On the Road – 7 days in Northern Portugal

You wouldn’t believe how much there is to see and do in the region north of Porto.  It mightn’t look much on the map but its quite a whirlwind to fit everything into a week.   However,  with 7 days,  you can do more than sample wine and admire the Douro!

Our wish list:

The Douro

The mountains

Some medieval towns

   Vale do Coa archaeological site

 

 

Start / Finish:  Porto Airport.

The Route:   We traveled anticlockwise from Porto – a rough circle with some detours and add-ons.   While we had prebooked accommodation,  our plans had to be tweaked several times – e.g. unsettled weather meant rescheduling vineyard and river trips while the archaeological site was not available at the time we had originally planned on visiting.   I’d shirked on my prep in spots and some mountain routes didn’t actually exist (but I know I saw a line on the map!!) while hoteliers and tourist office staff suggested detours and landmarks we would have missed on our travels.

So -as for all trips of course – allowing for flexibility eases pressure and adds to the overall pleasure of the trip.

 

Summary and Highlights

Day 1

Late arrival into Porto airport

Overnight Amarante

DSC_5851

Amarante

 

Day 2

Amarante

IMG_20190616_103946306

 

Mateus Estate, Vila Real

DSC_5949

Palácio de Mateus

Overnight Peso da Régua

 

Day 3

Lamego

DSC_6075

Lamego

Mosteiro de Sao Joao de Tarouca

DSC_6210.JPG

 

Pass through mountain villages

DSC_6237.JPG

 

Drive along by river

DSC_6644

 

Pinhao

20190617_190856

Overnight Pinhao

 

Day 4

Parque Arqueologico do Vale do Coa

DSC_6358

Parque Arqueológico do Vale do Cóa

Douro river Trip

IMG_20190618_171224382_HDR

 

IMG_20190619_103626378_HDR

Douro Valley – 10 Things to Observe in the Landscape

Wine tasting

20190618_182824

Overnight Pinhao

 

Day 5

Vineyard tour

DSC_6599

 

Parque natural do Alvao

DSC_6711

Parque Natural do Alvao

Chaves

DSC_6803

Chaves

Overnight Chaves

 

Day 6

Montalegre

DSC_6902

 

Pitoes das Júnias

DSC_6932

Pitoes das Júnias

The countryside is dotted with canastros or old granaries

DSC_7037

 

Across the mountains towards Geres

DSC_7055

 

Geres

20190620_183955.jpg

Overnight Geres

 

Day 7

Geres

DSC_7111.JPG

 

Change in the landscape

DSC_7131

 

Rush hour!

DSC_7154

 

Ponte da Barca

DSC_7213.JPG

 

Ponte de Lima

DSC_7240

Ponte de Lima

Braga

IMG_20190622_100808808

Braga

Overnight Braga

 

Day 8

Braga

DSC_7343 (1).JPG

Back to Porto

 

If I ever go back…

Parque Nacional da Peneda-Geres

The city of Guimaraes

Explore south of Porto

 

Options

Less time?

Concentrate on the Douro Valley and leave the border region for another time.

10 Days?

Spend a few days exploring and walking in Parque Nacional da Peneda-Geres

or

Enjoy a few days in Porto.

2 Weeks?

Add 3 nights in Porto and 4 nights at a coastal resort

 

Car Hire and Driving

There has been a lot of bad press about car rental companies in Porto airport,  including the more ‘reputable’ established businesses.   Make sure to examine the car thoroughly for scrapes and scratches and photograph everything you find.   You’ll probably be given a list of existing damage so if you notice anything extra tell the staff before you leave.   We dealt with Europcar and had no problems.

Local drivers tend to pull up very close behind you but otherwise driving was fine.   Fuel is relatively expensive.

 

Accommodation

We found accommodation to be very reasonable (2nd half of June).   Some of the towns along the river will be busy in high season so book rooms there as soon as possible.   Hotels/ hostels etc. in town centres might not have parking facilities so check before paying anything.   It is lovely to stay in a quinta (wine estate) for a night or two but they are more expensive and if you are out and about all day you won’t get value for your money.   We stayed in a very nice quinta near Pinhao for 2 nights but didn’t dine there,  or do a wine-tasting there and as we had bad weather at the time,  we couldn’t enjoy the pool and grounds.

Most places will have someone who speaks English

Just to note (because I heard it discussed while we were there) – in some of the older hotels the shower is in the bath so keep that in mind if you are mobility-challenged.

Where we stayed:

Amarante –  Des Arts Hostel and Suites

The Positives: Good value with breakfast included (€62) / no problem with late arrival / great location close to the bridge / big communal kitchen and sitting room / nicely decorated.

The Niggly Bits: Can be a bit difficult to find by car / parking is on street so you will have to pay if staying a while.

Have a look at their website

 

Peso da Régua- Hotel Columbano

The Positives: €59 / good breakfast / free access to lido next door / Lidl close by for drinks and snacks / plenty of free parking.

The Niggly Bits:  About a 20 minute walk into town.

Have a look at their website

 

Pinhao – Hotel Rural da Quinta do Silval

The Positives: Beautiful setting / offers the full ‘quinta’ experience (wine tasting,  dinner,  etc) / pool / good breakfast / free parking.

The Niggly Bits: 8km out of town / a bit expensive (€105) if just using it to sleep! 

Have a look at their website

 

Chaves – Forte De Sao Francisco Hotel

The Positives: Fabulous setting within the walls of the fort / great value (€63) / right beside the town centre / lovely pool area /  good breakfast / plenty of free parking space.

The Niggly Bits: Can’t think of any!

Have a look at their website

 

Geres – Moderna do Geres Hotel

The Positives: Good value(€50) / close to town centre / nice breakfast / free parking

The Niggly Bits:  It is situated on a narrow winding one-way road – if you miss the car park just pray there’s no one coming up behind as you reverse!!

Have a look at their website

 

Braga – Hotel Dona Sofia

The Positives: Good value (69) / free parking available / fantastic location

The Niggly Bits: Could do with more parking spaces.

Have a look at their website

 

Food and Drink

Food and drink is generally of very good quality and reasonably priced.   You will have to queue for popular restaurants.   Most tourist venues will have someone who speaks English.   Off the beaten track might be more of a challenge.   For us,  this tended to happen at lunchtime where we might be in a remote location en route to our next destination.   However,  everyone recognised ‘omelette’ so we didn’t go hungry.   On a few mornings,  we were able to stock up on picnic lunch items in supermarkets which was a nice option – especially in the mountains.

Best Lunchtime Award!

Codfish gratin at the cafe across the road from Mateus Palace – Yum!

DSC_6034

 

Best Dinner Award!

A shared veal platter at Lurdes Capela in Geres – well worth the 40 minute queue!

20190620_210434

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

5 thoughts on “On the Road – 7 days in Northern Portugal

Leave a Reply