Porto & the Douro Valley

Portugal’s second city, Porto is a gem that is largely free from the tourist hordes. While there are a couple of sites worth seeking out specifically, the best way to spend a day is wandering around the maze of cobbled alleys before ending up in one of the port warehouses across the Douro river enjoying a sample of the city’s most famous export while watching the sun set over the old town and Dom Luis Bridge – one of the world’s most iconic cityscapes.

After a night or two in town, we recommend heading for the countryside and in particular the Douro valley, famed for beautiful vineyard terraces etched into the steep hillsides. There have been several hotel openings in the region of late, with former quinta manor house homes of famous port producing families now elegantly converted to boutique hotels with excellent service and wonderful views along the river.

Further afield still lies the somewhat OTT but immensely comfortable Vidago Palace – once the summer retreat of the King of Portugal himself and now yet another excellent place to spend a couple of nights. You can see why the king wanted some respite because the mercury can rise to the mid-30s or even higher in the Douro Valley itself. While this means that the height of summer is probably a no-no, the spring and autumn months usually mean lovely weather a good deal warmer than that in the UK, and an easy two hour flight away.