Douro Valley, Portugal – Perfect Day Trip from Porto
The Douro Valley is located in central Northern Portugal, and is an absolutely incredible landscape made of vineyard terraces.
Not sure you should include the Douro Valley in your Portugal list?
Let’s see why you should!
Initially famous for the wine produced in the valley, the Douro Valley offers incredible landscapes, and it’s the perfect travel destination if you’re in Portugal. It’s not as famous as the Benagil Cave, or the Pena Palace, but it’s worth checking out!
Where is the Douro Valley?
The Douro Valley is a 1 hour and a half drive east from Porto, one of the prettiest cities in Europe. I’ve pinned it on the map below:
Exploring the Douro Valley, Portugal
After spending 1 day in Porto, we took the road and headed to the Douro Valley. Even before reaching the actual valley, we were blown away by the beauty of the landscape around. On several occasions, we crossed massive tunnels in the mountain!
When approaching the valley, we saw a massive bridge in the distance! I wanted to fly the drone above, but we couldn’t find a spot to stop; sorry, no picture for you!
As we reached the valley, I could hardly concentrate on the road: the landscape around what just too beautiful!
We went straight to the first viewpoint: Miradouro Sao Leonardo de Galafura. We sat on top of the stone cabin for a while, feet dangling in the air, just watching the valley below.
Because we were quite limited with time on this road trip, we only visited this one viewpoint over the valley. I feel like we could have easily spent several days exploring the area. I’ll need to come back for sure!
If you have a bit of time to spare after visiting Porto, here’s where to go.
4 best viewpoints over the Douro Valley
Seeing the Douro Valley is definitely one of the best things to do in Portugal. To enjoy it to its fullest, you’ll find below the 4 best viewpoints over the Douro Valley:
1- Miradouro de Sao Leonardo de Galafura
This is the closest to Porto, and the first viewpoint you’ll likely reach if you drive from there. You have a beautiful view over the mountain and the river.
2- Miradouro de Sao Salvador do Mundo
As opposed to the first viewpoint, this one is the furthest from Porto. On top, there is a small church, a place of pilgrimage in local culture.
You’ll be able to see the Valeira Dam on the Douro river below
3- Casal de Loivos viewpoint
This viewpoint is lower than the 2 previous ones. As a result, you’ll get a different view of the Douro Valley from it. You’ll also get a nice view of the bridge crossing the Douro River.
This is probably the viewpoint I’ll go to next time I’ll visit Portugal!
4- Quinta do Noval
The last viewpoint on this list, Quinta do Noval, is directly in the middle of the vineyards. This is the perfect opportunity to enjoy the view and then go wander around.
Looking for other interesting things to check out in Portugal? Check out these destinations below:
6 best things to see in Sintra
36 incredible locations in Algarve
How to get to the Douro Valley
Being such a short drive from Porto, it’s easy to visit the Douro Valley on a day trip. There are actually several options to explore the Douro Valley, and I will list them below.
1- By car
The first way to explore the Douro Valley is by car. This is how I explored the valley during my trip to Portugal in April 2018, after my visit to Porto.
If you drive from Porto, it’ll take you around 1h30 to reach the valley. From Lisbon, it’s a bit longer, and it will take you 4h.
Once in the valley, you will go up and down on narrow mountain roads. If you’re not that comfortable behind the wheel, prepare yourself.
I absolutely recommend driving around the Douro Valley, as the road has been recognized as one of the best roads to drive on.
2- By train
If you don’t have a car, or if you want to experience the Douro Valley in a different way, hop on the train.
Image by Nelso Silver under CC BY SA 2.0
You can take the classic train from Porto to Regua for about 20€ round trip, then take the train along the Douro river, from Régua to Tua.
Click here to check trains: Douro Valley trains
3- By boat
The last option to explore the valley is by boat.
You have plenty of options for boat trips: one-day boat trip, multiple days trip where you sleep on the boat, boat trips including wine tasting, …
Click here to see the boat tours: Douro Valley boat tours
So there you have it, your guide to the Douro Valley in Portugal. Do you have any questions about this location? Let me know in the comments below, I’ll be happy to help you with anything I can!
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