Pinhão

East of Peso da Régua, the minor N222 hugs the south side of the Douro River, the train the north side, until reaching the small port wine town of PINHÃO, 25km to the east. It’s a wonderful route and there’s a real sense of arrival at Pinhão, where the river broadens and the terraced hills close in. Cruise boats tie up along a broad riverside esplanade, where a couple of bars look out over a fjord-like vista and there’s a welcome breeze in the evening air. Trains pull in at the delightful station in town, clad in azulejos depicting the wine harvest. Part of the station has been converted into a classy wine shop and there’s also a wine museum in the old station staff living quarters, tours of which include a couple of glasses of vinho. If you’ve come by car, don’t miss the short, winding seven-kilometre drive up to the miradouro at the small village of Casal de Loivos (Favaios/Alijó road) – some say there’s no better view along the whole Douro River.