5-star Hotel / Parador

In itself a fairly workaday village, though not without charm, Pinhao stands out for its spectacular setting in the valley, on one of the loveliest bends of the River Douro, majestic terraced hillsides dotted with quintas, producing the best port in the world and some excellent wines, on all sides.

Small though it is, Pinhao is the centre of this busy wine producing region and a good place to start your tour of the wineries or just to drive or walk in the surrounding countryside. Its pretty train station is not to be missed, decorated with stunning blue and white tiles “azulejos”, depicting scenes of the vineyards and the 'vendimia' (wine harvest). From here you can make the fantastic train journey through the vineyards up to Pocinho.

The village itself is a good source for stocking up for a picnic. The excellent butcher’s “Talho Qualifer” sells its own smoked meats and sausages, local cheeses and locally baked bread.

• 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. 1
• Picnic at the beauty spot of San Salvador del Mundo – hill, vineyard and river views a real treat! 1
• Sample the local and traditional restaurants or more sophisticated cuisine experiences renowned for their use of seasonal, locally grown produce.