Porto & the Douro Valley
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PORTO & THE DOURO VALLEY EXPLORING THE OLD WAYS PORTO & THE DOURO VALLEY SUMMARY From the World UNESCO Heritage Site of the Ribeira, Porto’s old town, to the green and gold geometric landscapes of the Douro River Valley, this area of northern Portugal offers a unique sensory experience where the pace of life has been unchanged for centuries. Follow trails through this timeless terrain, visit wineries that are over a century old and encounter traditional white-washed villages that cling to the hillsides. Also view the captivating landscapes of wine terraces with a legendary train journey from Porto to Pinhão and during a boat cruise along the Douro River. Feel the warmth of the sun on your back as you take in these dazzling and picturesque scenes. Arrive in the coastal city of Porto which spans the mouth of the serene Douro River. Porto is a fabulous city to explore, with its Baroque churches, village-style plazas, soaring bell-towers, and narrow cobbled lanes. Stroll through the Ribeira district where local inhabitants still mingle and sit on the terrace of a traditional restaurant and see the sun setting over the Douro River; this is indeed a city of romance. Tour: Porto & the Douro Valley Code: WPSPDV Next you will take an unforgettable train journey from Porto to the Douro Valley, so beautiful that it too is a Type: Self-Guided Walk UNESCO World Heritage Site. This journey allows you to soak up the ageless landscapes of the region at Price: See Website your leisure. Also fascinating is the remarkable engineering that went into the building of this railway line as Single Supplement: See Website you pass through 26 tunnels and cross over 30 bridges. Dates: May - June and September - October Duration: 8 days & 7 nights On arrival in the Douro Valley you can anticipate enjoying panoramic walks past vineyards that produce Walking Days: 4 world-class wines. Stay in rural accommodations that are within the grounds of these vineyards and Start: Porto perhaps even try some traditional barefoot grape-treading! Finish: Porto Distance: ~46km Even more thrilling is your journey back to Porto via a full day scenic river cruise, available from May to Grade: Easy to moderate October along the mighty Douro. You’ll get a first-hand view of the thousands of wine terraces and the villages that cling to the cliffs overlooking the river and wine tasting. Your 8 day Porto & the Douro Valley walking tour includes 7 nights in 3* hotels and locally-owned guest Is Porto & the Douro Valley for me? houses, 7 breakfasts, 1 lunch, a Douro River Cruise, a transfer on arrival from Porto Airport to your hotel, a A really great aspect of this tour is that it briefing on arrival from our local representative, baggage transfers, maps, route notes, a comprehensive combines spectacular walks through the information pack, loan of a GPS and maps. timeless landscapes of the Douro Valley, including plenty of opportunities for tasting world-famous wines, with a legendary train HIGHLIGHTS journey and a wonderfully scenic boat cruise along the Douro River. As an additional highlight the majority of the accommodations are in traditional guest houses set within the vineyards. • Sauntering through the Ribeira, Porto’s old town and a World UNESCO Heritage Site • Sitting on your private terrace in the Quinta da Seixada sipping world-famous wine What’s Included? • Taking in the awe-inspiring views of the fertile green and golden landscapes of the Accommodation: 7 Nights in comfortable Douro Valley on your train ride from Porto accommodations. • Partaking in wine-tasting at local wineries, such as the DouRosa Branco from the Meals: 7 Breakfasts and 1 lunch Quinta de la Rosa Information Pack: Maps, GPS tracks, route • Enjoying the mighty Douro River as you slowly make your way downstream on a notes and detailed information pack. scenic boat cruise Emergency Support: 24/7 support from our area manager. • Wandering through traditional white-washed medieval villages PORTO & THE DOURO VALLEY EXPLORING THE OLD WAYS Today you will take a scenic train ride to the traditional wineries and villages before arriving DETAILED ITINERARY Douro Valley, a World UNESCO Heritage Site. in Sabrosa. This is the home of one of the most The train journey takes around 2 and a half important world navigators, Ferdinand Magellan. hours. However you have the flexibility to decide Day Route Km Walk: 13km; 400m elevation gain when to leave Porto as you may wish to explore 1 Arrive in Porto - more of this amazing city this morning. Marvel at Overnight: Casa dos Barros, Sabrosa 2 Discover Porto. Train - the 14th century ramparts and the Sé Cathedral ride to Pinhão which dates from the 12th and 13th centuries. Casa dos Barros has different types of rooms, 3 Walk to Sabrosa 13 each one with its own decoration, offering you Your memorable train journey from Porto to the 4 Walk to Alijó 13 the comfort and cosy feeling of a home family Douro Valley is a remarkable feat of engineering 5 Walk to Vale Mendiz 16.5 with the services of a small hotel. as there are 26 tunnels to go through and 30 6 Walk to Pinhão 8 bridges to cross. Pass through areas of DAY 4 7 Douro River Cruise - outstanding natural beauty; vineyard-covered Onward travel hillsides that stretch down to the banks of the Sabrosa to Alijó 8 Douro River. Upon arrival in Pinhão Train Begin today’s walk by following a trail through Station take a taxi to your guest house, Quinta vineyards down to the River Pinhão where you de la Rosa which is set in a local vineyard. cross an old bridge. Also surrounded by olive Tour Code: WPSPDV groves, you will then pass through Favaios Duration: 8 Days & 7 Nights Overnight: Quinta de la Rosa, Pinhão village where the bakeries still use their wood Walking Days: 4 A rural retreat, this Quinta is a small family- ovens dating from the late 19th century. After DAY 1 owned vineyard which produces top quality discovering Favaios you may then pay a visit to table wines, ports and olive oil. The very the Quinta do Portal, a vineyard that has won Arrive Porto comfortable and spacious rooms and suites medals in international wine contests. overlook the pool and the Douro River. This self-guided walking tour begins in the city of Make your way to Alijó and to the Pousada de Porto, set on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of DAY 3 Barão de Forrester. the Douro River. Explore its old quarter, the Ribeira and its maze of narrow cobbled streets Pinhão to Sabrosa Walk: 13km; 510m elevation gain and beautiful plazas. On arrival at Porto Airport From the doorstep of the Quinta de la Rosa to Overnight: Pousada de Barão de Forrester, you will be transferred to your hotel. Depending your accommodation in Sabrosa you will be able Alijó on your time of arrival, you may wish to begin to absorb the spectacular scenery of the Alto exploring today and have dinner in one of the This beautiful Posada has a lovely restaurant Douro Wine Region. This is a land of traditions many quayside restaurants. offering delicious Douro specialities. and there is much evidence to suggest that wine Overnight: Hotel Teatro, Porto production has been a livelihood here for more DAY 5 than two thousand years. It is the first wine A former 19th Century theatre, the Hotel Teatro region in the world that was demarcated and the Alijó to Vale Mendiz is perfectly located in the centre of Porto and a harvest here is still as traditional as it used to be stone's throw away from all the major After walking back into Favaios and perhaps and still done by hand and foot (with the buying bread in a local bakery for a picnic lunch, attractions. Delightfully decorated to a 'theatre' squashing of the grapes!). theme, this 4 star hotel is the perfect base from you pass an iron settlement from the 1st century which to explore the city. As you walk up and over the hilly slopes you will BC. It is worth paying a small fee to partake in pass through the village of Provosende where some wine-tasting at Quinta de Avessada. This DAY 2 you may rest and admire its old manor houses. Quinta has been producing wine for at least a century and has an interactive museum that you Discover Old Porto, train ride to Come across a small tavern or “tacsa” that has an interesting exhibition regarding the local wine may look around. This type of museum is the Pinhão production. Crossing the plateau, pass by more first of its kind in the country and is full of PORTO & THE DOURO VALLEY EXPLORING THE OLD WAYS innovative activities that will surprise its visitors. Douro River, back to Porto. See the thousands of Single Rooms & Solo Walkers tiers of vine-lined terraces and the many small Following this visit and after walking through towns and settlements perched on the sloping If you require single rooms within your party we farmland, you will reach a wonderful view point hillsides. On a clear day this scenery is reflected would be happy to accommodate you although where you can see hamlets perched on outcrops in the waters of the river as you sail along. Many there is a single room supplement payable. Solo over the river and within the vineyards. The Vale of these villages have retained their medieval walkers are also welcome for an additional Mendiz, your final destination for today, is one simplicity with tiny communities clustered around charge.