This lovely shop in the ancient town of Castelo Rodrigo was on our tour today. Castelo Rodrigo was…read morea town where Christians, Muslims and Jews lived in harmony until the Inquisition. Streets and paths are steep and paved w/ cobblestones, although the middle of the street in front of the shops had cement slabs that offered surer footing. Those of us w/ mobility issues limited our walking. Tania, our cruise director, was quite mindful of our limitations. We walked by this shop and I admired the handbags in a variety of sizes and designs made of cork. They also had jewelry that was attractive and other items as well, although the jewelry and handbags were what I noticed. Cork is attractive, lightweight and durable. I bought a purse for Maija, the woman who looks after our house when we are away. Across the street and at the arch that's at the entrance to the town were shops that sold flavored almonds. They laid out a spread of almonds and other snacks and gave tastes of Port and other local wines. I sampled almonds at both shops--no alcohol--and was so satisfied that when we returned to the ship I skipped lunch and took a long nap. Since I don't have the name of the almond shops this review will have to serve for them too.

We could not recommend Andreia and Valdemar enough after spending time with them for their Douro…read moreValley Wine tour. First of all, my wife and I were traveling with our 8 month old daughter which made us a bit nervous about doing a full day tour, however they were beyond accommodating to us even going to the point of offering to help take care of our daughter while at wine tastings, lunch, and even staying with her and watching her in the car when we stopped for a short photo spot. The places we visited for wineries and lunch were very much local hidden gems / family run operations which really made us feel a closer connection with the local culture which we really enjoyed. Our experience with them went way beyond the full day tour which was amazing, they even suggested an amazing spot for dinner that we did the next day, even offering to make us a reservation and arrange for a local taxi to drive us both directions. We had such a great time exploring the smaller family owned/run wineries that we asked for suggestions on other wineries that we could look to visit during our stay. Andreia and Valdemar's true hospitality and passion to help people really came through that they even offered to look into wineries that were open/available, make reservations for us, and Valdemar even offered to pick us up and take us to the wineries. The whole experience with Andreia and Valdemar was way beyond what we ever could have expected from a Douro Valley Wine tour as we came away with such a better appreciation of the culture and 2 friends that we made during our travels.

I'm not into port so I bought a glass of old vine red. The pour was generous and for the first time…read morein Portugal, the temperature was correct (cellar, not hot). The ambiance and view are both gorgeous. This glass of wine is heavenly.

Beautiful vineyards; outstanding Port wines. This is one of the best known and highest quality…read morewineries in Portugal. For this reason, it is highly recommended to book tours and tastings in advance, since it may be difficult to get a spot simply by showing up. I recommend the vineyard tour along with the tasting (€35 in 2023). The views from the upper parts of the vineyard are stunning!

We elected to do the Pick A Day - our day with Paulo was hands down our favorite of the trip to…read morePortugal, possibly even our favorite day of travel ever. Booking and communicating with Paulo to plan couldn't have been easier. We mixed up the train times and he ended up waiting for us at the train station, but he was very flexible and kind about it. Paulo's tour of his family's vineyard was one of the best wine/vineyard tours I've ever had. He's very intelligent and knowledgeable, not only about the wine and port making process but about the region's politics, regulations, and portuguese history. He graciously answered all questions from our group of 5 (we had a lot) - the conversation was easy and enjoyable the entire time. Lunch at the farmhouse was absolutely perfect. It is hard to pick which course was the best between the local meats, soup, and tasty dessert. After lunch Paulo took us for a coffee and we headed to the dock where we chose to go out in his sailboat. The views were amazing, the company even better. Paulo got us back to the train station just in time for our return. I can't recommend Paulo enough. We miss him!!

When I tried to put together a day trip to Douro Valley, I thought the price of 145.00€ per person…read moresomewhat pricey, but after the day, I can totally say it's worth it. Winery visit: I can spend on my own 30-40€ to visit the major wineries near the station, and listen to canned speech by employees. Or I can let Jorge takes me to small producers, where the owners personally take us to tour the properties that have been in their families for generations, pour us their wine, and over the glasses discuss everything from his recent NY visit to Vivino's effect on wine consumption. Lunch: I can spend 20-30€ at one of the restaurants near the station. They will likely be good, but it won't be as special as family style dinner in a vineyard manor that is hundreds of years old. Boat tour: There are hour-long boat tours for 10€ at the dock, where the narration is either from a recording or a printed handout. Here, Jorge takes us out on his own little speedboat, and answers any question we have as we go along. And to be able to drink all the wine samples and not have to worry about navigating the narrow, steep, unpaved and signless roads up and down the valley? Priceless.

Absolutely the highlight of our trip. We went to so many wonderful wineries - had an amazing lunch…read moreand learned so much about the Douro Valley

The staff was awesome, anything you're in need of they'll help you find, snack, directions,…read morereservations at a local winery. They'll even help you if you're stuck in town & can't find a cab back. Finding the hotel is a bit of a challenge; google maps will take you via Mr. Toads wild ride, the good news is that there is an easier road to traverse, long but at least your car won't stall out attempting to go up the cobblestone stone, old road / route. Once you arrive the view is amazing. The pool oversees the Douro Valley & River. Drinks are brought out to you be it by the poolside or the outdoor veranda. The rooms, book early or like us you'll land in one of the smaller rooms, still nice, but a window would have made it great. Sheets to towels were top grade, no robes were offered, could have been because we were in one of the smaller rooms. Pillows - not comfortable, bed was cozy though. Bathroom was clean, the toilet is separated out, great for utilization. They offer dinner at an extra cost, which was well made by staffers. Remember to dress for dinner, nothing fancy, but also not your shorts. Breakfast comes with your reservation, continental, nice breads, expresso made upon request. WIFI is slow, but they've got it & it's free.

This is a stunning lookout point for the Douro Valley. It's about a 20 minute drive from Pinhão and…read moregives you both a good view of Pinhão itself and the Douro River. It's free and there's some parking nearby. It's also 5 minutes by foot from D'Origem, the winery and olive oil producer.