North and Douro Valley
An enchanted place with breathtaking natural beauty!
The beautiful riverside setting overlooked by vast vineyards carved in terraces on the slopes, so characteristic of North and Douro Valley, allows you to contemplate one of the most picturesque and scenic views in Europe!
North and Douro Valley is a perfect choice for adventurous spirits! Discover fields and vineyards painted with an intense green, lush river valleys and a heritage older than the country itself! On this region of Portugal, the beautiful landscape allies itself with the contagious joy of the festivities, as well as with the singular hospitality of its people and delicious food and wines! Moreover, Northern Portugal bursts with traces of Celtic, Roman, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque period, as well as award-winning contemporary architecture
Discover North and Douro Valley
Northern Portugal is known for beautiful landscapes and great wines but there’s something more: regional cuisine is one of the best in the country!
Minho region is a lush green scenery, due to the particularly rainy weather and mild temperatures. Especially here, is produced the famous and unique Vinho Verde! At the same time, Monção and Melgaço are the birthplace of Alvarinho grape. Vinho Verde is internationally recognized due to its delicacy and complexity and it is, indeed, an exquisite pairing for seafood and fish!
When it comes to wine, Douro Valley doesn’t need much of an introduction. After all, it is the oldest demarcated wine region in the world, particularly famous for the distinctive Port wine, as well as other world-awarded premium wines!
Even though Portugal is one of the countries with best gastronomy, it still remains unknown to most food lovers. Still nowadays, in rural Douro Valley, some families raise their own cattle, grow vegetables and bake their own bread. Therefore, this region’s cuisine is less about presentation and much more about taste: rustic, authentic and tasteful! Hearty comfort dishes, mainly meat and game based, with river fishes also as a part of the menu.
A wine lovers paradise, it is delightful to taste the different types of Port or to enjoy the full body still wines. In Douro region also abounds delicacies such as nuts, cherries, wild mushrooms and regional products as olive oil, honey, sausages and traditional enchidos.
Discover the beauty and diversity of culture and heritage recognized worldwide by UNESCO
Guimarães historic center is one of the most well-preserved in Portugal, being recognized as UNESCO site since 2001. Considered the cradle of Portugal, Guimarães holds a special place on the Portuguese hearts – afterwards, it was here where the first King of Portugal, Afonso Henriques, grew up. You can find the medieval heritage in the characteristic balconies, royal palaces, and arches connecting the narrow streets!
Called the Portuguese Rome, Braga got its nickname due to its imposing sanctuary, impressive number of churches and chapels! Explore this elegant town, with gorgeous ancient streets and pleasant squares, and get dazzled by the majesty of Bom Jesus, a holy shrine nested on the top of a hill. With fantastic views towards Braga landscape, it is Unesco World Heritage Site since 2019.
Full of color and traditions, Viana do Castelo is set between the Atlantic Ocean and Lima river. Colorful costumes and folk spirit perpetuate the regional roots, as well as the traditional embroidery and filigree jewels. On the top of the hill, you find a must-go place: the Basilica of Saint Luzia, inspired by the Sacré Coeur Cathedral in Paris.
In Douro Valley, everything is surrounded by stories and history! Pinhão, a beautiful village by the river, is the heart of Alto Douro Vinhateiro and home for some of Douro’s most well-known quintas.
On the Northeast Portugal, Côa River Valley is worlwide known due to the ancient rock art scattered along its schist outcrops. As an immense open-air gallery, the Côa Valley features more than a thousand rock art outcrops, some with more than 25,000 years!
One of the best Portuguese destinations for nature lovers
The National Park of Peneda-Gerês was established in 1971. In effect, soils, water, flora and fauna have been preserved and its rich biodiversity is today one of the features of this protected area.
The exuberant vegetation, covering the mountains includes a holly bush wood – unique at a national level – and endemic species, such as the Gerês lily, whose blue-violet colours the fields. The rugged land is crossed by flowing rivers and streams, likewise many waterfalls. The landscapes are unquestionably stunning!
It is common to come across the small wild Garrano horses, as well as Barrosã cattle or Castro Laboreiro dogs, which look after the flocks of goats and sheep.
Douro Valley could easily be called the enchanted valley, such is the beauty and magic of its landscape! Boundaries determined for the Douro Valley’s vineyards in 1756, made this the oldest demarcated Wine Region in the world. Grape harvest and wine production goes back 2,000 years, which led to the vineyards recognition as UNESCO World Heritage Site. Terraced vineyards climbing up and down the rolling hillsides of Douro river make this region a stunning landscape!
Available Tours in North and Douro Valley
Lush mountains, meandering rivers, and hilltop villages await you in Northern Portugal’s countryside! With outstanding landscapes, world-class wines, and great food, this side of Portugal is sure to win you over!
