{"id":14645,"date":"2017-11-06T18:10:42","date_gmt":"2017-11-06T23:10:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/?p=14645"},"modified":"2018-02-23T18:27:11","modified_gmt":"2018-02-23T23:27:11","slug":"best-of-douro-portugal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/en\/2017\/11\/06\/best-of-douro-portugal\/","title":{"rendered":"Travel Guide: The Best of Douro, Portugal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Portugal has been breaking tourism records several years running \u2014 up nearly 13 percent in 2016 over the year before, according to the Instituto Nacional Estat\u00edstica in Lisbon. There are many reasons why the country is a magnet for visitors \u2014 a diverse culture, a reputation as a safe travel destination and rich historical legacy, all of which appeal to a variety of tourists.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s the discerning travellers, seeking a unique adventure away from the urban bustle of Lisbon and the crowded sunny beaches of the Algarve who can really make the most of their trip \u2014 if they venture off the beaten path and into the Douro Valley.<\/p>\n

Designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO nearly two decades ago, the Douro Valley (douro translates as \u201cgold\u201d) is the renowned wine region in the north.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Portugal is the 10th-largest wine producer in the world, and nearly 25 percent of its output comes from the Douro Valley in the form of port and DOC wines (the country\u2019s top wine region classification). The Douro region, also known as the Alto (\u201chigh\u201d) Douro, is considered the world\u2019s oldest demarcated wine region, with evidence of wine production dating back some 2,000 years.<\/p>\n

The region is located along the bend of the Douro River, which runs from northern Spain in the east to Porto \u2014 formerly the capital of Portuguese and birthplace of port \u2014 in the west. Start your journey in Porto and venture to the Douro region by riverboat cruise, helicopter or car or perhaps a combination of all three.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Lodgings range from small family-run winery hotels to rustic hillside resorts, but the gem of the region is the Six Senses Douro Valley (a 90-minute drive from Porto) \u2014 a luxury hotel and spa that opened its doors in 2015 under the Six Senses resort chain. Six Senses (voted the world\u2019s best hotel brand in 2017 by Travel + Leisure <\/em>readers) bought and renovated the 19th-century property to fit in the company\u2019s eco-conscious ethos. The resort itself received Conde Nast Traveler <\/em>magazine\u2019s Readers\u2019 Choice Award as one of the top 25 European resorts in 2016.<\/p>\n

The 22-acre river-front property welcomes visitors into a modern-day oasis immersed
\nin an old-world model of sustainability. Nick Yarnell, the resort\u2019s general manager, points out that the local quintas (\u201cvineyards\u201d) have been in the region for generations, and because of the remote location, they have managed to be largely self-sufficient in everything from food to fuel. Following in this tradition, the dining room\u2019s vegetables and herbs are harvested from the resort\u2019s organic garden, which is fertilized by compost on-site.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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The resort\u2019s commitment to sustainability is also evident in the d\u00e9cor: Rooms feature a neutral palette that evokes the resort\u2019s natural setting. Certified wood, along with recycled, renewable local materials, prevail throughout \u2014 such as cork ceilings and bathroom countertops made of Portuguese limestone.<\/p>\n

Guests can avail of the resort\u2019s sumptious full-service spa and plenty of outdoor activities, from tree climbing to mountain biking, but the real draw is in the lush landscape and opportunity to immerse yourself in the rich local history of port and winemaking (and tastings) at numerous quintas <\/em>nearby.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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A cobblestone drive away is Niepoort\u2019s Quinta de Napoles, famous for its wine, port and environmentally sensitive building that blends into its setting. Even closer is the Quinta da Pacheca, which now offers visitors a five-star stay in what was once the founding family\u2019s home. In September, guests can get right into the winemaking experience by helping pick and stomp the grapes. At Quinta do Bomfim, serious oenophiles can visit the birthplace of two renowned ports, including the 2007 Dow\u2019s, the only vintage port in the 21st century to garner a perfect score of 100 points in the Wine Spectator <\/em>magazine. Over at Quinta do Crasto, guests will want to take a dip in the glorious infinity pool, which overlooks the vineyard and river, and was designed by Pritzker prize \u2013 winning architect Eduardo Souto de Moura.<\/p>\n

If a day of wine tastings has tired you out, you can opt to stay close to home and enjoy a tasting and lecture in the wine library, courtesy of the resort\u2019s very own enthusiastic sommelier, Jo\u00e3o Ferreira.<\/p>\n

At the day\u2019s end, you can then drift off to sleep, content in knowledge that all your senses were stimulated in a very special place.<\/p>\n

\n

By Andrea Janus – *This article originally appeared in INSIGHT: The Art of Living | Winter 2017<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Photos: Six Senses Douro Valley<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Portugal has been breaking tourism records several years running \u2014 up nearly 13 percent in 2016 over the year before, according to the Instituto Nacional Estat\u00edstica in Lisbon. There are many reasons why the country is a magnet for visitors \u2014 a diverse culture, a reputation as a safe travel destination and rich historical legacy, all of which appeal to a variety of tourists.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":14646,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[394],"tags":[695,696,697,698,331,343,371,409,483,664],"class_list":["post-14645","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insight-magazine","tag-douro","tag-portugal","tag-valley-of-gold","tag-tourism","tag-sothebys","tag-travel","tag-sothebys-international-realty-canada","tag-insight-magazine","tag-insight-the-art-of-living","tag-insight-winter-2017"],"yoast_head":"\nTravel Guide: The Best of Douro, Portugal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Portugal\u2019s \u201cvalley of gold\u201d offers the discerning traveller a special place that stirs all the seven senses. 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