Long overdue, I finally created an online album devoted to photos from the Douro Valley. These are from every trip through the valley since I arrived in late 2013, either as a destination or stops enroute from Porto to the Portuguese family’s home village of Penela da Beira in the District of Viseu.
Last weekend, the trip included a long stop in Amarante and a short stop in Pinhão (my only photos that day were taken with the phone). Paulo was unwell on the Sunday from the heat, so we opted to return home after dark — hence, just a handful of photos from the valley this time.
But you’ll find hundreds in this album taken all throughout the year:
{ Douro Valley album }
My favorite times to visit the Douro Valley are in the early spring (it can get quite hot by June) and the autumn, when the leaves turn. Like many Portuguese who have ancestral homes in villages, the family visits coincide with Catholic holidays such as Easter, Feast of the Assumption of Mary (mid-August), and All Saints’ Day (November 1).
We also go to pick cherries from the massive tree in Paulo’s grandmother’s yard in early June, pass through in other times in the summer to explore the valley, and we pick chestnuts before All Saints’ Day.
As you can imagine, we are quite familiar with the N222 from Peso da Régua to Pinhão (we turn off shortly before Pinhão, towards Valença do Douro), the section voted the Best Road In The World by Avis in 2015. It’s not the Autobahn, though, there’s at least one speed-triggered red light on this stretch. But it’s a scenic drive along the Douro River, so you’ll not want to go too fast.
If driving isn’t an option, I recommend taking the Douro Line train from Porto all the way to Pocinho (I’ve done it both ways), or the boat if you have time — something that’s still on my list!
August 19, 2017
Album: Douro Valley, Portugal
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