6 Reasons Why Portugal's Douro Valley Should Be on Your Bucketlist

An unforgettable road trip or train journey through Portugal awaits you in the mesmerizing Douro Valley, located just 100 kilometres (62 miles) west of the city of Porto. Sought out by curious travelers looking for an up-close-and-personal introduction to Portuguese viniculture, visitors get more than insight to port wine production-find out why the Douro Valley is one of the places in Portugal that locals are most proud of and make sure to add it to your travel bucket list.

The world’s oldest demarcated wine region

Boundaries were determined for the Douro Valley’s vineyards in 1756, making it the oldest demarcated wine region in the world. Grape harvest and wine production goes back 2,000 years, however, and the support of the people led to the vineyards’ recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The terraced fields on either side of the Douro River are breathtaking and unique to the region. 

Experience Port wine production and help in the harvest

Port wine is the Douro Valley’s cultural treasure and has been attracting international wine aficionados since the 18th century. Participating in the harvest and production, towards the middle to the end of September is a unique way to appreciate this delicious, sweet drink even more.

You can stay at a hotel or villa  

Wine-loving travelers can stay at rustic villas and hotels, surrounded by vineyards and the breath-taking rolling landscape. Country homes, many more than 100 years old, have been converted into bed & breakfast-style lodging, so guests can spend peaceful days exploring the region and nights indulging in the wine and learning about the culture from friendly locals.

The breathtaking views

Terraced vineyards climbing up and down the rolling hillsides on each side of the curvy river are responsible for the region’s unique landscape. Portugal is a country brimming with natural beauty but the Douro Valley is considered one of the country’s ‘crowned jewels’. A couple of the best viewpoints to see the green hilltops and the Douro River are in Ventozelo (near the Portugal-Spanish border) and the Miradouro São Leonardo da Galafura, located between Peso da Régua and Pinhão.

The local cuisine

Don’t visit the Douro Valley on a diet—another reason to make your way to this part of northern Portugal is the local cuisine, and it’s anything but light. Follow locals to the neighborhood tascas where meats, fish and stews fill the menus. Some favorite dishes include grilled bacalhau (salt cod), roasted suckling pig and octopus salad. Even if you’re not hungry, ordering a cheese and charcuterie platter to accompany a glass of the local wine is always a good idea.

Extraordinary museums to learn about the region’s history

Learn about the local culture, cuisine and wine while museum-hopping, or learn about everything in one place at the Douro Museum in Peso da Régua.

Comments

  1. Rui PedroJanuary 29, 2021 at 4:32 PM

    Great list! Very solid solutions.
    "Museu do Douro", looks like a good choice to visit in a Sunday afternoon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rabelo WinesJanuary 30, 2021 at 5:34 PM

      Hi Rui, thank you for your feedback! It's a really interesting place full of history.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Guaranteed Authenticity: Wine Blockchain

Image
The Port Wine is a wine Industry living since Portugal's Modern Age. Many companies have already been formed ever since that date, however none of them ever created a technology good enough to distinguish each wine belongs to whom, in other words, we could say that although between two wine bottles both had different labels both could had the same flavour, the same taste. This means that wines can also be falsified. So here we present you with the new wine authenticity method: Wine BlockChain. As many know, blockchain is a system of recording information in a way that makes it difficult or impossible to change, hack or even cheat the system, its more or less like a hash code for a certain file.  Wine Blockchain The Wine Bockchain has been developed by a business company named EY. According to this company 20% of the wines in the market are falsified therefore there was a certain need to develop this new type of blockchain.  This tech offers the client the possibility to use a QR co
Read more

Best things to do on New Year's Eve in Porto (if we weren't on a pandemy)

Image
If you are coming to Porto for the New Year's Eve celebration you have made an excellent choice. Not only Porto is one of the liveliest towns in Portugal in the last night of the year, but also because you can take your time to get to know the city better, a city full of history, culture and heritage. Of course, this situation can't be applied to the current year since we are in the middle of a terrible pandemy caused by Covid-19 virus (SARS-Cov-2). We hope that next year will be better so we can enjoy this beautiful place with friends and family. Now, let's check some of the best activities to do in this special night. Enjoy the Christmas Lights  Christmas and the New Year's Eve in Porto are two major events for all people in Porto, and experienced with great intensity and joy by all of those who visit the city this time of the year. As always, Porto has lit up the city with light and illuminated Christmas Trees.      Warm up with wine and chocolate at the Port Wine Ce
Read more

Some of the best restaurants in Porto and Douro Region

Image
It is impossible to visit the city of Porto and the Douro region without visiting the restaurants that we will present. Below is a list with the best selection of restaurants that you cannot miss on a visit to the Porto and Douro region. Brasão Cervejaria Coliseu Brasão Cervejaria Coliseu, is a good option because you could not miss a francesinha option in this list of the best restaurants in Porto. On the other hand, the Brasão is particularly strong in snacks, such as truffle and mushroom patties, alheira, moelinhas and fried onions. This restaurant has no menus of the day. On average, each person has lunch for 20€, which is fair, considering  their fair reputation and location. In addition to the carefully prepared dishes (based on francesinhas and beautiful steaks), at Brasão Coliseu you will be received in an attentive and careful manner, in an intimate space. Located in Rua de Passos Manuel, Porto. The Wine House Restaurante - Quinta da Pacheca Elected in 2015 as Best Wine Tour
Read more