Road tripping across Portugal, there are an array of places to explore along the way including the central city of Lisbon (city of five hills)/
Lisbon has recently become one of Europe’s most popular destinations along with Porto and the Douro Valley.
We explored Lisbon and the colourful castle town of Sintra in a vintage open-air car complete with a local guide, learning about the history of the area and taking in the mountainous views along the way.
Heading North from Lisbon to Porto, in just under three hours we arrived in the picturesque port town, renowned for its port (of course). Porto a walkable city, known for it’s stately bridges and medieval Riberia, riverside district.
The narrow cobblestone streets are home to a plethora of wine merchants, butchers, artisan shops and tapas bars. We stayed in the heart of the city, at the newly appointed hotel Vincci Bonjardim close to popular attractions like Clerigos Tower and Palacia da Bolsa.
A brisk walk down the hill we cross the Douro River on the charming Ponte Luis Bridge, a striking double deck metal arch that spans across the river. Connecting the city of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, we explore the original wineries and port distilleries on the other side.
We visited the iconic Caves Calem, said to be one of the city’s oldest port wine producers, and meet the makers that are passionate about the history of port. The surrounding avenues have been gentrified to suit, with an array of pop-up tapas bars and wine cellars that showcase the regions rich agriculture, and dreamy views across the river.
A couple of days well spent in Porto, we took the winding road to the Douro Valley, along the Douro River. In just under an hour we reached the Douro, a UNESCO site that is home to the oldest terraced grown wine in the land.
There is one road in, self-drive, take an original train ride or book an immersive river cruise, taking in the towns of Peso da Regua and Pinhão along the way.
Peso da Régua or Régua as the locals call it, is a thriving tourist town with an old-world heart. Rich in port history it’s home to some of the countries most lauded Quinta’s (wineries), such as Sandeman and Quinta da Pacheca, to name a few.
At Quinta da Pacheca you can sleep in large wine barrels and take in the sublime vineyard surrounds, up the road is the luxurious brand Six Senses Hotel and Spa, with stunning views across the terraces to the river beyond- it’s the perfect place to long lunch, sampling a chefs table and selected wines from across the Douro.
We chose to stay in an authentic family run Quinta up the road, waking up to sublime valley views and a home cooked breakfast, amongst the vines. A downhill walk into town we cross the Ponte Pedonal Metalica bridge to the other side to capture the cascading cliffs that frame the river.
Further into the valley, is the charming ‘old town’ of Pinháo, where we take an original Ravelo boat down the river, and capture the ancient ruins and natural landscape along the way.
The Douro Valley and River surrounds are naturally beautiful, as a UNESCO site, the locals are committed to preserving the pristine region into the future.
