Discovering Portugal's River of Wine

Our adventure begins in Porto, Portugal's second-largest city and cultural capital of the beguiling North. Scenic Porto sits amid granite cliffs at the mouth of the Douro River and has long been a cosmopolitan trading center. The compact city is rich in architectural heritage from Roman, Gothic, Baroque, Neoclassic and Renaissance eras. This afternoon, we'll meet for an orientation of the week ahead followed by a trip across the river to Vila Nova de Gaia where we enjoy a private cellar tour and tasting at Cockburn’s Port Lodge —the perfect start to a wine-soaked week ahead! We then head over to W. & J. Graham’s 1890 Lodge for a welcome dinner at its acclaimed restaurant, Vinum, with its glass atrium and open-air terrace perched high on the southern bank of the Douro overlooking Porto's medieval landmarks. Featuring the best local ingredients of the Tras-os-Montes region, Northern Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean, dishes are created for pairing with fine Douro Valley wines.

Today we journey by rail 100 miles up the Douro Valley, one of Europe's oldest winemaking areas. UNESCO has recognized the Alto Douro Wine Region as a World Heritage Site, with wine produced here for more than 2,000 years. The Douro Valley, the only place authentic Port wine is made, is the world's first demarcated wine region, established in 1756. This long tradition of viticulture has produced a cultural landscape of outstanding beauty, shaping the social and economic heritage of the region. Paralleling the riverbank on a small local train on the Linha do Douro line, we reach Pocinho, where we disembark and continue to the sleepy village of Felgar and Casa de Santa Cruz, where lunch awaits. This historic farmstead on the main square has been beautifully restored by the owners, Ana and Jorge, who share a passion for this place that feels lost in time. This afternoon, join our Expedition Leader for a walk beyond the village to a viewpoint over the Sabor Reservoir, wandering among almond and olive orchards and learning about life in this bucolic region as we go. Then return to our peaceful inn where a gourmet dinner awaits.

Greet the day with an early-morning walk through the bucolic countryside of Portugal's Upper Douro Valley on an easy three-mile section of the Ecopista do Sabor. This scenic greenway in northern Portugal is built along the abandoned track bed of the historic Linha do Sabor narrow-gauge railway, ensuring a gentle grade and river views. Continue to the historic border town of Miranda do Douro in far northeast Portugal on the edge of Spain. Archaeologists have identified human presence here since the Bronze Age, with varied layers of political and cultural influence over the centuries since. Given the town's isolation from the rest of Portugal, ancestral ways of life persist in traditions and even language, with 10,000-15,000 people in the region speaking Mirandese as their native tongue. Here, we enjoy a spirited performance by the Pauliteiros de Miranda, offering a lively window into the cultural heritage of the Miranda do Douro region. Performed in traditional costumes and accompanied by large drums, it was once known as the “dance of swords,” although practitioners today use wooden sticks.

Next, we visit the Miranda Donkey Conservation Center, dedicated to protecting an endangered breed from this corner of the country that is Portugal's only native donkey. Known as burros in both Portugal and Spain, these donkeys were once known as the “poor man’s motor” in the northeastern Portugal, helping farmers with ploughing and carrying goods. We learn how the center combines breeding, research, veterinary care, and partnerships with local farmers to safeguard the Miranda donkey—and how its conservation is intertwined with traditional agriculture, biodiversity and habitat restoration. After an introduction to the program, we tour the center and meet its charming residents up close, with plenty of time to interact with the friendly, shaggy donkeys. Then return to Casa Santa Cruz for another memorable meal and a final night in the peaceful village of Felgar.

Start the morning with a walk on the little-discovered Calcada de Alpajares trail. The cobbled route through rugged mountains is a section of an ancient 5,000-mile-long Roman road, winding across a spectacular landscape. Our path takes us through a fascinating realm of schist arches and quarzite outcrops, past dramatic panoramas and precipitous drops into steep-walled valleys. It reveals traces of an ancient human presence, evidenced in the cave paintings of Fraga do Gato, which are over 8,000 years old, and the ancient settlement of Castro de São Paulo, dating back to the Bronze Age and with traces of Roman occupation.

Stop in Barca d'Alva for a picnic lunch, then board a private boat for a cruise downriver to stunning Casa do Rio, our luxury base for the next three nights. This intimate guesthouse is surrounded by the vineyards of Quinta do Vallado, one of the premier producers of table wines in the Douro Valley. Set into a steep hillside with panoramic views over the river below, the contemporary inn enjoys complete solitude. Relax on the terrace or refresh with a dip in the infinity pool following a guided afternoon stroll through the vineyards, with a chance to taste some of the estate’s renowned vintages. And if the fine accommodations and glorious setting aren't enough, wait till you taste the gourmet dinner that comes out of the Casa’s tiny kitchen!

We greet the morning with anticipation: It’s time to meet the river at eye level! We first drive to Foz do Sabor, where we get fitted to our kayaks and become comfortable with maneuvering them, with plenty of helpful pointers from our Expedition Leader. Launching from a sandy beach, we find our paddling rhythm, gliding downstream through a scenic stretch of river with steep, rocky banks rising on either side. The river narrows considerably, and it feels a bit like we're paddling through a rock garden as we guide our kayaks between the granite walls. Be sure to look up periodically, as this area is frequented by an array of raptors—we could see the Egyptian vulture and the Griffon vulture, Europe’s largest vulture species. Once we’re through the gorge, the river widens again as we paddle past a tranquil tableau of vineyards interwoven in a tapestry of oak forests and olive orchards.

After a few hours, we reach our takeout point at Freixo de Numao, then make a winding drive into the hills high above the Douro where a special lunch and winery tour are in store at Quinta das Mos, a boutique winery producing outstanding white and red table wines and olive oil. Our hosts, the Cabral family, provide a huge homemade repast along with a warm and gracious welcome. Before we leave, there's a chance to purchase bottles of both wine and olive oil to take home—you won't find it anywhere else! Return to Casa do Rio with time to relax before another sumptuous dinner on the terrace.

Today offers an encounter with the layered history and culture of the Coa Valley, which contains one of the world's most important ancient rock art sites. On a visit to the Coa Valley Archaeological Park, learn from archaeology experts about the extensive Paleolithic drawings near Vila Nova de Foz Coa, discovered in 1991 and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. The park contains some 5,000 engraved drawings of horses, bovines and other animals, and human and abstract figures, dated from 22,000 to 10,000 B.C. and documenting continuous human occupation from the end of the Paleolithic Age. The entire region was slated to be inundated by a dam under construction at the time of discovery, but after intense public pressure, the project was halted to preserve the extraordinary discovery. We’ll see one of the rock art sites up close, a tiny sampler of the most remarkable open-air ensemble of Paleolithic art on the Iberian Peninsula.

Afterward, we’ll head to the Coa Museum for a guided tour and lunch at the stylish museum cafe, followed by an olive oil tasting. Meet a local producer who teaches us about the entire process, from harvesting to the final product (with plenty of samples to taste). Back at Casa do Rio this evening, another starlit dinner on the terrace awaits.

Transfer by van this morning to the river, where we board a private motorboat for a relaxing cruise down the Douro to our paddling put-in at Ferradosa. Along the way, we pass some of the Douro Valley's most magnificent quintas—the traditional wine estates of the region— including Symington's Quinta do Vesuvio, built in 1565, and Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas, established in 1820. Launching our kayaks from a small beach, we embark on a peaceful paddle between steeply terraced schist mountains covered in grapevines. We’re bound for Valeira Gorge, a narrow, rugged canyon carved over millennia, where we often see raptors soaring overhead. Once we arrive at our take-out point of Foz do Tua, head ashore for a light lunch on the riverbank, then return o Porto by van to complete our journey. A festive farewell dinner awaits, with fine Portuguese wine and vivid memories flowing freely on our last evening together.

Our Dionysian odyssey through romantic wine country comes to a close today. A transfer to the airport is included to meet your departing flight.