Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Quinta Nova
( 254 730 430;
www.quintanova.com
;
winery visit €12, geocaching per person €10; winery tours 11am, 3pm &
5pm)
Set on a stunning ridge, surrounded by luscious, ancient vineyards, overlooking the
deep green Douro river with mountains layered in the distance, the Quinta Nova estate is
well worth an in-depth exploration . The three hiking trails (the longest is 2.5 hours) are
the best in the region, and fans of
The Amazing Race
will want in on the Geocaching
Challenge. Guests use a GPS to locate five wine caches, replacing the corks in each. If
you complete the task, you'll win a prize! To get here, head 9km west of Pinhão, along the
northern bank of the Douro (EN322-2). Hotel guests roam free.
HIKING
Train to Pocinho
(one-way €4.65; departs 5 times daily)
With the Linha do Tua still out of service, the most beau-
tiful train trip in the area is this one-hour chug upriver along the most stunning section of
the Tua line. Trains depart from the Pinhão train station twice per day.
TRAIN TRIP
Douro-a-Vela Boat Trips
( 918 793 792;
www.douro-a-vela.pt
; per person €25)
One of the cheapest, easiest and sweetest
thrills in the area demands that you cruise upriver into the heart of the Alto Douro aboard
a traditional flat-bottomed port boat. Catch the boat from the Folgosa do Douro pier, just
outside DOC. Cruises last an hour and cost €25.
CRUISE
Quinta Nova Wine Museum
& Shop
(Aris Douro; 254 730 030;
www.quintanova.com
; Largo da Estacão 14; tours & tastings €5; tours 11am, 3pm
& 5pm Mon-Sat, 11am & 3pm Sun Apr-Oct)
This collection of vintage winemaking gear offers a
glimpse into the early days of viniculture and cooperage (bottling and labelling), but is
only available by 25-minute tours offered three times a day. It's owned and operated by
Quinta Nova, and you can taste the table and port wines here, too.
WINE TASTING
Sleeping
Casa Cimeira
( 254 732 320;
www.casacimeira-douro.com
; s/d €45/60; )
Set in a 200-year-old home at
the top of the hilltop town of Valença - its cobbled streets wrapped with vineyards and
olive trees and alive with old country warmth - this is the domain of the charming
RURAL INN
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