DireCtions in oPorto anD the Douro 269‘... owing to the absence of any kind of accommodation, the traveller is entirely
dependent on the courtesy of owners or occupiers of quintas along his lines of route.
When an invitation is given to you to take up your quarters in one of these quintas, it is
invariably accompanied by the intimation that you must be prepared to “rough it”. But
it usually happens that the only roughing of it you have to undergo is over the villainous
roads which lead to your destination. There is no lack of hospitality, and you are feasted
on fowls, turkeys, and hams, and on beef and mutton – which, by the way, have to
be sent for a distance of ten miles ... the finest grapes are of course in abundance. The
choicest of Tawny Port, which has lost all its fruitiness during a quarter of a century in
cask, is at your service...’Accommodation in the Douro is much better than it was in Vizetelly’s day and there is
plenty of choice. In the Baixo Corgo, the Solar da Rede () near Mesão Frio is a grand
eighteenth-century mansion with views over the river, now converted into a luxurious hotel
with the atmosphere of a private country house. Upstream and on the opposite side of the
river is the Aquapura (*), a spa hotel on an old Port quinta. Régua boasts a large modern
hotel (Hotel Régua Douro ) but it does not have much in the way of local character.
Pinhão provides much the most convenient base for visiting the Douro. In 1998 Taylor
converted their riverside armazém into The Vintage House Hotel (***). No longer owned
by Taylor, it is managed by C. S. Hotels who also run the Solar da Rede. There is more modest
accommodation in Pinhão, but the best way to soak up the atmosphere of the Douro is to
stay on a Port quinta. Quinta de la Rosa offers bed and breakfast accommodation and has
two houses to rent on the estate. Nearby at Chanceleiros, a German family have converted
an old manor house (Casa Visconde de Chanceleiros) into holiday accommodation with
both a swimming pool and a squash court. In a quiet setting away from the river at Vale de
Mendiz, Quinta do Passadouro also offers bed, breakfast and evening meal. For luxurious
accommodation, it is worth climbing to Casal de Loivos above Pinhão where the Sampaio
family have converted a seventeenth-century house (Casa do Casal de Loivos). Don’t be
put off by the scruffy approach through the village: at the front of the house is a terrace and
swimming pool with a magnificent view of the Douro. Just upstream from Pinhão is the
Romaneira, Quinta dos Sonhos (). This Relais et Châteaux Hotel is a destination in
itself. It stands above the river and is on a 400-hectare quinta, producing its own Port and
Douro wine.
what to eat in oPorto anD the
Douro
The inhabitants of Oporto are known as Tripeiros (tripe eaters) after the city’s staple dish,
tripas a moda do Porto. This seemingly unappetising but spicy dish is served in restaurants
throughout the city. Another local speciality is the francesinha, bread topped with steak,
sausage, tomato and melted cheese. Often eaten as a snack, it is a weighty dish best washed