Cruising the 'River of Gold'. Douro, Portugal

The Douro River and its Valley is one of the most beautiful, unspoilt and fascinating regions of Europe - so much so that the valley has been declared a Unesco world heritage site. The River Douro rises in Spain and flows more or less East – West across Northern Portugal reaching the sea at Portugal’s second city, Oporto. Once a fast flowing river of rapids and narrow ravines it has been tamed over the past 25 years by the construction of 8 dams along its length giving it, in most places, a tranquil, lake-like appearance. The valley is spectacularly beautiful with the hills falling steeply down to the water´s edge becoming more and more sparsely populated and wild the further inland one travels, with more of the land being given over to terraces of vines and, to a lesser extent, olive groves. This is port country and was, in fact, the world’s first demarcated wine region being established in 1756. Evidence of the port industry can be seen along the valley with all the famous company names – Cockburn’s, Taylor’s, Sandeman and others – appearing on large placards on the hillsides. The colour of the land changes throughout the year as the vines mature and the nature grows. February and March though also see the almond trees in blossom, June-July, the green of the vignards is remarcable, September – October, the reds and browns are the kings. Generally, though, there is little in the way of developed tourism, visitors are comparatively few and, as far as crowds are concerned, getting around is fairly easy. However, the roads zigzagging up and down the mountainsides and between the tributary valleys can be difficult driving but it does offer fantastic unspoilt scenery. More relaxing modes of transport are available, however. A good way to visit it is by a river cruise. This option combines delightful scenery with rural, unspoilt villages and towns and an opportunity to visit the great cities of Porto. In the way it is also possible to visit restored palaces, places of pilgrimage, cultural centers and vineyards. A boat journey takes you on a wonderfully scenic path, through deep cleft gorges terraced with thousands of vineyards, past sleepy fishing villages and through a tranquil countryside of almond and citrus trees. Apart from the port, the excellent Douro wines, both white and red, make excellent accompaniments to the food of the region. Whilst fresh fish is readily available (just as it is everywhere in Portugal) here the meats of the interior start to come into their own with excellent smoked hams and some spicy sausages.