We are flying from States through Porto to visit Madeira, and acclimating for just a couple days. Now, obviously, Portugal mainland is worth weeks! I already love the idea of coming back someday - but who knows with life.
We will currently have 2 full days in Porto before 7 days in Madeira. Plus, the late afternoon/evening we arrive in Porto (in which I am sure we will grab a quick dinner and just go to sleep). This seems just enough to get a brief tour of the city and acclimate before we fly to Madeira.
I am wondering if it is worth cutting a day off of our 7 full days in Madeira, down to 6, in order to gain an extra day in Porto - so that we could take a day trip to Duoro valley wine country? Or Braga? Or an extra day in Porto?
I am sure Duoro Valley it is gorgeous… and/or braga or another day in Porto could be well used.
But, what do you think? Is Duoro Valley (or one of the other options with an extra day) a “can’t miss it, you’d be a fool to be there and not go” type of place?
Planning on heading up there after a few days in Porto by renting a scooter and having 3 days 2 nights to explore the region, generally when traveling by two wheels it's a lovely treat so on the bike as much as possible, so just need a place to crash ideally at a hostel or maybe some pretented campsites, also suggestions for place to check out, places to hike and other considerations would be lovely, Thank you
Yea, we went with this one and couldn't have been happier: //www.airbnb.com/experiences/620727
They pick you up from your accommodations, it is a small group, they go to beautiful artisan spots and all is inclusive. The guides know the area well and drive the tricky roads like complete pros. If you've seen Bourdain's show on the Duoro you get why that is a factor. Highly recommend.
As for other recommendations, I creepily read a little of your post history rather than ask what you might be into and saw we are in the same city and like similar things. Weird. So yea, in Porto, do not skip Letraria or Catraio. Great beer and very lovely beer gardens. Uber is weirdly cheap in Portugal btw so if you stay far from either, worth going even on a budget. In Lisbon, Dois Corvos and the brewery next door (can't recall the name), nearby Musa (the vibe is like a nightclub, unlike any brewery here in Chicago but not obnoxious) and Delirium is now in Lisbon too, don't skip it. Get a balcony spot and have too many Belgian beers. Not sure if you like vinyl but if you are in Lisbon over a weekend hit up the flea markets, found some gold there. Enjoy Portugal, it's dope!
I will be spending a few days in Porto in a couple of weeks and have afforded myself the time to train into the Douro Valley. Problem is I don’t have much knowledge of the quintas in the area. I will be taking the train to Pinhão to explore before backtracking for dinner and lodging (staying the night in Peso Da Regua, having dinner at DOC in Folgosa).
Can anyone recommend some quintas between those areas that are definitely not to be missed? Online reviews have all been pretty solid, but I have such a finite amount of time to explore. Any advice is greatly appreciated, Cheers!
We are here now on 3rd day of tastings and I’ll write my findings. Fight the draw of the majors
Edit: ok so. Big producers dominate and monopolize. The experience of visiting those can be tiresome and impersonal. We didn’t see much of a point in coming to these villages and tasting at mega companies owned by the English whole there are tons of small Portuguese families trying to make ends meet and making great stuff at fraction of the cost. The big guys wines are good too but if you’re like us and prefer the medium to small guys then you should check out our favorite from this trip:
www.searadordens.com
Santa Euphemia
Morrocos
Pôpa is not little bit still family ran
Cozinha da Clara is a nice upscale lunch and you can drink their Quinta la Rosa wines without needing to do a tour as well as sample their awesome craft beer offerings... before you do a boat tour (make sure to take they from Pinhao not Régua)
Tedo
Don’t miss eating at Tasca da quinta. They’ll guide you through small producers that you won’t be able to visit and you’ll reach another level. Dude collects and focused on wine that’s hard to access otherwise. Food and atmosphere is phenomenal. It’s so nice up here. Consider staying at Romezal
There’s tons of lovely wines up here and we got way more of that than Port to take home.
Hi travellers,
Next week we will be visiting Porto for 5 days. As recommended by everyone in this sub, we are planning to spent one full day in the Douro Valley.
Are there any tours you guys recommend, or would it be better to discover on our own (if so, where?)?
Thanks in advance all!!