Douro River Guide
The river Douro rises near Madrid and flows west through spain and into Northern Portugal before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at Porto. The Douro is the third longest river of the Iberian Peninsula and is navigable in Portugal between Peso da Régua and Porto (Oporto), the second largest city in Portugal.
The Douro is one of Europe's lesser-know rivers. It is very picturesque and flows through some of the spectacular wine growing regions of Portugal and was in the past used to transport wine from the vineyards to Oporto's wine houses. The steeply terraced banks of the Douro are still home to port-wine grapes, vineyards, scented citrus and almond groves and many small villages.
Most Douro river cruises take you on a scenic path through deep cleft gorges terraced with the vineyards, past local villages and a tranquil countryside, before you reach the Spanish border. >From here you can visit Spain's ancient seat of learning, Salamanca
with its grand buildings in rich copper hues and Spain's most magnificent square, Plaza Mayor.
Although not included in our seach facility, please call the team at rivercruising.co.uk for cruises along the Douro with Cosmos Holidays. A brochure is available on request. Details of the 2009 holidays will however be posted online.
Please call a member of our RiverCruising team to find a Douro river cruise on 0844 736 9379