I recently discovered a fabulous trip that's perfect for the food and wine lover who wants to make sure they get some exercise in on their vacation. This 9-day journey lets you kayak the Douro river by day, and enjoy the hospitality of its classic vineyard estates by night. The wines of Portugal are legendary, and this authentic culinary adventure puts you right in the heart of this historic wine region.
This trip is offered during June and September each year, and group size is limited to 12, so you can get personalized attention from your guides and hosts.
This adventure includes six days of flatwater river kayaking at a beginner level and is suitable for those with little to no paddling experience, although you should know in advance that you are physically able to kayak for 4-5 hours per day and actually enjoy kayaking before signing on for this tour. I think it's a perfect blend of activity and indulgence.
Day 1: Porto, Portugal
Your adventure begins in Porto, where you will enjoy a tasting tour at one of the port wine lodges across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia, followed by a welcome dinner in a local restaurant.
Day 2: Felgar—Casa de Santa Cruz
On day 2 you will travel via train 100 miles up the Douro Valley, one of Europe's oldest winemaking regions and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the village of Felgar you will spend a leisurely afternoon and evening at Casa de Santa Cruz, a historic farmhouse.
Day 3: Casa de Santa Cruz
After breakfast you'll be taken to the put-in and, conditions permitting, paddle approximately four hours. You will paddle through the Douro International Natural Park, stopping for a picnic lunch along the way. You will return to Casa de Santa Cruz, to relax and have dinner.
Day 4: Quinta do Barracão da Vilariça
Conditions permitting, you'll paddle from Barca d’Alva to Barragem do Pocinho, about five hours, stopping along the river’s edge for a picnic lunch. If there's time, you'll have a chance to visit the stunning new Museum of Art and Archaeology, perched on a hilltop high above the river. Then it’s off to Quinta do Barracão da Vilariça, a rural guest house on an organic wine, cheese and sheep farm with magnificent territorial views—not to mention delicious food, all made with products raised or grown on the land.
Day 5: Quinta do Barracão da Vilariça / Coa Valley
Today you'll take a break from paddling to soak up more of the rich history and Old World culture of the Coa Valley. Your day starts with an extended walking tour of Quinta do Barracão da Vilariça as the morning sun illumines the vineyards and orchards and the shepherds tend their flocks. Then you're off to a guided tour of the extensive paleolithic drawings at Vila Nova de Foz Coa, discovered in the late 1980s and designated a World Heritage Site in 1998 by UNESCO. The site comprises thousands of engraved drawings of horses, bovines and other animal, human and abstract figures, dated from 22,000 to 10,000 years B.C. Afterward you’ll enjoy lunch on the veranda of Quinta de Ervamoira-Ramos Pinto, another noted wine estate in the valley. Our afternoon activities will depend on seasonal conditions and guest interests, with options including local hikes, relaxing by the pool, and opportunities to learn the art of making olive oil. Dinner is at the Quinta that night.
Day 6: Bairro do Casal
You’ll be back on the river for about three hours this morning, guiding your kayaks from the mouth of the Rio Sabor, a tributary of the Douro, to Numão. Then you'll have lunch at Quinta Do Carrenho, one of the oldest quintas in the valley. This quinta is now the home of Dona Berta, one of a small group of boutique wineries that have contributed to the Douro’s growing reputation for distinctive white and red wines. You'll send the night in Bairro do Casal, tucked in the scenic, tiny village of Murça do Douro.
Day 7: Casa de Casal de Loívos
Today you'll travel via powerboat past a few of the more stunning local quintas—including Graham’s Quinta do Vesuvio, built in 1565, and Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas, established in 1820—to reconnect with your kayaks in Ferradosa. You'll paddle about 3 hours through the striking Valera Gorge down to the quaint village of Tua. There you'll enjoy a freshly caught lunch at a traditional riverside restaurant. Then it’s a spectacular drive up and over the hill to Casal de Loívos, an 18th-century manor house set high above the wine-producing heart of the Douro Valley. Before a sumptuous dinner (weather permitting outside on the terrace), we’ll enjoy a tour of this historic house.
Day 8: Pinhão / Porto
You'll paddle from Tua to scenic Pinhão, about three hours. After lunch at a riverside cafe, there's time to take a walk to see the splendid hand-painted ceramic tile work in the charming little train station, which is decorated with thousands of blue and white azulejos from the early 20th century showing pre-dam river and harvest scenes. Then you'll be taken back to historic Porto for a festive farewell dinner, reveling in the memories we've made on the famous River of Wine.
Day 9: Porto / Depart
Today you will be transferred to the airport for your departing flight.
Pricing for 2017 departures starts at $5,995 per person. This includes airport transfers (if you are staying at the Hotel Infante Sagres), accommodations, land transportation, meals from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on final day, drinking water during activities, and drinking water, soft drinks and some wine at meals, all kayak and safety equipment, services of an NHA Expedition Leader and local assistants, most gratuities, all permits, entrance fees and taxes.
Not included are travel to and from the start and end points of the trip (Porto, Portugal), early arrival or late departure airport transfers (other than those described above), passport fees, optional activities, items of a personal nature (phone calls, laundry, Internet, etc.), alcoholic beverages (other than those described above), some gratuities, airline baggage fees, required medical evacuation insurance and optional travel insurance.
For more details on this fantastic trip, check out the webinar below from the tour leader, which I'm sure will make you want to book immediately!
If this sounds like the perfect wine trip for you, give me a call at 888-251-3096 or use the button below to schedule a time for us to talk.