Main SitesThe Ultimate Douro Valley Drive, Portugal: Régua to Vila Nova de Foz Côa — Vineyards & River Roads Self-Guided Driving Tour
Hi, and welcome to the Douro Valley. I'm your guide for today's drive, and I'm glad you're here. Over the next few hours we'll follow one of the most beautiful rivers in Europe. Its steep hills were shaped by hand into terraces of vines, all for one famous wine: port. We start here in Peso da Régua, the old capital of the wine trade. First we'll pass the house where a government drew the world's first legal wine border. Then we'll follow the N222 along the south bank, a road once ranked the best drive on earth. On the way, a railway that changed the valley runs along the far bank. At Pinhão, a little station tells the whole harvest in 3,000 blue tiles. From there we climb into the hills through vineyard villages, then drop back to the river at Foz Tua, where 2 rivers and 2 railways meet. After that comes the wild part. We'll pass the Valeira Dam, where the most feared rapids on the Douro once smashed boats. From the viewpoint high above, I'll tell you about a mapmaker who drowned there, and the woman who floated to safety. Then the land turns hotter and drier. Almond trees replace vines, and our story reaches back long before wine. We finish at the Côa Museum, home to horses carved into stone during the Ice Age. A group of school kids saved them from a dam. A few tips before we go. These roads are narrow and full of bends, so take them slowly, and pull over fully before stopping for photos. Some villages have only a café or two, so fuel up and grab water before you leave Régua.