The story of the Douro Valley is that it’s name is derived from the golden color of the water due to the wash of the soil off of the hills. The real gold however is in the wine industry with numerous vineyards with hundreds of acres of grape vines. Many however are owned by foreign interests. We drove down into the valley from Alijo. There were amazing views and the switchbacks and hairpin turns to go with them. After arriving in the town of Pinhao and exploring the docks where the locals were fishing for fresh water “sardines” we boarded our wine cask carrying boat (no longer in use to haul wine) for an excursion through the valley. The river has been tamed by 7 dams and the trip was most pleasant. Vineyards and olives groves as far as the eye could see. Also lots of Blue Heron and Cormorants. After our cruise we drove out the other side of the valley with views that were equally as stunning.
