A Day in the Douro Valley

The Douro Valley is where port comes from, and one of the most spectacular wine landscapes on earth. About two hours inland from Porto, the river winds through steep hills of schist that generations of growers have carved into narrow terraces, walled and stepped from the water to the ridgetops, so that whole mountainsides look like contour maps planted with vines. The region was one of the first in the world to be officially demarcated, by the Marquis of Pombal in the eighteenth century, and the Alto Douro Wine Region was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage cultural landscape in 2001. Today its quintas, the wine estates, make not only port but increasingly fine red and white table wines, and many open their cellars and terraces to visitors. A day trip is the easiest way to see it. The Tiqets-listed small-group tour leaves central Porto in the morning by air-conditioned vehicle with a live English-speaking guide, visits three wine producers for tastings, and includes a traditional lunch among the vineyards, returning in the evening after about nine hours; a boat trip is not included on this itinerary, though other tours add a short river cruise. The scenery is the reward: the drive up the valley, the switchback roads above the river, and the views from the quintas over the terraces, especially in late September and early October, when the harvest is in full swing and the leaves begin to turn.

Understanding the landscape: the heart of the region is the Cima Corgo, around the riverside towns of Peso da Régua and Pinhão, where many of the most famous quintas are found. Régua, the larger town, has the Douro Museum, which tells the story of the region; Pinhão, smaller and prettier, has a railway station decorated with azulejos of the wine harvest. Summers are scorching in the valley, winters can be cold and misty, and the climate is very different from the cool Atlantic air of Porto. The great port houses own estates here, but there are also smaller family producers, and a good tour will mix the two.

Choosing how to go: a guided tour is the most relaxed option, because the roads are winding and someone has to drive after the tastings. Look at how many producers are included, whether lunch is a proper sit-down meal, the group size, and whether a boat trip is part of the day. Independent travellers can take the train from São Bento station along the Douro line to Régua or Pinhão, a beautiful journey of a couple of hours or more, and book quinta visits directly, though timings need planning. Some visitors stay overnight in the valley at a wine hotel, which makes the trip far less rushed.

Making the most of it: wear comfortable shoes for vineyard walks, bring sunglasses and water in summer, and eat a good breakfast. Pace the tastings, and buy the wines you love at the quintas, as some are hard to find abroad. If you can, travel in late September or October for the harvest atmosphere and autumn colours; spring, with green vines and wildflowers, is also lovely. Even if you only have one day to spare from Porto, the Douro is the excursion that most visitors remember longest.