Porto and the Douro Valley is the epicentre of all that makes this country of the Iberian peninsula so special.

The colour, the sights, the smells, the sounds and the tastes of this northerly region are quite simply breath-taking, and the area has incredibly managed to preserve its genuine historic charm in a 21st century world.

I visited north Portugal on a four-day trip thanks to the Porto and Northern Portugal Tourism Board and Ryanair and in that short period saw and learned more about Portugal than I ever could have imagined.

My one and only prior visit to Portugal was around five years ago and that was to the Algarve. I enjoyed that family holiday, especially the beaches and the weather, but seeing Porto’s maze of cobbled streets, vintage markets and port distilleries and what the famous vineyards of Douro Valley have to offer it’s clear to me now that this is the real Portugal and one which more people must see.

'Affordable luxury'

My trip started at Liverpool Airport on Friday September 23 for a 5pm Ryanair flight, and by 7.30pm our plane had touched down on the warm tarmac of Francisco Sá Carneiro Porto Airport.

Taking advantage of Ryanair’s generous hand luggage allowance meant I could quickly waltz through arrivals and passport control and meet two other reviewers and my guide for the duration of the trip, Ricardo.


The cityscape of Porto. It’s quite amazing to think that in just two-and-a-half hours – the same length of time it takes to travel from Liverpool to London by train – you can be in Porto, experiencing a completely different culture and climate. For this reason, I expect many people take advantage of the affordable Ryanair flights to travel here for long weekends and city breaks – if they don’t then they should.

During the car journey to the first hotel of the itinerary, Riccardio told me two things which stayed with me throughout the visit: that this region is well known for its “affordable luxury” and that the people of Porto and the neighbouring city of Gaia take great pride in being the bearers of the name of Portugal, something they are known to gloat to citizens of the capital, Lisbon.

The hotel where I stayed for the first two nights was the five-starred Crowne Plaza Hotel in Porto which offered luxurious modern facilities, great views of the city and a fantastic continental breakfast spread.

Delicious food


A delicious dish from DOC Restaurant. My first taste of Portugal that Friday night was at the Restaurant Cantinho do Avillez in the heart of Porto where I was treated to delicious dishes, including starter of tuna, various breads and dips and the most gorgeous truffle butter, main of veal stew and rice, and dessert of ‘semifreddo’, a simple dish of eggs, sugar and cream plus a pinch of salt. I was told it is quite the Portuguese speciality.

During the four-day tour I would go on to visit Fish Fixe, a quaint restaurant in Porto with spectacular views of the River Douro and the Dom Luís I Bridge, Porto Cruz Space, a perfectly located dining spot with a modern, urban feel and menu, and the DOC Restaurant in Folgosa, which was gastronomy at its very best, with exquisite dishes created by renowned chef, José Avillez, invoking all the senses.

Every dining spot visited shared an appreciation of simple, healthy ingredients but mixed with an array of flavours and oils.

Sights to see

The second day of my visit was spent around Porto and included tours of some of the city’s most loved landmarks.

The Casa da Musicia, which was built to mark 2001 and the city’s turn as European Capital of Culture, is well worth a visit. Described to us as architecturally resembling a “crashed meteorite”, the musical venue plays host to concerts throughout the year and is cleverly designed using concrete, aluminium and glass to reflect and expand the sound.

The Contemporary Art Museum of Serralves is the perfect spot for art lovers and is packed with collections of thought-provoking exhibits by some of the world’s most respected artists. Some of the exhibits on show included A Game of War and AC/DC Joy Division House by Liam Gillick, and huge pencil wall drawings by Sol LeWitt.

Porto is one of Europe’s oldest cities and its medieval Riberia district is adorned with churches and merchants’ houses. Despite being a large city, when strolling along, even in the city centre, you don’t feel crammed in. Everything is relaxed and very spacious and there isn’t the hustle and tussle or the stampede of tourists you find in other European cities. For that reason, Porto is actually quite the hidden gem.

One of the most fascinating places I discovered was Livearia Lello, one of the oldest bookshops in all of Portugal and a tourist destination in its own right. It is considered the third most beautiful library in the world by Lonely Planet and was home to 19th century Portuguese publishing. More recently, Liveraria Lello was frequented by JK Rowling while she taught English in Porto and is said to have inspired her writing. If you are a fan of Harry Potter then the grand staircase and ornate wooden shelves will remind you of a scene from Hogwarts.

Port wine

It would have been wrong to come to Porto and not taste port wine as the area is renowned for its production so I was glad to enjoy several tastings of the local produce during my visit. And what produce it was.


Corridors containing stacks of casts and vats during a Sandeman port wine tour. One of my favourites was the Sandeman port wine. Sandeman is one of Portugal’s most famous brands and is recognisable by its distinctive logo featuring a silhouette of a man dressed in a cape and wearing a Spanish hat. I was lucky enough to go on a tour of the Sandeman port wine cellars and ventured through long corridors of casts and vats, learning all about how it is made.

Most people think port wine is just a dessert wine but there are many different types, including tawny port, made from red grapes and aged in wooden barrels exposing them to slow oxidation, white port, which is refreshing with tonic and lemon, and vintage port, made from grapes in a year declared as exceptional due to the climate conditions. If you find vintage port on the supermarket shelf – buy it and you’ll soon find out why.

I sampled all these different types and was amazed by the strength and depth of the taste, with flavours like berry notes, oaky tangs and rich caramel.

Douro Valley

Sunday continued where Saturday left off and was a day spent in the Douro Valley, an UNESCO world heritage site and home to the planet’s oldest demarcated wine region.

The valley is enchanting and the hillside vineyards where the grapes are grown make postcard-pretty landscapes. It is surprisingly quiet and is far removed from the vibrancy of Porto.

Travelling here is an experience in itself as the scenery is simply glorious and a stop at the small town of Amarante is a must.

There are lots of hotels on the hills but you wouldn’t notice them unless somebody pointed them out as they are well nestled in the greenery. One of the most famous of these hotels is the Six Senses Hotel, which offers luxury with a capital L. Spas, saunas, swimming pools, organic gardens and bars make this spot the perfect high-end getaway.

It was in the Douro Valley where I stayed at my second hotel for Sunday night – Quinta da Pacheca. This hotel is a working wine house, selling 250,000 litres every year, and comes with the added bonus of 51 acres of vineyards. It specialises in the most traditional methods of production. And yes, to my delight, this meant I got the chance to roll up my trousers and crush grapes with my feet, something to tick off the bucket list.

Crushing grapes is quite the pastime apparently as it happens three times a day and in the evenings musicians often visit the hotel to entertain the guests as they stamp the grapes.

Wine tourism is a driving force in the local economy and it’s easy to understand why.

Before setting off on my Portugal visit I had an absolute distaste of red wine, never choosing it over white wine on a menu, but this trip changed all that. I’ve even said to friends and family the best birthday or Christmas present they can get me now is a bottle (or two) of Sandeman or Pacheca port wine.

Summary

My experience of Porto and the Douro Valley was divine and exceeded all of my expectations. You haven’t seen the real Portugal unless you explore this region.

The culture in this part of the country is so, so strong. It’s embedded across all generations, meaning it’s not just surviving or being preserved, it’s thriving.

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