The Douro river rises in Spain and flows some 900km before it reaches the Atlantic Ocean just west of the Portuguese city of Porto. For much of its journey through Portugal it is a quiet and lonely river with very few centres of habitation. Its banks are steep and terraced and are covered with vines that will produce grapes for the regions famous port wines. Wine and the Douro river are closely entwined.The wine growing region is large and extends from 70 Km east of Porto to almost the Spanish border. Wine is very important here and you can not visit the Douro valley without experiencing the wines that are made here.
Travelling in the Douro Valley provides you with a number of options. While driving gives you the greatest flexibility, especially in terms of winery visits, it is not perhaps the best option for some. Many of the roads are winding and narrow with some steep ascents and descents. For the driver this means missing much of the scenery along the way as driving requires a good deal of concentration. It is possible to take a day river cruise from Porto and see the valley from the relative comfort of a riverboat however this option doesn’t really give you any time to actually explore much of the region. indeed river cruises are very popular and it is possible to spend several days making the journey up and down river. These are perhaps not the cheapest way to see the area and of course not really suitable for those with only a couple of days to spare.
If you do have a couple of days available perhaps the best option is a combination of train and a short half day river cruise. The Linha do Douro runs from the city of Porto to the town of Pocinho close to the border with Spain and the complete journey takes just short of three and a half hours. There its not much to see in Pocinho so a better option is to leave the train at the small town of Pinhao, a journey of two and a quarter hours, which is really at the heart of grape growing in the region.
Trains leave Porto Campanha every two hors or so. The first half of the journey is unremarkable, travelling through residential/industrial areas and farm land. After the town of Peso da Régua the line follows the river and for the next ninety minutes you are treated to what must be the best, and most scenic, rail journey in Portugal. Make sure you sit on the right hand side of the train for the best views.
The railway station at Pinhao is notable for the 24 blue tiled panels on its walls. Dating back to 1937 and depicting life in the Duoro valley they make this one of the prettiest railway stations that you are likely to visit.
Pinhao is a small town which is centred firmly around grape growing and is an ideal base for exploring the region. There are a number of opportunities for tasting port within walking distance and taxis are available at the railway station if you want to venture further afield. It is worth remembering that Pinhao is only small and it does not have a large number of hotels so it is best to book accommodation before arriving, especially in the summer months.
From Pinhao it is possible to take a river cruise further up river.
There are a number of options but we chose the cruise up to the town of Tua, the round trip takes about two hours and gives probably covers the most scenic part of the valley.
It is a nice contrast to the views from the train as you can appreciate the steepness of the valley and get a better understanding of the importance of the river to the local inhabitants. The boat turns around by the famous Grahams wine estate, Quinta dos Malvedos.
It can be very hot in the Douro in high summer and while the boat does offer some shade it is best to have plenty of sun lotion water and a hat to hand so that you can enjoy the cruise.