WalkingWomen Wine Walks – the Douro Valley

SUMMARY

Dates: Saturday April 22nd – Saturday April 29th.

Arrive in Porto on Saturday 22nd afternoon for group airport transfer to hotel. We recommend arriving around 2pm.  Departure after breakfast from Porto on Saturday 29th April. We recommend getting flights from 12 noon. 

It is a long but beautiful train journey form the UK for those with time.

Otherwise return flights to Porto are reasonable at the moment.

Guide: Local Portuguese Guide – English speaking

Walking Grade : 1 Goat as minimal ascent and no walks over 5 hours although on 1 day there is a steeper gradual descent of 701m.

Base: Porto at the Hotel Douro and Regua at the Hotel Regua D’Ouro

Travel between places is by train and boat

Price: £1366 per person fully inclusive of:

• 7 nights ensuite hotel accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis in single ensuite rooms
• 7 dinners at local restaurants with water and wine
• All local transport as outlines and boat from Regua to Porto
• Guided walks by English speaking guide
• Wine tasting
• Return group airport transfer to and from Porto Airport where your holiday begins and ends.

Not included:

• Return travel to Porto
• Lunches and any other drinks

If you bring a women friend or partner we reduce the price to £1,000 per person if you are sharing a room.

If you would like to extend your time in Portugal let us know and we can help.

DETAILS

One of the world’s oldest demarcated wine regions (since 1756), the Douro Valley showcases steeply terraced vineyards carved into mountains, granite bluffs, whitewashed estates, and 18th-century wine cellars. Come for the ports and wines, winding scenic roads, postcard-pretty villages, and excellent regional restaurants!

Highlights
The ports and wines and the excellent regional restaurants
The dramatic landscape of the Douro Valley – a by-product of over 2000 years of winemaking, and a World Heritage Site
The boat tour on the River Douro
The winding scenic roads and the postcard-pretty villages
The city of Porto, cool and cosmopolitan, yet full of history and a World Heritage Site
The train ride through the Douro Valley landscapes
The historical towns

This two-centre holiday offers easy walking while travels up the Douro Valley, allowing us to explore its furthest regions towards the Spanish frontier.

Those who have seen the Douro Valley in travelogues will know how beautiful and unspoiled the central and upper reaches are, with deep valleys and plateaus interspersed with ancient villages and castles that bear witness to struggles over the centuries.

We fly into Porto, known as the ‘Capital of the Douro’, where we stay for our first two nights. Situated on the Douro River, is the second-largest city in Portugal and now a World Heritage Site.
Our next center is in Régua. Our journey takes us on one of the world’s most spectacular railway lines, as we follow the great Douro River from its estuary, through the vineyards, and into the upper reaches of Portugal, where the river forms the border with Spain.
In Régua we will visit the town and the surrounding vineyards, including tasting excellent Port wines and other wines of the region, and Lamego, a magnificent old town, rich in history and culture and full of charm.

Finally, we return to Porto by boat through breathtaking landscapes, as we go down the great Douro River, through the lush green terraced vineyards, a World Heritage Site.

ITINERARY

Itinerary – this can vary depending on the weather and at the guides discretion. The guide will discuss walks with you each evening.

If routes change then hotels may need to change but we keep you informed.

Day 1 – Arrival in Porto
Arrive at Porto airport.
Group transfer by road from Porto airport to our hotel by either bus or taxi. Orientation walk time permitting.

Day 2 – Visit Porto  walk 4 hours. 3.2 miles. 265m ascent.295m descent.
Visit Porto to explore the town which is the ‘capital of the north and Portugal’s second city.
Our walk takes in some of Porto´s most iconic monuments and places such as the Cathedral, the Stock Exchange, S. Bento Station, the Praça da Ribeira, and the Port Lodges.
We see some magnificent views from the top of D. Luis I Bridge and the viewpoint of the Serra do Pilar.

Day 3 – Porto to Régua walk 3 hours. 2.2 miles. Minimal ascent/descent
We leave Porto to take the fabulous 2 hour  train journey along the River Douro valley which is also a World Heritage Site in its entirety.
Régua is the center of the Douro valley, famous of course for its wines, not just the famous port wine but also many very fine table wines.
Our walks over the next few days will go through this fantastic landscape of steeply sloping and terraced vineyards and olive groves.
Today we’ll taste some fine port wines.

Day 4 – Fontelo Walk – walk 5 hours.5.7 miles.Ascent 300m.Descent 701m
This varied walk explores the Fontelo region, a patchwork of fields, smallholdings, and woodland.
En route, we will have the opportunity to visit a family-owned winery to taste some fine wines and learn a bit more about winemaking.

Day 5 – Free Day
Day off with an optional excursion to Mateus Palace with lunch in & Vila Real (not included in the price). The Mateus Palace is a Solar built in the eighteenth century, one of the finest representatives of the Baroque in Portugal. The palace consists of the main house, the gardens, a winery, and a chapel.

Day 6 – Lamego Day walk 3.5 hours.2.9 miles.Minimal ascent/descent.
Today we will visit this old town that can trace its history back to before Roman times and has been at the center of Portuguese history since the implementation of the fledgling kingdom.
The town’s impressive cathedral is almost 900 years old. The sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios dominates the town. The stunning staircase of 686 steps leads up to the sanctuary from the wide, shady avenue that bisects the town.
We will spend our day here discovering this town’s many delights.

Day 7 – Régua to Porto – boat trip (included in the price of your holiday)
From Régua we take a boat back to Porto giving us the opportunity to admire and enjoy once again the fabulous scenery from a magical perspective.

Time to wander in Porto

Day 8 – Departure after breakfast 
Group transfer from hotel to Porto airport by bus or taxi.