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Overview

Discover the beautiful river valleys of the Tras-os-Montes on our fourteen-night holiday to Porto and Peneda Geres.

Your holiday begins in the historic city of Guimaraes, birthplace of the Portuguese nation, where you’ll get acquainted with the historic plazas and traditional architecture of this UNESCO-protected medieval city.

Next, you’ll head north into the Tras-os-Montes region of Portugal, which sits between the natural river borders of the Douro and Tamega and is renowned for its fabulous regional wines, olive oil and honey. Your home is the Peneda Geres National Park – if you enjoy hiking and kayaking, Peneda Geres is a playground with its granite mountains and rugged rivers valleys.

You’ll end your stay in Portugal’s bustling second city Porto. It’s a nice contrast to your time in rural Geres – the city’s brightly coloured architecture, rickety wooden trams, riverside restaurants and port lodges make for a memorable end to a great holiday.

Gallery

Itinerary

Day 1

Fly direct from the UK to Porto. You’ll collect a hire car on arrival before driving to your accommodation at the Pousada Mosteiro Guimaraes.

Day 2

You’ll have today free to explore Guimaraes, the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza and the Castelo de Guimaraes: the 10th century medieval castle and treasured national symbol of Portugal.

Day 3

You'll take the teleferico cable car up to the summit of Montanha da Penha overlooking the Serra da Penha. The summit Parque is a great spot for a picnic, with a number of interesting chapels and monuments. In the afternoon, you’ll take a tour of the vineyards at Casa de Sezim – popular for its Vinho Verde: a light, young wine popular across Portugal for it’s fresh, floral flavour.

Day 4

You might like to explore the old Roman city of Braga – the Praca da Republica, the Thermae Maximinus baths and the Bom Jesus do Monte. monument and popular pilgrimage site.

Day 5

You’ll take a tour of the vineyards at Casa de Sezim. The Entre-Douro-e-Minho region of Portugal (between the Douro and Minho rivers) is the home of Vinho Verde – a light, young wine popular across Portugal for it’s fresh, floral flavour.

Day 6

You’ll leave Guimaraes today, driving north to your new accommodation at the Pousada Canicada Geres in the Peneda Geres National Park. The park is a protected habitat for Portugal’s Golden Eagle population and the endangered Iberian Wolf. It’s also great place for outdoor activities like biking, kayaking and canyoning.

Day 7

You’ll head out onto the the calm waters of the Canicada reservoir on either paddleboards or kayaks (just let us now your preference). In the afternoon, you might like to take a drive to the Miradouro de Fafiao, ending the day with swim beneath the waterfall at the Cascatas de Fecha de Barjas.

Day 8

You’ll take a drive up to the Miradouro da Pedra Bela - a beautiful viewpoint (at 829m) which looks down the full length of the Cavado river valley. From here, it's a ten-minute drive and a short walk to the Casata do Arado waterfall on the Rio Arado river.

Day 9

You'll take a guided walk along trails dating back to medieval times, through an ancient landscape of gorse, heather, grass and granite, surrounded by magnificent views of the Amarela mountain rangs.

Day 10

You might like to drive up the mountain pass to the town of Geres itself for a swim in the Caldas do Geres Thermal Baths, followed by a visit to the Portela do Homem waterfall on the Portuguese/Spanish border.

Day 11

You’ll leave the Peneda Geres today, driving into Porto for your four-night stay at the Porto River Aparthotel.

Day 12

You’ll have a free day to explore Porto on foot, with visits to the Sé Cathedra, the Sao Bento train station, the Praca da Liberdade, the Lello bookshop and the Clerigos Tower. In the afternoon, you could cross Porto’s most famous landmark, the Ponte de Dom Luis I Bridge, to the port house district where you can learn more about Porto’s most famous export.

Day 13

You’ll spend today on a tour of Douro Valley, where wine has been produced for over 2,000 years, with visits to the Quinta do Portal estate, the riverside town of Pinhao and Quinta do Bomfim.

Day 14

You’ll have a free day to explore – you might like to head downriver to Foz do Douro, via the Avenida da Boavista. In the afternoon, you could explore the university district – home to Porto’s contemporary art scene.

Day 15

You'll be transferred to the airport for your flight home.

From £2600 per person

We can create a tailor-made holiday to suit your budget.

Direct flights from the UK, accommodation in twin/double en-suite rooms on a B&B basis, airport transfers, eleven days car hire, a three-hour vineyard tour, a two-hour kayaking session and a full-day Douro Valley wine tour.

Accommodation

Pousada Mosteiro Guimaraes
Pousada Canicada Geres

Activities

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Kayaks, SUPs and Surfing From paddleboarding, kayaking and canoeing, to world-class surfing, kitesurfing and windsurfing, Portugal…

Location

Northern Portugal

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