Portugal cycling vacation, Douro Valley wines
| country: | Portugal |
| trip type: | Self guided moderate / adventurous cycling vacations |
| price: | From €2430 (8 days) excluding flights. Single supplement US $400. Price includes top of the line 27-speed bicycles, full support, all scheduled visits, luxury accommodation & 5 gourmet dinners with wine |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Explore the unique Douro valley by bicycle and boat as we follow the wine trail from grape to cellar.
Port wine has been produced in the beautiful landscape of the Douro Valley in the Alto Douro region since the 1600's, the first wine region to be UNESCO World Heritage classified.
Our wine tour begins in the city of Oporto in the World Heritage Ribeira (water front) where you can still see the Rabelo boats with their sails flying the name of the maker. We will meet with producers and visit some of the most famous warehouses.
Next we will head into the stunning region of the Alto Douro one of the most dramatic wine regions in the world. Staying in the small town of Pinhão - the hub of the production for the Port wine in the famous Vintage House, engulfed by the beautiful valley of vineyards that surrounds us.
Separated from the sea by the Marão mountains and protected from the rainy winds of the Atlantic, the Douro valley has a climate of baking, dry summers and severe winters. It is a land of austere beauty.
The vineyards are dizzyingly steep: the vines must be planted on tiers of walled terraces, towering one above the other like the steps of the Pyramids, the product of centuries of Herculean labour.
Needless to say this is a truly remarkable part of the world and there is no better view of this unique landscape than from the saddle of bicycle.
Please note: This trip can also be tailormade as a 'self guided cycling vacation'
Itinerary
The exact itinerary is yet to be decided, but will include the following:
Port wine has been produced in the beautiful landscape of the Douro Valley in the Alto Douro region since the 1600's, the first wine region to be UNESCO World Heritage classified.
Our wine tour begins in the city of Oporto in the World Heritage Ribeira (water front) where you can still see the Rabelo boats with their sails flying the name of the maker. We will meet with producers and visit some of the most famous warehouses.
Next we will head into the stunning region of the Alto Douro one of the most dramatic wine regions in the world. Staying in the small town of Pinhão - the hub of the production for the Port wine in the famous Vintage House, engulfed by the beautiful valley of vineyards that surrounds us.
Separated from the sea by the Marão mountains and protected from the rainy winds of the Atlantic, the Douro valley has a climate of baking, dry summers and severe winters. It is a land of austere beauty.
The vineyards are dizzyingly steep: the vines must be planted on tiers of walled terraces, towering one above the other like the steps of the Pyramids, the product of centuries of Herculean labour.
Needless to say this is a truly remarkable part of the world and there is no better view of this unique landscape than from the saddle of bicycle.
Please note: This trip can also be tailormade as a 'self guided cycling vacation'
Itinerary
The exact itinerary is yet to be decided, but will include the following:
- Vila Real, where the founding house of the famous Mateus rosé is found
- Pinhão, the heart of the grape-lined Douro slopes
- Peso da Régua, where the wine begin their journey down-river
- Villa Nova de Gaia, where the venerable old warehouses overlook the left bank of the Douro
- Porto, with its splendid array of architectural treasures and gastronomic delights.
how this holiday makes a difference
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As on all our trips, we stay at generally small, locally or nationally owned independent hotels - we never block book. Our itinerary takes us through small towns and villages, who owe their livelihoods mainly to agriculture, viticulture and increasingly, quality tourism.
It is our company ethic to take only small groups of around ten people; this minimizes our impact and maximizes our attention to each individual and thereby we can most often avoid staying in large chain accommodation, staying instead at private and often family managed Hotels and B&B’s. We try to ensure that every tour and service we offer directly has the lowest environmental impact, and always aim to work with suppliers that provide an appreciable environmental accountability. We educate and train all our staff to follow and comply with our sustainable business policy which will ensure continually improved and innovative environmental practices in such simple ways as separating trash and keeping punctured inner tubes for reuse. The Douro valley is a unique world heritage site that has its share of industry and tourism, we want our passage through the area to be one that is lightly or barely felt but one that leaves a very positive impression on both our clients and locals, what better way to do so than by bicycle? |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |