A new port of call far north of the Algarve
IF you’re thinking of getting away to Portugal this summer, chances are it’s the Algarve you’re considering, for a bit of sea, sardines or the swing of a golf club. Well fine, the country’s southern region does all those things extremely well. However, British holidaymakers tend to forget what the rest of the country has to offer – exceptional old towns, stunning countryside, escape from the main tourist trails of southern Europe and, of course, port. Lots of it.
Among the reasons for visiting Portugal is the friendliness of its people – they’re generally known as Anglophiles, and the trickiness of their own language means that, like the Dutch, they tend to be excellent linguists and happy to talk in English – and then there’s the fact that the country runs on Greenwich Mean Time, so there is no need to lose any hours.
A particular reason right now, however, is value for money. According to a report published by Post Office Travel Money last month, living costs in Portugal have fallen by a whopping 40 per cent in the past year. Tie that to sterling’s relative recovery against the Euro, and you’ve got lots of incentive to head there.
Right now the place to explore is the handsome bucolic expanse of the Douro Valley in the north – port country. The drink takes its name from Oporto, the medieval city that lies across the river Douro at its estuary – think dense, narrow streets, washing hanging from windows, cobbled courtyards, ancient churches and locals grilling sardines outside. Beyond, the river weaves its way between steep hills that have been terraced for vine growing. It’s stunning countryside, and atmospheric villages like Regua, with its Museum of the Douro, and Pinhao are worth discovering.
“It’s a remote part of the world, and seeing it right now is rather like Tuscany would have been back in the Sixties and Seventies,” says Adrian Bridge, an Englishman who has opened a new luxury hotel in Oporto, The Yeatman (see right). “There’s very little construction, and the sensations are beautiful, like the smell of the baked soil in the sunshine.”
For anyone wanting something more urban and buzzy, the capital city, Lisbon, shouldn’t be discounted. With its hillsides studded with red slate-roofed houses, grand palaces, rickety streets and trams, museums and nightlife, it’s a place of history, culture and style that ranks with the best European cities. The museum district Belem in the west of the city, the nightlife of the Bairro Alto, the ancient centre Alfama with the grand Castle of Lisbon and Moorish history, and the grand central Baixa zone offer the weekend traveller so much to explore that one can forget all about the Algarve and its samey, endless golf courses.
PINHÃO | QUINTA DA ROMANEIRA
A remarkable five-star hotel in the Pinha area with stunning views over the Douro Valley. Mixing rustic chic with minimalist cool, its star features include a cliff-top pool overlooking the river valley, an ultra-smart spa and hammam, a chocolaterie and the chance to take a boat ride on the river. As for dining, fresh local produce is served on a terrace shaded by lemon trees, a refectory and a library. A nice touch is the glass of port offered after evening meals. www.maisonsdesreves.com/romaneira
PINHÃO | VINTAGE HOUSE HOTEL
Formed around the the old house of an 18th century estate, the Vintage House Hotel mixes traditional charm with modern comforts. The Douro area is meant to induce calm for those looking to escape the grind of commuting and the hotel will help, thanks to an idyllic pool, tennis courts and heavenly views. All rooms and suites have a veranda, facing onto the river and mountains. The hotel’s Wine Academy could be the way to become a port connoisseur. www.csvintagehouse.com
OPORTO | THE YEATMAN
A newly-opened hotel in the city of Oporto, The Yeatman is linked to one of the oldest and most distinguished port businesses established by British merchants in the 19th century. The spa has “vinotherapie” treatments, based on natural ingredients drawn from the vineyard, including “barrel bath immersions”, which one imagines may be as sensational as the hotel’s wine cellar. It opens next month. www.the-yeatman-hotel.com