Few parts of Portugal are as enticing as the Alto (Upper) Douro, a timeless place that’s largely synonymous with the much sought-after port wine produced there for centuries.
One of the oldest wine-making regions in the world, the Região Demarcada do Douro (as it is officially known) is a demarcated area stretching 100 kilometres (62 miles) from a point midway along the enchanting Douro Valley right the way east to the Spanish border.
Protected from the harsh Atlantic winds by the Montemuro and Marão mountains, the River Douro (and its main tributaries) forms the backbone of a spectacular part of northern Portugal referred to affectionately as Port Wine Country, which can be traversed by car, train or cruise-boat.
Throughout the centuries, row upon row of terraces have been built according to different techniques and the Douro’s steep banks and fast currents recall other majestic European rivers like the Rhine, Seine and the Danube, an effect heightened by the ubiquitous vines that accompany it much of the way through northern Portugal.
By the 17th century, the English had already cultivated a strong preference for port wine and trade agreements between Portugal and the UK brought about the development of many of the Alto Douro vineyards, the names of which (such as Taylor’s, Sandeman, Cockburn’s and Graham’s, to name a few) are still very much in evidence today.
The large barrels of port slowly maturing in the old lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia opposite the magnificent city of Porto begin their life on these famous wine quintas of the Upper Douro, many of which welcome the passing visitor looking to taste and purchase the wonderful Douro wines and perhaps spend a night or two on the estate.
Where to go in Northern Portugal
Visitors passing through this varied landscape can follow ancient routes marked at intervals by old stone villages before enjoying a leisurely stopover in charmingly rustic towns that remain refreshingly void of many of the 21st-century tourist trappings.
Nature has been very generous here; the soil is fertile and the vines are well watered with a sufficient amount of rainfall throughout the year. This is the true face of inland Portugal where the tradition and cordiality of the country-folk tending their vines offers travellers a welcome taste of the country’s glorious past.
Peso da Régua and Pinhão (indicated on the Google map below) are the main centres of port wine production, both lovely riverside towns worth visiting at any time of the year. They are the focus points of the place they call Port Wine Country – a vast land of mountain vistas, head-spinning panoramas and large swathes of whispering woods awash with centuries-old trees.
In 2001, UNESCO classified the Alto Douro as a World Heritage Site, stating that ‘the long tradition (of wine-making) has produced a cultural landscape of outstanding beauty…a visually dramatic landscape still profitably farmed in traditional ways by traditional landholders’.
A convenient gateway for modern-day visitors is the great city of Porto, the point where the majestic River Douro spills into the Atlantic after its 917-kilometre (570-mile) journey from the Picos de Urbión region of northern Spain.
With castles, palaces and archaeological sites galore, a tour of the Alto Douro is a wonderful experience for people with time on their hands, and some of Portugal’s greatest festivals take place in towns and villages across the region amidst much merry-making, stick-dancing, bell-ringing and grape harvesting, particularly in the autumn.
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