Pinhao, Portugal

Pinhao is a tiny laid back village only a few hours from Porto.  We came here for three days because it sits on the banks of the Duoro River in the heart of the Duoro wine region, a UNESCO World Heritage site, famous for its vineyards, dramatic landscapes and terraced hillsides.  And let’s not forget…amazing Port 🍷

Many famous wines estates, called ‘quintas’ are located around the village.  The estates offer wine tours and tastings giving visitors the chance to sample different varieties of port wine and learn about the centuries-old winemaking traditions.  The climate in Pinhao is Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers and mild winters.  The region is perfect for growing grapes, and the unique sun-drenched hillsides provide the ideal conditions for producing world-class wines.  It’s incredibly beautiful here, even in December!

Did you know that if port-style fortified wine is produced outside of Portugal, it can’t be labelled ‘port’ unless it’s produced in the Douro Valley in Portugal?  You can visit different vineyards to do guided tours, sample their port and wine varieties and learn about the production process.  We have taken cellar tours previously so this time we chose a few ‘quintas’ to indulge in some tastings.  The places we went during this trip were Quinta do Vallado (they have been around 300 years), Quinta das Carvalhas (we bought one of their ports) and Sandemans Quinta do Seixo.  We visited Quinta dos Seixo last time we were here but their ports are delicious and the views are incomparable from their location high on the hillside.  (click on any photo to enlarge)

The village of Pinhao itself has a rich history reflecting traditional Portuguese rural life, the train station is notable for its beautiful blue and white azulejos ceramic tiles which depict scenes of the region’s wine production.  The population of Pinhao is around 600 people but the town bursts into life during the autumn grape harvest, an event that attracts pickers from all over the country.  It’s a lively time and visitors are often welcome to get involved alongside the local townsfolk.

High above the village of Pinhao is the Miradouro Casal de Loivos, one of the most impressive viewpoints with panoramic views of the terraced vineyards.

One of the best ways to explore the Duoro Valley and enjoy the stunning landscape is by taking a boat cruise along the Duoro River, offering a unique perspective of the vineyards and terraces.  We did a one hour tour with Magnifico Duoro at a cost of 12.50 Euros (USD $13.20) each and because it’s low season there were only 6 passengers on the boat.  This gave the boat captain lots of time to regale Blair with stories of life in Pinhao and why he joined the military to get out and see the world.  The funniest story was his lamenting the lack of ladies to date in the village, and if he did meet one it was more than likely to be a cousin 😂

During our few days in Pinhao we saw 3 river boats in town.  The town is a popular stop along the cruise up the Duoro from Porto and in the summer we were told that the waterfront area will be packed with tourists.  Not so in December but we did enjoy seeing the boats from our apartment.

We have enjoyed our time in the Duoro Valley and now it’s time to pack up our port and drive all the way south to The Algarve…..