Douro Valley
UNESCO World Heritage Site: Alto Douro Wine Region (2001); Demarcated In 1756, One Of The Oldest Regulated Wine Regions In The World, The Home Of Port · Pinhao, Vila Real
The Douro Valley is the wine country east of Porto, where the river cuts a deep, winding gorge through schist hills and generations of hands have built the slopes into stone-walled terraces of vines. It is the home of port: the Alto Douro was demarcated in 1756 under the Marquis of Pombal, one of the oldest regulated wine regions in the world, and it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. People come to drive the N222 between Peso da Regua and Pinhao, often described as one of the most beautiful roads in the world, to ride the Linha do Douro train along the river, to taste port and the region's red and white table wines at the quintas, to stand at the Sao Leonardo de Galafura and Casal de Loivos viewpoints, and to join the harvest in September. The honest caveats: it is about two hours from Porto and far too big for a rushed day trip, many quintas see visitors by appointment only, July and August can pass 40 degrees C, and the winding roads and tastings make drinking and driving a real temptation - hire a driver or join a tour.
Pinhao, on the Douro between Peso da Regua and Tua - the heart of the Alto Douro wine region, about 2 hours east of Porto, Pinhao, Vila Real, Portugal
A landscape open all year, with the viewpoints and the riverside roads free at any hour. Quintas usually receive visitors roughly 10:00-18:00, often with a lunch break and reduced hours on Sundays and in winter; many small estates open by appointment only - book ahead. The Douro Museum in Regua keeps museum hours and may close on some days - confirm. CP trains on the Linha do Douro leave Porto Sao Bento and Campanha for Regua (about 2 hours), Pinhao (about 2.5 hours) and Pocinho (about 3.5 hours); boats run mainly April-October.