8 Day Portugal and Spain Douro River Cruise

A unique opportunity to admire the city of Porto by night during a panoramic tour by bus. You will love the old, preserved districts of this city of immense character, classed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Porto is not only a city rich in vestiges from a glorious past, but also the young-spirited, warm capital city of a region marked by its winemaking as well as its closeness to the ocean. During the tour of the historic centre, your guide will schedule a stop at the Sao Bento railway station to look at its magnificent azulejos. Return on board by coach.

NOTE:

• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.

We’ll leave from Vila Nova de Gaia by coach for downtown Porto. Once we arrive, we’ll board one of the city’s trams and partake in this urban tourism experience all the way to the mouth of the Douro. Our visit will include a stop at the tram museum (Museu do Carro Eléctrico), housed in a former thermo-electric power plant. The museum collection comprises the oldest cars pulled by horses, called “Americanos,” to the last trams from the 1950s and 1960s. We’ll finish up our excursion with a tasting of some of the local specialties*. At the end of our tour, we’ll return to the ship by coach.

NOTE:

• Times are approximate.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Good walking shoes are recommended.
• *Alcohol can be harmful to your health. Please drink in moderation.

DURATION: 4 hrs

Touring Porto via tram and visiting the Tram Museum

We’ll leave from Vila Nova de Gaia by coach for downtown Porto. Once we arrive, we’ll board one of the city’s trams and partake in this urban tourism experience all the way to the mouth of the Douro. Our visit will include a stop at the tram museum (Museu do Carro Eléctrico), housed in a former thermo-electric power plant. The museum collection comprises the oldest cars pulled by horses, called “Americanos,” to the last trams from the 1950s and 1960s. We’ll finish up our excursion with a tasting of some of the local specialties*. At the end of our tour, we’ll return to the ship by coach.

NOTE:

• Times are approximate.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Good walking shoes are recommended.
• *Alcohol can be harmful to your health. Please drink in moderation.

We’ll leave on foot for the Douro Museum to learn about the passionate history and wine-making heritage in the region, an experience combining traditional and modern approaches. We’ll continue by coach for Mateus Palace, a beautiful 18th-century manor in Vila Real. This baroque-style manor belonged to the same family until a foundation was set up to preserve it in 1970. The dramatic splendour and details of the complex offer a unique visual relationship between geometry and space. Enjoy a stroll through the magnificent tree- and hedge-lined gardens, which include a romantic Mexican-cedar topiary tunnel. After, we’ll return to the ship in Pinhão by coach.

NOTE:

• *Alcohol can be harmful to your health. Please drink in moderation.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.

Departure by coach towards Salamanca where you’ll meet up with your guides. Since 1988, the Old Town of Salamanca has been listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The classified area extends on the major part of the city as it used to be until the middle of the 20th century and is responsible for its growing popularity. We’ll visit the cathedral whose successive extensions created a mixture of styles going from late Gothic to Baroque, including Renaissance. Afterwards, we’ll visit one of the world’s oldest Universities which first opened in 1218. Also known as “Escuelas Mayores”, the University building has a sumptuous gate adorned with the city’s most famous design: a frog atop a skull – symbolic of the sin of lust being punished after death. Its wonderful library brims with old manuscripts dating back from prior to the 19th century. You’ll enjoy lunch and be free to discover the city on your own. Return on board in Vega de Teron.

NOTE:

• Good walking shoes are recommended.
• Lunch in a restaurant included (drinks are not included).
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.

DURATION: 10 hrs 30 min

Salamanca Tapas Tour

You’ll leave by coach with our team from Barca d’Alva for Salamanca, where you’ll meet up with the local guide for a tapas food tour in several eateries in the city centre. Discover the wide range of Spanish delights and flavours served as appetizers or snacks. The most well-known include patatas bravas, salads, and cold cuts (chorizo, lomo, Jamón ibérico)—all sublime when served with a glass of Spanish wine. You’ll have lunch in a local restaurant to prolong your immersion in Spanish cuisine. Afterwards, enjoy some free time to stroll about the town on your own. At the end of our tour, we’ll return on board the ship in Vega de Terron.

NOTE:

• Good walking shoes are recommended.
• Lunch in a restaurant included (drinks are not included).
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.

We’ll leave by coach to travel along the Port Wine Route. Portugal has cultivated vineyards since the Roman Empire. In 1756, the Marquis of Pombal created a monopolistic company demarcating the Douro wine region to regulate the production and trading of its wine. The route winds through gorgeous scenery and valleys with the river flowing below. We’ll continue to Pinhão and stop at a quinta for a wine tasting. After, we’ll visit the historic Pinhão train station, known for its superb azulejo frescoes. We’ll return to the ship.

NOTE:

• Alcohol can be harmful to your health. Please drink in moderation.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate

Departure by coach from Régua to Lamego for a guided tour of the city centre by coach and on foot. Lamego is a charming episcopal and commercial town where you’ll get to discover the Nossa Senhora dos Remedios Sanctuary. This 18th century church stands out with its white façade dominating a baroque staircase with 686 steps ending in a shrine built in the rocaille style and adorned with azulejos. The first stone was laid on 14th February 1750 and gave way to the construction of a massive temple overlooking the city and providing a breathtaking view over the misty mountains of the surrounding landscape. Return on board in Régua.

NOTE:

• Good walking shoes are recommended.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.
• Please dress appropriately to visit the sanctuary

We’ll leave by coach from Porto for Guimarães. With our guide, we’ll begin the tour of this university town on foot to discover its historical treasures. We’ll get the chance to discover the Nossa Senhora de Oliveira Church (outdoors), the most important religious building in the city. The medieval heart of Guimarães is a labyrinth of lanes and picturesque plazas framed by 14th-century buildings. We’ll continue to the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza, a medieval estate and former residence of the first Dukes of Braganza with striking architecture. The palace is closed on May 1 and Easter Day.

At the end of our visit, we’ll return on board in Porto.

NOTE:

• Wear comfortable, sturdy walking shoes.
• The order of the visits can change.
• Times are approximate.

DURATION: 4 hrs

Quaint Afurada

We’ll leave by coach for the mouth of the Douro River to set off on an atypical stroll to Afurada, located on the southern bank. We’ll visit the Afurada Heritage Interpretive Centre. The space was designed to keep the local traditions and livelihoods in the fishing village alive. Permanent and temporary exhibits showcase fishing tools and traditional clothes so that each visitor understands the daily life and cultural distinctions in the community. Enjoy some time on your own in this charming village. Lose yourself in the backstreets lined with colourful homes. Don’t forget to sample delicious seafood dishes at a local tavern! We’ll return to the ship.

NOTE: