I welcome tips to help plan a douro trip in august, 5 days. Itinerary, quintas to visit, where to stay… Please chime in…
Do NOT drink the tap water! (unless you’re a fan of stomach parasites)
Schedule a lunch at Quinta do Portal. (wines are just “fine”, but they have a talented chef in the kitchen — my wife and I enjoyed it immensely).
If you search the site, you should come across some very lengthy and detailed posts I wrote during our visit. It was a long time ago, but I assume much of what I wrote would still apply today.
Have fun! It’s possibly the most beautiful place I’ve ever been.
Quinta da Boavista was amazing - we brought two of their wines back home: “Vinha do Ujo” & “ Vinha do Oratório”, both 2015s.
We stayed in Porto, at “The House Ribeira Porto Hotel” and took a private van to Douro.
1 Like
I’m headed there in September and there are 2 or 3 existing threads that have been helpful in planning, so definitely do a search. I am doing two nights in Porto and then two nights just outside of Peso de Regua before heading deeper into the interior.
Cannot vouch for them yet but have high hopes for my two Regua-area dinners: Castas e Pratos and Tasca da Quinta.
Anyway, will enjoy reading what others say and do report back!
1 Like
Thanks. That helps, I’m thinking 2 nights in Porto and 3 in the douro valey. Not sure which Quinta yet.
Thanks 
Thanks a lot
In the Valley: Quinta de la Rosa had great guest rooms (most with river views) when we visited in 2019. The on-site restaurant made for a wonderful and intimate evening as long as you are seated on the deck. Their Rose and Port are their strong suits but not worth going out of the way for if you aren’t staying there. We opted to drive from Porto and the scenery was fantastic but took double the time we allotted. Watch out for tour buses on the narrow passes if you drive. Glad to see Wine & Soul is getting more exposure.
Porto: Worth at least a day and a night. Great wine bars overlooking the river near the bridge closest to the “caves.” We went on the Sandemans and Graham’s tours and preferred the Graham’s tasting by far.
Food tips: bacalau obviously pairs very well with vinho verde; otherwise we had better luck with ordering whole fish instead of ‘cuts’; Francesinha is worth a try but order suckling pig (if you eat meat) every chance you get.
Sagres > Super Bock
We also stayed at Quinta de la Rosa but in 2017. Our memories of the accomodations are great, just understand that you are in a working Quinta where they get up early to tend to the property. We walked/hiked up the vineyard for amazing views in the evening and explored the Quintas for about 3 days. I dont think that we ate there and remember food in town being great but not always available when you want it. The few places that were there would be closed unpredictability for lunch or dinner. We went to Fonseca twice for good reason! Sandemans was a great marketing gig with a great view. If you feel that you have to go there, get it out if the way first thing in the morning before the crowd. Quinta de la Crasto was kind of interesting with a bit of an attitude. I would still say that its worth your time, but get a reservation early and enjoy the drive, but slowly.
Huh!? The water is perfectly safe.
Quinta do Mourao. Specialist in wood aged Ports. Known to us aficionados as “Port Knox.” Where else can you taste 100-150 year old wines?
Viera de Sousa. Luisa and Maria who run the estate are sweethearts.
The best restaurant in the valley is DOC.
Try to book visits to Quinta do Vargellas and/or Quinta do Vesuvio. The flagship estates of Taylor Fladgate and Symington Family Estates respectively. Quinta do Noval is also a beautiful place.
2 Likes
Craft beer is a big thing in Portugal. There are multiple tap rooms in Porto.
Maybe things have improved in the past decade.
When I went, we were advised to not drink the tap water. We did a great job of doing that until I absentmindedly slipped and had my water bottle refilled at a winery. Few days later the symptoms started, and it was ultimately discovered I had a stomach parasite. Health officials/doctors told me it was, in all likelihood, from drinking the tap water —- the very tap water we were told not drink. I suppose it could have been from something else, but no clue what that something else might have been.
We stayed here and loved it.
I definitely have some suggestions I can add. Should have some time later today or on Friday.
We loved the Douro. So beautiful.
We stayed at Quinta da Pacheca which was absolutely gorgeous and in a great location for us as it was very close to some nice restaurants in Peso da Regua.
The two best meals we had in the Douro were both in that area.
Tasca da Quinta is a tiny little restaurant run by a family with a small menu of traditional dishes cooked by the mother/grandmother and other family members. Highly recommended for food but very limited on wine. You will just find a handful of small, local producers but we were totally fine with that.
On the other side of the spectrum was a large industrial wine bar type feeling place called Castas E Pratos. The food was also excellent here and they have a sizable wine list with many by the glass options as well.
In terms of wine tastings, we only did a few in the Douro but our favorite was definitely Quinta das Carvalhas. We did a 90 minute tour of their gorgeous property high above the river valley and then ended with a very nice tasting accompanied by some local cheese and charcuterie. I will locate a few photos and post those soon.
As far as Porto goes, I believe it is an absolute must visit. Such a picturesque town with great views of the city and river from different viewpoints. There are also some excellent restaurants in Porto and you have access to the various port lodges located across the river. If you are a fan of port, I don’t see how you can not visit Porto (even though you can generally taste port at many of the quintas in the Douro). We stayed at the Porto Bay Flores in the old town and loved it. Perfectly located in the middle of the action and the hotel had a very high end feel.
Enjoy! We loved Portugal, especially the Douro.
1 Like
Rich, how was the wine at Pacheca? It is an optional stop on an e-bike tour I have booked.
Thanks for my your report. Your two Douro dinners are the ones I have booked so I feel validated. 
The wine at Pacheca was just ok. We loved the property and sat outside every night with a glass of rose or a Porto tonic either before or after dinner. But if you are specifically asking about the wine, it’s probably not worth going just for the wine. However, the property is gorgeous so it might make for a nice stop but it does tend to draw larger tour type crowds as a result. Hope that helps!
2 Likes
I’m telling you guys, book a tasting at Quinta do Mourao, not far from Pacheca. Mind blowing wood aged Ports.
3 Likes
I actually have this on the books based on previous recs here.
1 Like