Day 4 - Cruise to Peso da Régua
Today we travel by coach into Portugal to Barca d'Alva. Here we
board a cruise boat for a journey through the magnificent Douro
Valley, one of the highlights of the vacation. Our cruise on the
'Golden River' takes us through the heart of the Port-producing
region of Portugal. Here, terraced hillsides surround the
riverbanks, with vineyards plunging from the hilltops to the very
edge of the Douro River.
We pass splendid, isolated Port 'quintas' - wine growing estates
that produce the region's high-quality fortified wines. As we enjoy
lunch on board we pass quietly through the undulating landscape of
sleepy towns and villages which appear on the riverbank. We glide
past delightful almond orchards and through dramatic gorges,
eventually arriving in Peso da Régua, the official center of Port
production in Portugal. The town lies in a peaceful spot beneath
the Serra do Maoro Mountains and was traditionally the place where
barrels of Port were loaded onto wooden cargo ships to be
transported along the Douro to Vila Nova de Gaia. On arrival in
Peso da Régua we transfer to our hotel for two nights, the Hotel
Régua Douro.
Includes
