Once again, it was time to cross a border. We were headed from Spain into northern Portugal, on our way to the Douro Valley. Although I’d been in Portugal in 2017, I’d never visited this scenic area, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here's a sneak peek:
Leaving the coast of Galicia, we first drove inland. The actual border crossing didn’t require any passport check or stop but our phones reminded us that we were now in a different time zone. It was an hour earlier in Portugal. The area straddling the border was green and lush. Bright yellow broom grew along the roadsides. With mild, sunny weather most of the year, the border area is perfect for agriculture.
Our tour leader, Natua, shared some interesting facts about Portugal. In many ways, it’s quite progressive. Same sex marriage is allowed. Homeless people are provided with free shelter and all Portuguese receive free medical care. But as a major entry point for drugs arriving from South America, Portugal has been plagued with drug-related problems in recent years. On a more positive note, it’s a popular vacation spot because of its beautiful beaches and excellent surfing. However, Natua told us that she prefers the beaches in southern Spain because the water at Portugal’s Atlantic coast beaches is very cold.
Our first stop in Portugal was in the city of Chaves, just ten kilometers south of the Spanish border in an area full of vineyards. It’s a charming historic town of slightly under 40,000 people. Pilgrims traveling the Portuguese Camino to Santiago de Compostela have been going through Chaves since the Middle Ages.
The history of Chaves actually goes back 2000 years, to the arrival of the Romans who discovered its hot springs and established a healing spa town here. In the center of the city, we saw the ruins of the Roman thermal baths that were destroyed by a strong earthquake in the late 4th century. The ruins were excavated in 2009. Nowadays, people come to Chaves for thermotherapy in its 120-degree mineral-rich waters.
A restored Roman bridge, the Ponte de Trajano, crosses the Tamega River and is still in use.
The name Chaves means “keys” and refers to the “keys to the kingdom.” Due to its strategic location near the border with Spain, Chaves was an important defensive stronghold during the Middle Ages. We strolled around the grounds of the fortified medieval Castelo de Chaves, which looks out over the sprawl of the modern city.
In the plaza that’s the historic center of town we found the Town Hall and the Gothic Santa Maria Church.
Before we stopped for a home-hosted lunch in Chaves, I tried to flip language switch in my brain and hoped I’d remember to say “Obrigada” for “thank you.” The host family lived in a modern concrete house in a new area of the city where all houses were painted slightly different pastel colors. Each house featured a garden filled with lovely flowers, predominantly roses.
Our gracious host spoke excellent English and she translated for her mother, who had prepared all the food. The six OAT travelers in my group sat around the kitchen table and enjoyed appetizers (fried calamari rings, toast with prosciutto, salad of fresh sliced tomatoes, fresh cheese, green olives); a flavorful chicken soup with noodles; lightly breaded and pan-fried pork cutlets; rice and beans; a salad of tender lettuce from the family’s garden; and a pudding with strawberries for dessert.
Following this feast, we continued our drive south, traveling through the incomparably beautiful Douro Valley and eventually reaching the city of Lamego where our hotel was located. The Douro Valley is one of those special places whose expansive beauty can’t be captured in a single photo. No wonder it’s been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. From the windows of the bus, I couldn’t stop taking photos of the terraced hillsides.
From my hotel window, I could look out at the beautiful scenic view and listen to the birds singing in the pine trees.
Because we were now in a different time zone, the sun rose earlier. When I awoke on our first morning in Lamego, bright sunshine greeted me. It was going to be perfect weather for exploring the Douro Valley. But first, there was a breakfast buffet featuring several Portuguese treats that I simply had to try. I remembered the delicious custard filled pastel de nata from my previous trip. Among the many other delicious offerings, standouts were the pistachio-studded chocolate “salami,” the exceptional pumpkin bread, and the savory seeded croissants. Take a look at my breakfast plates below.
After the multi-course breakfast, we traveled by bus on National Road 2, the road that traverses Portugal from north to south, to National Road 222, considered to be the most beautiful road in the country, to reach the riverside town of Pinhao. Along the way, I gazed at one stunning vista after another.
It was 9:30 in the morning when we boarded a small boat, formerly used to transport grapes to Porto, for a 90-minute ride on the Douro River.
The waters were calm and it was a great way to take in views of the terraced vineyards of the quintas (estates where grapes are grown and wine is made). Quinta, which translates literally to 1/5, originally referred to the first fifth of production that went to the workers.
I learned that wine production became a big business in the Douro Valley in the early 18th century when the British developed a strong predilection for Portuguese wines. Nowadays, forty different varieties are grapes are grown in the valley. The surrounding mountains shield the valley from extreme weather and help create the ideal climate for grape cultivation. There are currently over 200 wine producers in the Douro Valley. The grapes are harvested by hand, starting in late August, and much of the work is done by immigrants or migrant workers. We were told that since the pandemic, it has been quite difficult to find workers.
We followed the boat ride with a guided tour of Quinta do Val Moreira, one of the smaller quintas that overlooks the river. It was founded by two friends in 2018. The estate includes 23 hectares (approximately 57 acres) of grapes, 2 hectares (approximately 5 acres) of olives, and 2 hectares of almonds. The quinta grows ten kinds of red grapes and two kinds of white grapes, and produces 70,000 bottles of wine (multi-varietal blends) annually.
In addition to the vineyards and the winery, the quinta has a lovely restaurant where we watched a demonstration by the chef, sampled hors d’oeuvres, and then had a delicious lunch which included the traditional Portuguese soup, caldo verde con chorizo (kale soup).
After lunch, we toured the winery and did a Port tasting.
In the photo below, on the left, you see the extra dry white Port, which is served cold as an aperitif. In the center is the ruby Port, which is aged about 3 years. It’s a dessert wine with red fruit flavors. It is generally served slightly chilled and pairs well with chocolate. And on the right is my favorite, the caramel-colored tawny Port which can be aged for many years. The one we tried had been aged six to eight years. Tawny Port is served slightly chilled as a digestif.
For people who want to vacation in this magnificent setting, there are guest rooms and a pool on the property. At the moment, I am very tempted to run away from home and spend a few days at Quinta do Val Moreira!
