Pinhão - Douro Valley
A two hour thirty minute crowded regional (no chickens) train journey from Porto found us in Pinhao, a village in the Douro Valley.
The first thing one notices is the beatiful azulejos (tile art) for which the Pinhao station is well known.
Pinhao Station - street side
Detail of an azulejo at the station.
Station from track side.
We checked into our very comfortable apartment overlooking the Pinhao river and were welcomed with a bottle of port wine and juicy sweet oranges from the owner’s property.
Apartment owner's own Port supply in the basement
'Working' on the blog in the evening
View from the apartment - Olive trees across the Pinhao River.
Riverfront
In 1756, the Douro Valley became the first wine region in the world to be demarcated and regulated, and was classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2001. It is recognised as one of the oldest wine regions in Europe, where wine has been produced for two thousand years. Hence our interest to spend a few days here.
The Douro Valley is the only place in the world that can legally produce what is called “port wine" - (similarly fortified wine in other parts of the world must be labeled 'port-style' wine not 'port wine' due to strict labelling rules)
Glyn had booked a 4x4 tour of the (very steep) Douro Valley region for Monday. Our handsome 24 year-old guide, Vasco collected us at 9.45 am - 27C. Our first stop was a leisurely boat cruise on the Douro River. Vasco pointed out various landmarks and well known port estates (Quintas). It was our first “wow” moment.
Driver/guide Vasco with Glyn
Quinta (estate) along the Douro River
Mosteirô Bridge
Mosteirô Bridge over Douro River
Croft's Quinta - River Douro
Douro River Cruise
Our 4x4 tour took us up the steep hills and tracks where we were able to be in amongst the vines. At times low ratio gear was needed to navigate stunning off-road trails, villages and private vineyards. We passed cherry trees, orange trees, olive trees as well as cork trees where we could see the cork had been harvested (nine years between each harvest).
Us looking out from a viewpoint above the Douro Valley
Douro Valley
Cork tree - waiting for regrowth
Cherry tree in vineyard - almost ripe
In days gone by, the port would be transported from Pinhao to Porto on flat-bottomed rabelo boats, the trip taking three to four days. Many of the old wineries have a chapel where workers and the rabelo boat crews could pray.
All labour was manual (and still is) due to the incredibly steep terrain. It has become more difficult to get local labour to hand-pick the grapes, so now many labourers come in from Bangladesh and India at harvest time. It is hard work and at harvest time (mid-August to end-September) temperatures here can reach 45C.
The terraces are built with stone wall support and it has been suggested that if all the stone walls were joined together it would be longer than the Great Wall of China. The soil is ‘schist’ - a slate-like metamorphic rock. Apparently it acts like a sponge and soaks up and holds moisture for the vines to reach deep down for their water supply.
Stone walls forming the terraces - probably a few thousand kilometres of walls in the Douro Valley
Stone posts (not wood) used for trellises
We were treated to a lavish 3-course Portuguese lunch in the village of Sao Martinho de Anta. We were welcomed with a muscadel aperitif and seated at a table in the garden of the restaurant with an assortment of small bites. The main meal was three different cuts of meat cooked in the traditional Portuguese manner over an open fire, with potato cooked in big pots and coarsely mashed with very small pieces of smoked sausage. Very tasty. The dessert was “Bolo Barrochao cake” with slices of fresh orange. Glyn is trying to find the recipe!! We were served excellent wines and the meal ended with a delicious smooth vintage port wine. It was very special and will not be forgotten.
Entree - delicious - discovered that 'tempura' originated in Portugal and was taken to Japan by early seafaring traders.
Restaurant cooks on open wood fire
Restaurant uses old-style 3-legged cast-iron pots over an open wood fire
Maitre'd about to pour Vintage Port
'Curtain' on glass from Vintage Port
Vasco took us to the local bakery in his home village - Favaios (named for Roman Emperor Flavius) - where bread has been baked in the traditional way in two wood-fired ovens for as long as he and others in the village can remember (actually 158 years). Needless to say the bread was fresh and very, very good. We left with a loaf (€0.65 = AU$1.10) to have in our apartment with a local cheese and wine for our casual dinner.
Vasco's village - Favaois
The Baker - who's been doing the job for many, many years using wood-fired ovens.
Barbell-shaped bread loaves - also known as a 4-corner loaf - their speciality.
Firewood for Bakery - Favaois
Ancient bakery oven - Favaois
'Goko' and an 'Avo' who's been baking bread for a very long time.
We then moved on to a small winery - Quanta Terra (many lands) - so named because they don't grow any grapes themselves but source from two selected small regions in the Douro Valley area. Wines were 'interesting' on palates tuned more to heavier Australian wine, but we found a couple that hit the spot. However, being a boutique winery the prices were very steep for what we thought were OK but not great and we didn't 'invest'.
Quanta Terra (= many lands) - Boutique Wine Group
Quanta Terra winemaker 'selling' the story of the winery
Tasting room - Quanta Terra
Vasco was knowledgeable and very pleasant and good company. Oddly, we were his first clients from Australia. He asked us as many questions as we asked him. He was great and insisted on taking us to other great view sites and places of interest. He finally dropped us off at our accommodation at 6pm. It was a fun day where we learned so much and enjoyed his company.
Today is rest day. We know from experience, when taking “on the move” holidays, we need to plan a rest day, and Pinhao in the Douro Valley is the perfect place. The weather is already 33 degrees in the late afternoon. We took a stroll down to the river for a late lunch and tonight we sit out on our balcony enjoying a wine and port as we take in our last views of the Douro Valley.
Over the years we have been fortunate to visit wine areas in various parts of the world, however the Douro Valley is by far the most spectacularly beautiful we have been to.
Tomorrow we catch an 8.07am train to Porto where we will change trains on our way to Aveiro a city on the west coast of Portugal set along a lagoon called Ria de Aveiro.
All for the moment...... Just a few random photos to finish.
Douro River Cruise
Rabelo-style boats - Douro River Cruise
Poppies in bloom following heavy rain in mid-May
Pinhao riverfront
This featured blog entry was written by IvorGlyn from the blog Portugal & Spain - 2025.
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