Douro, Portugal

The Douro is a wine region of northern Portugal along the valley of the Douro River, which rises in Spain and flows west through Portugal to the Atlantic at Porto. The Douro Demarcated Region, defined and regulated since 1756, covers about 250,000 hectares of terraced vineyards, villages and wine estates, and part of it is the Alto Douro Wine Region, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2001.

The history of the Douro has its own page.

Beaches in the Douro

River beaches on the national bathing-water register lie on the Douro and its tributaries in the east and south of the region.

Monuments in the Douro

• Mateus Palace: a Baroque manor house of the first half of the 18th century near Vila Real, with its chapel, library and gardens.
• Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios: a pilgrimage church above Lamego, built from 1750 to 1905, reached by a stairway of 686 steps.
• Côa Valley rock art: Palaeolithic engravings in the open air near Vila Nova de Foz Côa, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1998.

Nature in the Douro

• Douro River: the river crosses the region from the Spanish border at Barca d'Alva towards Porto, between steep slopes of terraced vineyards.
• Tributaries: the Varosa, Corgo, Távora, Torto and Pinhão rivers join the Douro in the heart of the wine region.
• Pinhão: a village at the centre of the wine region, where the Pinhão River meets the Douro.

Leisure in the Douro

• River and railway: river cruises, the Douro railway line and the historic steam train run through the valley. Visiting the Douro covers cruises, trains, estates and food.
• Port wine: the fortified wine of the region, in white, rosé, ruby and tawny styles. Port wine explains how it is made.

Wine estates in the Douro

Municipalities of the Douro

• Alijó (10 486 inhabitants · 298 km²): a municipality of the Vila Real district.
• Armamar (5 678 inhabitants · 117 km²): a municipality of the Viseu district.
• Carrazeda de Ansiães (5 490 inhabitants · 279 km²): a municipality of the Bragança district.
• Freixo de Espada à Cinta (3 216 inhabitants · 244 km²): a municipality of the Bragança district.
• Lamego (24 312 inhabitants · 165 km²): a municipality of the Viseu district.
• Mesão Frio (3 547 inhabitants · 27 km²): a municipality of the Vila Real district.
• Moimenta da Beira (9 410 inhabitants · 220 km²): a municipality of the Viseu district.
• Murça (5 245 inhabitants · 189 km²): a municipality of the Vila Real district.
• Penedono (2 738 inhabitants · 134 km²): a municipality of the Viseu district.
• Peso da Régua (14 540 inhabitants · 95 km²): a municipality of the Vila Real district.
• Sabrosa (5 548 inhabitants · 157 km²): a municipality of the Vila Real district.
• Santa Marta de Penaguião (6 100 inhabitants · 69 km²): a municipality of the Vila Real district.
• São João da Pesqueira (6 775 inhabitants · 266 km²): a municipality of the Viseu district.
• Sernancelhe (5 692 inhabitants · 229 km²): a municipality of the Viseu district.
• Tabuaço (5 034 inhabitants · 134 km²): a municipality of the Viseu district.
• Tarouca (7 363 inhabitants · 100 km²): a municipality of the Viseu district.
• Torre de Moncorvo (6 826 inhabitants · 532 km²): a municipality of the Bragança district.
• Vila Nova de Foz Côa (6 304 inhabitants · 398 km²): a municipality of the Guarda district.
• Vila Real (49 571 inhabitants · 379 km²): a municipality of the Vila Real district.

Healthcare in the Douro

Guides to the Douro