Howell and Jan Rees travelled to Portugal in April with Our Local Tour and kindly wrote the following account of their walking holiday in Portugal
We arrived in Porto mid-afternoon. The flight from Bristol had been delayed slightly so our transfer was not waiting for us. However, before long, we were on our way towards the city centre, passing FC Porto’s ground and various other landmarks, as pointed out by our friendly and knowledgeable driver. The hotel was down on the river in the centre of Porto, and we had a little time to explore before finding somewhere to eat. There were plenty of choices, but we followed the hotel’s suggestion. They also handed over the arrival package, which included a guidebook, instructions for the GPS app, a power pack in case your smartphone battery ran low and accommodation vouchers.
The next morning was an early start – down to the quay to catch the ferry up the Douro to Pinhao at 7.30 am. We had a good breakfast on the ferry and then enjoyed the sights on the journey up the river. Lunch, with plenty of local red and white wine, was very enjoyable. The trip up the river is spectacular as you pass through some incredible locks. We arrived in Pinhao around 4 pm and were met by a taxi to transfer us to our very comfortable hotel overlooking the village. The hotel did not provide an evening meal so we walked down to Pinhao and found a traditional Portuguese restaurant and ate and drank too much!
The next morning was our first day of walking. A six-mile hike with nearly 600 metres of altitude gain. We set off with a packed lunch provided by the hotel. The route guide was GPS-based and worked on my smartphone. It was very simple to use, and we didn’t get lost once! The guide also includes a booklet with maps, details of the accommodation for each night and notes on highlights not to be missed. The scenery was stunning. We walked along cobbled streets and paths, through hamlets and farms, on gravelled vineyard paths and along green roads flanked by old stone walls. It was late April, and the wildflowers were in full bloom. Jan was particularly taken with the swathes of wild yellow lupins. Towards the end of the walk, we passed the entrance to a hotel whose name looked familiar – Quinta Manhas D’Ouro. Looking at the guide, we realised that was where we would be spending the next two nights high up above the Pinhao River with a spectacular view over the Douro and Pinhao valleys. We walked on and arrived at the end of the first day’s walk, tired but energised by all we had seen. And, to our surprise, the taxi driver was waiting there to take us back to our hotel.
Our bags had arrived in our room as if by magic. The hotel was very comfortable and we enjoyed an excellent dinner that evening in the hotel dinning room. There weren’t any real options to eat in the village.
The next morning, again armed with a packed lunch provided by the hotel, we were picked up by a taxi and taken to the start point of the third day’s walk, which started more or less where the previous day had ended. This walk took us back down to the Pinhao River, although much further up the valley than Pinhao town. Again, we walked through vineyards and followed old roads and paths with almost no traffic and few other people. Very peaceful. Unfortunately, that day, the weather wasn’t so good, and when we arrived at the lowest point of the walk on the river, it was pouring. The guide indicated that this was a possible bailout point for those who didn’t fancy the 3km fairly steep walk back up to the walk’s endpoint. If it hadn’t been raining…. But it was so we called the taxi, which we knew we had to pay for, and took a lift back to the hotel.
That was our last night at Quinta Manhas D’Ouro, so the next morning, we brought our bags down to reception for collection and onward carriage to our next destination, the town of Alijo. Again, we hopped in a taxi for the transfer to the walk starting point, which was the same as the day before, but we set off in a different direction. This was the longest day’s walking but was relatively flatter. Like the previous day, we were high up in the hills above the Douro, walking through magnificent countryside, enjoying the rugged scenery, the flora and the bird life. Towards the end of the day, we took the guidebook’s suggestion to visit the Bread and Wine Museum in Favaios. It cost us €1.50 each, it was fascinating, and we each had a large glass on Moscatel gratis to conclude the visit.
The walk ended in the town of Alijo and the good directions took us to our guesthouse accommodation for the next two nights. We had a wonderful welcome from our hostess at Casa d’Arca and made to feel completely at home. Evening meals were not provided, but there was plenty of choice in the town. Or there would have been if it hadn’t been 1 May and a lot of restaurants were either full or closed. However, our hostess managed to book us a table at the Pasado, where we ate very well.
Next morning we set off from Casa d’Arca with our packed lunches and headed down from Alijo towards Sao Mamede de Ribatua. Another day of changing vistas and vineyards, so hard! There was a steep climb to negotiate out of Sao Mamede but otherwise it was fairly easy walking. We ate out that evening in Alijo in a small restaurant serving local cuisine and very cheap but good local wine by the carafe.
The next day’s walk was our penultimate and was mainly downhill and only 8.6 miles back towards Pinhao. We would have liked to visit one of the Quintas, but that required a little forward planning, and we didn’t get around to it. Again, we followed old lanes and paths through and between the vineyards, enjoying the countryside as we ambled along. Our destination was Casa de Casal de Loivos, high above the confluence of the river Pinhao and the Douro. The house enjoyed a great location with views across the valley, with the village of Pinhao below. It dates from the 17th century, and we ate that evening in the magnificent dining room around a long refectory table with the other guests. Great food, wine, conversation and company.
Our final walk was a short one down to Pinhao all downhill with views over the Douro and the mosaic of vineyards stretching in every direction. Our luggage was waiting for us in Pinhao. We grabbed a sandwich to eat on the train journey back to Porto. For most of the way the train followed the Douro with lovely views along the valley. The vineyards became fewer as we left the wine growing area but the scenery was still stunning.
From the station, we took a taxi to our hotel. It was a little further down the estuary than the first night, so we had a longer walk to find somewhere to eat, but we took advantage of the opportunity to explore a little more of Porto and Portuguese cuisine and wine.
Many thanks to Howell and Jan Rees for the blog post on their walking holiday in Portugal.
