Where mountains meet the sea, and vineyards overflow with excellent vintages!
A perfect introduction to Porto and the UNESCO Douro wine region
Portugal has been making wine for centuries, with some estimates placing the first planting of vines as far back as 2000 BC.
The Basto and Douro regions are perhaps the best known and offer rich landscape and history to visitors from around the globe.
This walking tour starts in atmospheric Porto and continues a voyage of taste and discovery through the UNESCO World Heritage Douro Valley, where the famous port wines are produced.
We also take in the region known as Terras de Basto where Portugal’s ‘young’ wine – vinho verde – is produced.
Leisurely walks and cultural visits provide the perfect introduction to this fascinating country, once a dominant world trading power.
Wine and the Porto wine region:
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A Walk in the Vineyard:
This tour is operated by EXODUS - a sustainable tour company dedicated to improving the life of people, places and planet.
DAY 1
Start Hotel Douro Scala in Mesao Frio.
Our group flight usually arrives in Porto in the early afternoon. A single group transfer from Porto city centre (Hotel Cristal) to the start hotel will be provided for flight inclusive and land only clients. Full joining instructions will be provided prior to departure, but the transfer usually leaves Porto city centre between 4pm and 5pm and will reach the start hotel before dinner. If you are planning to join this transfer, please contact us prior to departure to request it.
Meals included: dinnerDAY 2
Walk along the Corgo river; visit Baroque Casa de Mateus
This morning we transfer (approx. 40 mins) from the hotel to the start of today's walk in Povoação, driving through the beautiful roads along the north slope of the Douro Valley and its side tributaries. The Corgo walking trail is located on the heart of the Douro wine region and here we will be walking most of the time along terraced vineyards with unique views of the Corgo river. In the afternoon we transfer to Vila Real (20 mins) to visit Casa de Mateus, a palace set in beautiful gardens considered to be one of the finest examples of baroque architecture in Portugal. After the visit we transfer back to the hotel (approx. 50 mins).
Meals included: breakfastDAY 3
Short walk around Quinta do Tedo winery followed by wine tasting; visit Douro museum
We start the day with a short transfer (30 mins) to Quinta de Tedo, a winery from the 18th century in the heart of the Douro region. We will have a guided tour of the grounds, following a walking trail that offers beautiful views of the Douro and Tedo Rivers, vineyards and olive groves and plenty of opportunities for bird watching. After lunch and an included wine tasting at the winery we transfer to the town of Regua, where we visit the Douro Museum to learn about the history, culture and identity of the UNESCO World Heritage Douro wine region. In the afternoon we transfer back to our hotel.
Meals included: breakfastDAY 4
Nature walk in the Cabrum Valley; transfer to Mondim de Basto
After breakfast, we transfer to Ovadas (approx. 1 hour) for our walk in the Cabrum Valley. This region, set on the mountain of Montemuro, marks the transition from the coastal temperate and humid regions to the dry and hot regions of Tras-os-Montes. We discover the landscape of terraces, stone-built walls and villages that have retained the beauty of their rural location. In the afternoon we transfer to Mondim de Basto (approx. 1h50), on our way we cross the Alvao Natural Park, a protected area that offers a haven to endangered bird species. We’ll stop to visit one of the villages within the park's boundaries, an opportunity to see a truly traditional way of life. We stay overnight at a 4-star hotel offering an infinity pool and wonderful views.
Meals included: breakfast dinnerDAY 5
Walk in the green wine region of Mondim de Bastos and taste organically produced “Vinho Verde” at Quinta das Escomoeiras
Our walk today takes us to the surroundings of Mondim de Basto in the green wine region, along the banks of Cabril river. Here we are welcomed with uninterrupted views of the forested mountains, side by side with the lands worked for the daily food and the vineyards of the Terras de Basto region. We finish our walk in the medieval bridge of Vilar Viando, which is still used by the pilgrims walking the Camino to Santiago de Compostela. We will then go to Quinta das Escomoeira where we will do the wine tasting, to appreciate the organic 'Vinho Verde' or green wine. In the afternoon on our way back to the hotel we visit one of the main shrines to the Virgin Mary found in northern Portugal: the Senhora da Graca, also known as Chapel of Monte Farinha. The chapel is perched in front of granite mountain range at almost 1000m high.
Meals included: breakfastDAY 6
Walk by the famous Levada do Piscaredo aqueduct to the centre of Mondim de Basto village; visit the Senhora da Graca shrine.
This morning transfer by minivan (10mins) to Levada do Piscaredo, a waterway dating back to the 13th Century where we will start our walk. These rural constructions were indispensable for the irrigation of the fields of the Terras de Basto region, due to water scarcity in the past. We follow the waterway to the center of Mondim de Basto village. The afternoon is free to enjoy the hotel amenities or the hotel surroundings.
Meals included: breakfastDAY 7
Transfer to Porto; visit the historic town and the famous Porto wine cellars for wine tasting; optional boat tour and overnight in Porto.
In the morning we travel back to the vibrant of Porto. After a guided visit of the historic centre and Port wine cellars (wine tasting included), the rest of the day is free for further individual sightseeing or optional activities, such as a boat ride along the Douro river; overnight at a Hotel in Porto.
Meals included: breakfastDAY 8
End Porto.
Our trip ends in Porto in the morning of day 8.
Meals included: breakfast