The four hour drive to the Douro region of Northern Portugal was not scenic, but once we arrived we understood why this area is so highly recommended. What made our stay so nice was: our charming casa (Casa Agricola de Levada), the historical and beautiful Mateus gardens/castle and, the stunning views of the surrounding countryside. We were based in the town of Vila Real, high above the Douro River Valley and it’s rich vineyards that produce port wine. Our introduction to Port wine came from our lovely Casa hosts Innes and Ricardo. We were soon to become Port enthusiasts and will not forget our evening chats with Innes over a couple or more glasses of the house Port. We loved the grounds surrounding our cottage. The property had once been a prosperous farm and Innes had remodeled the old buildings and gardens to make a luxurious hotel. Easy accessibility to fabulous hikes, the city proper, the Duoro river and valley made this hotel one of our favorites and not soon to be forgotten. The Casa provided us with maps for excellent hikes including a secret waterfall, an awesome river walk and a long, hot walk through a natural park above Vila Real.
On the second day of our visit in the region we drove narrow, windy roads down to the banks of the Douro river. From the town of Pinhao, we hopped on a traditional wooden boat. Our Douro river tour was both interesting and informative as we motored along a dramatic panorama of vineyards and grand estates. The Mateus Gardens and Castle were a highlight due to our knowledgeable and charming private guide. What we soon realized as we were on tour here, is that our Casa hostess (Innes) was a descendant of the rich history of this place AND a member of one of the oldest families in this region of Portugal AND our beautiful countryside cottage was was one of the original buildings/farms of the Vila Real District. The house will celebrate it’s 100th birthday in 2022. Thanks to Will’s research, we found this glorious off the grid castle and spent three memorable days and nights here. We highly recommend a visit to The Douro and a stay at the Casa Agricola de Levada. We gave up our day to visit Porto (second biggest city in Portugal) to get more time in this paradise and we have not regretted that decision yet. We said a heartfelt goodbye to our hosts, but were consoled by the fact that we can drink Port forever and drown ourselves in the memories of this special place. We will be listening to Ricardo (husband of Innes and a musician) and the popular Portaguese Fado music of Antonio Zambuto (check it out on iTunes) . Portugal, you have not disappointed.
