Day 7 ·
The Douro Valley, Pinhão and our last night in Porto
Porto · Portugal · 3 min read
A day trip to the Douro Valley with a wine cooperative, lunch at a winery, a boat ride from Pinhão and the tiled train station. Back in town, one last sunset at Passeio das Virtudes and a farewell dinner in the Ribeira.
- 1
Largo da Lapa
The tour meeting point, across from the Lapa church. Departure at 8:30 and they only wait five minutes: we got there at 8:15.
- 2
Peso da Régua
A photo stop on the footbridge and, from there, the wine cooperative founded in 1959: cellar, first wine tasting and an olive oil tasting.
Our guide In one day, a small-group tour with a boat ride from Pinhão is the most practical way to see it. If you can stay two nights in the valley, even better. Read the full guide - 3
Boat ride from Pinhão
An hour on the river between terraces that climb more than 200 meters from the water. Before it, a long lunch at a winery; after it, a second tasting at a local quinta, the best place to buy a bottle.
Our guide Yes, it's worth it: from the water the terraces show their real size. One hour is the right dose inside a day tour. Read the full guide - 4
Pinhão Station
24 tile panels from 1937 showing the grape harvest, the treading of the grapes and the rabelo boats. Fifteen minutes is enough; the ones on the platform side are the best.
Our guide Yes, it's worth it, and it's 15 free minutes. It's a small station that works as an open-air gallery; the panels on the platform side are the best. Read the full guide - 5
Passeio das Virtudes
Our last sunset in Porto, in the same garden as on our first day. We left at 20:35 to make it to dinner, before the sun had fully set.
Our guide Yes, it's worth it, as the best free sunset in the city. It's not a quiet, romantic lookout: it's Porto's public living room, with wine, music and lots of people. Read the full guide - 6
Postigo do Carvão
Charcoal-grilled fish in the Ribeira, a ten-minute walk from the apartment. A simple, early dinner: the next morning our alarm went off at 4:30.
Our guide A simple, no-fuss fish dinner right in the Ribeira, at a reasonable price for the area. Book ahead: without a reservation the waits are long. Read the full guide
The Douro Valley is the reason Porto exists: the wine that ages in Gaia comes from those terraces. We gave it a full day on a small-group tour and saved the evening to say goodbye to Porto in our own neighborhood.
Why we planned it this way
For a first look at the Douro, in a single day, an organized tour was the most practical choice. It included a cooperative, a second winery, lunch with wine and an hour on a boat from Pinhão, which is the most famous stretch of the river. The alternatives we looked at went deeper, but not in one day: staying two nights in the valley, hiring a private driver, or taking the train and booking each quinta separately. We cover them in our Douro Valley guide.
The meeting point was Largo da Lapa, 1.5 km from the apartment, and departure was at 8:30 with only five minutes of leeway. That’s why we booked the Uber for 7:55 and got there at 8:15.
The tour got back around 18:30. That gave us time to stop by the apartment and walk up to Passeio das Virtudes, the same garden as on our first day, for the last sunset, with the idea of opening a bottle of Douro wine there. The farewell dinner was at 20:45 at Postigo do Carvão, a ten-minute walk away.
What to know before you go
The next day we flew to Seville at 7:05, with an Uber to the airport at 5:00. We packed that night and left the coffee ready. If you still have energy after the Douro, the Palácio de Cristal gardens are 600 meters from Miragaia and close at 21:00.
What we booked and tasted
From Porto: Douro Valley with boat ride, wine tasting and lunch
- Minibus with an English-speaking guide from Largo da Lapa
- Wine cooperative founded in 1959 with wine and olive oil tastings
- Lunch at a winery with Douro wines
- One-hour boat ride on the river
- Second winery with a tasting
- Stop in Peso da Régua and viewpoints along the N222
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
We only had one day for the Douro. Going by train and booking quintas separately leaves out the lunch and the boat, and a private driver costs several times more. The small-group minibus took care of all of it.
Lunch at a Douro winery
Order Whatever the house serves: açorda, grilled meats, local cheeses and Douro wines
Included in the tour. It's a big meal, so breakfast was light at the apartment, with pastries we bought the day before at the Bolhão.
Postigo do Carvão
Order Arroz de marisco, octopus or grilled sardines if they have them, and vinho verde
May is the start of sardine season. Our apartment host booked it for 20:45: without a reservation the waits are long.
Miragaia Largo da Lapa
Uber for about 4–5 €, booked the night before. With this option the tour doesn't pick you up at your hotel, and it won't wait more than five minutes.
Porto Pinhão
In the tour minibus along the N222. Sit on the right side to see the river on the way out.
What we learned
Tips
- The Douro is a lot hotter than Porto. Bring water, a cap and sunscreen: on the boat the glare off the river burns.
- The tastings and the lunch add up to several glasses. Alternate each one with a glass of water if you still want to enjoy the evening in Porto.
- Tipping the guide isn't required, but 10–20 € per couple at the end of the day is normal.
Do
- Use the restroom before getting on the boat: most of them don't have one.
- Pack your bags that same night if you leave early the next day, like we did.
Don’t
- Don't confuse this boat ride with the six bridges cruise sold in the Ribeira: that one never leaves the city.
- Don't hire the "guides" on the Pinhão platform who offer to explain the tiles for a tip.