Classic Road Trip - The Guardian
Wine and vineyards, Douro Valley, northern Portugal
367 miles
One week
Start in Porto (1) with a visit to the port wine lodges (the first of many tastings this week), hang out at the waterfront cafes of the Ribeira district and take a vintage tram to the beach at Foz do Douro.
Drive 22 miles east to Penafiel (2) to sample vinho verde at Quinta da Aveleda (aveledaportugal.com).
Continue to beautiful Amarante (3), set in a dramatic gorge with an 18th-century bridge over the Tâmega. Eat at Largo do Paço (casadacalcada.com), a Michelin-starred restaurant serving inventive tasting menus with matching wine.
Next head east. Peso da Régua (4)isn't the prettiest place you'll stop, but it's well worth a visit for the Museu do Douro for the history of the area, and its Solar do Vinho do Porto (for a history of the wine).
Take a detour to the Casa de Mateus, a baroque mansion that is home to the famous rosé wine of the same name. It has beautiful gardens and hosts concerts in the summer. A mile or so up the road is Vila Real (5), where you can stop overnight, and visit the Parque Natural do Alvão the following day.
Back in the Douro valley, there is a great viewpoint at Galafura, en route to the little town of Pinhão (6), the centre of port production. Check out Pinhão's train station, with its tiles depicting the grape harvest, a wine museum and a wine shop. The Vintage House Hotel (doubles from €150) is right on the river, surrounded by vineyards.
Cross to the south side of the river and continue through the Alto Douro region for 37 miles to Vila Nova de Foz Côa (7). At the Côa Valley Archaeological Park you'll find rare open-air Paleolithic rock art, some 22,000 years old. On your way back to the airport, stop to admire the medieval bridge in Ucanha and the monastery in Tarouca. In Lamego (8), climb the 600 steps to the church of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios and try the local raposeira, Portugal's sparkling wine.
from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2013/mar/15/classic-road-trips-spain-and-portugal
Vineyards in the Douro Valley. Photograph: Peter Horree/Alamy
367 miles
One week
Start in Porto (1) with a visit to the port wine lodges (the first of many tastings this week), hang out at the waterfront cafes of the Ribeira district and take a vintage tram to the beach at Foz do Douro.
Drive 22 miles east to Penafiel (2) to sample vinho verde at Quinta da Aveleda (aveledaportugal.com).
Continue to beautiful Amarante (3), set in a dramatic gorge with an 18th-century bridge over the Tâmega. Eat at Largo do Paço (casadacalcada.com), a Michelin-starred restaurant serving inventive tasting menus with matching wine.
Next head east. Peso da Régua (4)isn't the prettiest place you'll stop, but it's well worth a visit for the Museu do Douro for the history of the area, and its Solar do Vinho do Porto (for a history of the wine).
Take a detour to the Casa de Mateus, a baroque mansion that is home to the famous rosé wine of the same name. It has beautiful gardens and hosts concerts in the summer. A mile or so up the road is Vila Real (5), where you can stop overnight, and visit the Parque Natural do Alvão the following day.
Back in the Douro valley, there is a great viewpoint at Galafura, en route to the little town of Pinhão (6), the centre of port production. Check out Pinhão's train station, with its tiles depicting the grape harvest, a wine museum and a wine shop. The Vintage House Hotel (doubles from €150) is right on the river, surrounded by vineyards.
Cross to the south side of the river and continue through the Alto Douro region for 37 miles to Vila Nova de Foz Côa (7). At the Côa Valley Archaeological Park you'll find rare open-air Paleolithic rock art, some 22,000 years old. On your way back to the airport, stop to admire the medieval bridge in Ucanha and the monastery in Tarouca. In Lamego (8), climb the 600 steps to the church of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios and try the local raposeira, Portugal's sparkling wine.
from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2013/mar/15/classic-road-trips-spain-and-portugal
