Douro Valley, Portugal
October 2024
The Douro Valley is the birthplace of Port Wine, and is the only place in the world that can legally produce it. The Douro River flows westward through the valley from its origins in north-central Spain, then cuts across northern Portugal all the way to the coast, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Porto. The Douro is the third largest river in the Iberian Peninsula, with steep and picturesque riverbanks covered with terraced vineyards and small villages.
We decided to take a day trip from Porto to Pinhão (‘Pin-yow’) by train, which is a little under 2.5 hours each way. The train tracks closely follow the river through the valley, allowing us to get great views of the beautiful scenery. Fortunately the train wasn't going overly fast, so we were able to catch some photos along the way!
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The Town of Pinhão
Pinhão is a tiny town with calm, relaxing village vibes and a handful of restaurants, bakeries, cafes and "quintas" (port-producing vineyards). It wouldn't necessarily be a destination except for the fact that it is one of the villages in the Duoro Valley that is within day-trip distance from Porto where we were staying.
The train station in Pinhão is beautifully decorated with the Portuguese azulejo tiles. And no, we didn't arrive on the Douro Historical Train shown below! This is a steam locomotive with five historical carriages that runs along the banks of the River Douro through the villages of Régua, Pinhão and Tua.
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Strolling Around Pinhão
Pinhão is somewhat eclectic with its modern statues mixed in with the stone farm houses and pink buildings.
But of course what makes Pinhão picturesque is the fact that it is surrounded by terraced hills and vineyards and bordered by the beautiful Douro River.
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Boats and Bridges
The Pinhão Bridge ("Ponte do Pinhão") in the photos below is a metal road bridge across the Douro River at Pinhão, also known as an "Eiffel iron bridge". And yes, this bridge was designed by Gustave Eiffel in the 19th century, the same French civil engineer who designed the Eiffel Tower.
We loved the boats scattered along the river, including the plentiful tour boats, motor boats, sleek river boats, yachts and pontoons.
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Quinta Do Bomfim
In Portuguese, "quinta" refers to a wine-producing estate, which can be a winery or a vineyard. There are over 200 historic quintas in the Douro Valley, many of which offer tours and tastings for visitors to learn about the area's winemaking heritage.
Several quintas are located in or very close to Pinhão and are easily accessible on foot. We visited Quinta do Bomfim, which is right in town, and where we enjoyed some port tastings on the beautiful deck overlooking the Douro River.
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Thanks for visiting!
