Day-by-day
Day 1 - Miranda do Douro
The start of your journey. On your way from Porto airport to the easternmost point of your holiday - Miranda do Douro, enjoy the beautiful landscape and scenery along the way. The landscape of the Douro River Canyon and its over 200-meter-high cliffs is also fascinating. After you arrive, enjoy a walk around the small town of Miranda do Douro, with its typical whitewashed houses and narrow cobbled streets.
Day 2 - Stage 1- Miranda do Douro to Mogadouro
Day 2, the first stage of your biking holiday takes you through the International Douro Nature Reserve, a gentle highland plateau known for its wilderness and landscapes. The stretch you shall cycle will take you across a quiet land, populated by over 170 species of birds, wild boar and the occasional Iberian wolf. Even the goats and cattle make little noise. In the sky overhead, you may see a rare Golden Eagle or an Egyptian vulture.
Dinner included
Day 3 - Stage 2 – Mogadouro to Torre de Moncorvo
Today’s tour takes you along a former railway line. The ecotrail runs past forests, across fields, a typical agricultural landscape and a few scattered woods. Although the shepherds you meet may not speak your language, they are extremely friendly and happy to pose for photos. Continue along olive and almond groves until you reach medieval Torre de Moncorvo, the Capital of the Almond Blossom Festival. You will be warmly greeted by your host at an elegant town house where you may have a chance to sample her homemade liqueurs, which go beautifully with the locally grown Moncorvo almonds.
Day 4 - Stage 3 – Torre de Moncorvo to Vila Flor
On day 4, you will cycle alongside the River Douro for the first time. Prepare yourself for stunning views and a magical landscape. The descent to the river takes you through olive groves that produce some of the best olive oil in the world. That night, you will stay on a wine state, or farming estate, producing traditional and organic olive oil. You will be served some of the finest local cuisine for dinner – homemade cheeses, sausages, baked bread and olive oil, home-grown oranges and homemade wine. Located apparently in the middle of nowhere, the wine state is so quiet, the night sky is so clear, an after-dinner stargazing walk will prove irresistible.
Dinner included
Day 5 - Stage 4 – Vila Flôr to Sabrosa
The Alto Douro Winemaking Region is famous for its wines. First and foremost is Port Wine, but the region also produces prize-winning red wines from the Touriga grape. The terraced vineyards, so typical of the region that is listed as a Unesco World Heritage Property, were carved by men from the hillsides. The neatly-kept wine estates, rise proudly amidst the vineyards, their names clearly visible to everyone who passes. When you arrive at the river’s edge, load your bike on a Rabelo boat and enjoy the trip to Pinhão, the next stop, around which most of the famous Port wine estates are located. Don’t forget to visit the beautifully-tiled train station. The seventeenth-century house where you will spend the night is located on the hillside above the town and has magnificent views.
Boat cruise and transfer from final spot to the accommodation included
Day 6 - Stage 5 – Sabrosa to Peso da Régua
The last stage of your biking holiday begins with a trail that takes you along the back roads of the Douro valley and then a gentle cycle path back to the riverside with views that are nothing less than breath-taking, as if the Douro Valley wants to ensure that you will never forget its magic after you leave.
At the end of the day, you will arrive in Peso da Régua, the center of the Port wine-growing region and the capital of the Douro district. The owner of one of the wine states will welcome you with a fine wine on the terrace and invite you to share a cooking experience with her.
Day 7 – Peso da Régua to Porto
Transfer to Porto airport.
End of the program.