Magnificent Douro Valley

The Douro is a land of experiences. For its breath taking scenery sculpted by the vineyards, for its people, for its heritage and for its genuine uniqueness.

For centuries, Portugal’s Douro Valley, the world’s first officially designated wine region, has drawn people for not only its port but also for the postcard-pretty landscapes—steep terraced vineyards carved into mountains along the Douro River and whitewashed quintas (wine estates) a top granite bluffs. While the traditional way of touring the Douro has been on day trips from Porto, there are several ways to experience the valley. This is a land of traditions, a place of enchantment and mysticism, a great stretch of land where nature reigns in perfect harmony with the inhabitants that have shaped the valley slopes and organised the land into vineyards. Winding roads, that pattern the landscape can access each of these vineyards.

There has been evidence of wine production for more than two thousand years in the region and wine production in the region was organised and became internationally recognised. It was the first region in the world to be demarcated and it is a land where traditions and modernity go hand-in-hand. This combination is still evident today in the traditional harvest that is still done by hand and the squashing of the grapes by foot and the most modern processes that accompany these traditions.