4-star Hotel / Parador

In itself a quiet, working village, Samodães is modest yet appealing, set amid gently rolling hills and vineyards that typify this corner of the Douro region. Though it lacks the bustle of larger towns, the village has a subtle charm, with traditional stone houses, narrow streets, and a peaceful rural atmosphere.

Samodães sits close to some of the region’s smaller quintas, producing excellent table wines and ports, making it a convenient base for exploring nearby vineyards or simply enjoying walks through the surrounding countryside. The local café and small shops offer a taste of village life, where you can pick up fresh bread, cheeses, and regional treats for a simple picnic amid the Douro’s beautiful scenery.

• Visit the quaint riverside village of Pinhao and delightful train station with its beautiful “azulejos” - tiles. Stunning train ride from here upriver to Pocinho.
• Take a romantic boat trip on a WW1 period wooden boat, departing from Pinhao up the River Douro towards Tua.
• Drive leisurely round the world’s oldest demarcated vineyards, the whole area a Unesco world heritage site - dazzling beautiful steep terraced vineyards rise dramatically from the imposing river Douro with white washed “quintas” - manor houses perched high above.
• Visit the many historical port - wine lodges “quintas” along the valley to sample and buy some of Portugal’s premier wines.
• Visit the fascinating village of Provesende with its 18th century baroque church and ten manor houses.
• Walking plenty of opportunities all over the area. There is a spectacular walk from Provesende, 600 metres above sea level, down through vineyards to Pinhao.
• Visit the handsome town of Lamego and climb the astonishing baroque stairway up to the church of Sehora de Remedios and try their local tipple “raposeira”, fragant sparkling wine. Take a pleasant walk down from Lamego to the Capela de São Pedro in the hamlet of Balsemão - built in the 6th century by the Visigoths - older than Portugal itself!
• Discover the Portugal’s first Cistercian monastery São João de Tarouca (now in ruins) and the monastery of Salzedas, built in 1168, one of the grandest in the land, in the wooded Barosa valley, south of Lamego.
• Don’t miss a visit to the grand 18th century Palacio de Mateus at Vila Real, famously depicted on bottles of Mateus Rose.
• See the world famous gallery of Palaeolithic rock art at the Parque Arquelógico do Vale de Côa. 
• Picnic at the beauty spot of San Salvador del Mundo - hill, vineyard and river views a real treat! 
• Sample the local and traditional restaurants or more sophisticated cuisine experiences renowned for their use of seasonal, locally grown produce.