinhao and stands above the River Tito. There is a pretty patio filld with flowers, you can buy wine from the winery and take your own food to cook. If you haven't anything breakfast the owners will provide ingredients. A 3 night stay is the minimum and the cost is approx 100 euros for that duration.
Very rustic, pretty and the wine is top notch!

Restaurants

Some excellent restaurants can be found in the Douro and they are not all expensive. Terra da Montanha is one of my favourites, located in the old centre of Vila Real. This little restaurant is a gem, full of atmosphere and a little bit kitsch. Cosy tables for two are nestled inside huge varnished wine vats. Quirky but nice. Cuisine is regional, well cooked and tasty and
a great selection of lesser known wines are on sale. Meals are around 17 euros including a glass or two of wine.

For 11 euros you can buy a plate of estufado (stew) or risotto made from wild boar, hare, partridge or venison depending on the season, and sit down in a wooden pre-fabricated building right next to the Tua railway station. Not the Ritz but a super restaurant overlooking the River Douro. What makes this restaurant pleasant apart from the food and views is the staff - young, approachable and good fun.

So that about covers the Douro for now. It is a charming region and quite wild in places. The meandering river is magical and colourful as it winds it's way through locks and past dams - a hive of leisure and working activities. A wine lovers dream - definitely - but - a wonderful place for nature lovers and railway enthusiasts. Check some of those stations out - the tile work is amazing. Recommended.

Summary: Another charming region of Portugal