Portugal’s majestic Douro-Porto Valley and its vineyard

Douro valley Portugal is located 300 km north of Lisbon, which cuts across northern Portugal from the Spanish border to the Atlantic Ocean. The valley consists of stunning terraced vineyards that were designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in December 2001. The Alto Douro is the world’s oldest formally demarcated wine region. Prize-winning winery Quinta Nova da Nossa Senhora do Carmo, has one of dozens of local Quintas (estates) where you can dine or stay in charming and authentic surroundings.

Porto is the most visited site in northern Portugal, the country’s second-largest city. It is known for its art and fashion scenes. Porto’s main fame is as a hub for the port wine industry. To fully experience the Douro Valley, head upstream to the Alto Douro wine region. The grapes of the port are grown in these upper reaches of the river valley. Terraces of hills unfold along the river, lined with valley floor and carved out from the slaty soil. Strong and sweet, port wine is the cultural treasure of the Douro Valley and has been attracting international wine lovers since the 18th century. Participating in the harvest and production towards the middle to the end of September is a unique way to appreciate this intensely flavorsome drink. See the Douro wine region Portugal map.

Geology of the area

Douro Valley has a wide presence of metasedimentary rocks of the Graywacke schist complex of Douro Group. The metasedimentary rocks are of the Ordovician age. The Douro Group is constituted of very ancient sedimentary rocks (with more than 500 million years), that had got metamorphism and deformation phenomena, and turned into metasedimentary rocks.

The fact that the metamorphism and deposit have been less intense has permitted the geologists to obtain information about the sedimentation history. So it is possible to attribute to the formation of the Douro Group a marine deposit, in waters comparatively deep and of turbidity facies, probably corresponding to an area of the continental slope. Douro river is the third-longest river in the Iberian Peninsula after the Tagus and Ebro. Its total length is 897 kilometers,  of which only the Portuguese section, being below a rapids line, are naturally navigable, by modest rivercraft.

Douro valley tour

One of Portugal’s most famous Douro River Valley consists of the winding, terraced region that produces the country’s beloved port wine. Douro valley of Portugal is just like Germany’s romantic Rhine River Valley. Visitors encounter Farms, Vineyard, and sleepy villages in this place. The Douro region, where the port is produced, stretches along the Douro river, about 60 miles inland from the city of Porto. Geo-tourist can enjoy steep, twisting valleys and tidy terraces as far as the eye can see. The hillside can shift in color, from dusty brown in winter, to scrubby green in summer. Generation after generation, farmers gradually turned these hillsides into vast terraces expertly crafted to let grape vines draw.

Activities in Douro river Valley

A popular way to holiday in the Douro river is Douro valley cruises, a lovely way to see the river. The trip up to these beautiful terraced vineyards where the port grapes grow. An unforgettable hiking and road trip is also the best experience in the Douro Valley.  visitors can find some of the most scenic hiking trails in Portugal in the Douro Valley. From gentle terraces through the patchwork of vineyards, olive groves, idyllic villages, and climbs up to panoramic viewpoints such as Casal de Loivos, Sao Leonardo de Galafura or Sao Salvador do Mundo is the awesome activity in the Douro Valley. Travelers come here to see Portuguese viniculture. There’s no better experience than to discover the picturesque scenery of the Douro valley walking tours.

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How to reach Douro valley

The best way to fully experience the Douro Valley is to visit several Quintas. Quinta of Douro valley offers a tour, followed by a tasting of several wines. A slow but scenic way to visit the region is the Douro valley boat tour. Take a boat from Porto to the heart of the Douro, a seven-hour trip. There are also trains that run between Porto and the two main towns in the region: Peso da Regua and Pinhao. The Yeatman, Porto, The Vintage House, Pinhao, Douro Valley, and Six Senses Douro Valley is the best places to stay in Douro valley.