Sailing the beautiful Douro

I sailed the Douro on the new ship Riviera Rose in July. The cabins are contemporary in design with a great en suite and a very comfy bed! Most have a Juliette balcony. Some on the lower deck have a window. There is a pool on the sun deck with a small restaurant serving great lunches or you can book to eat in evening some nights, though the main restaurant is inside and serves the most wonderful food. The service is always with a smile and there is a lovely bar lounge with panoramic windows so you can take in the ever changing views you are sailing by. There is a small gym on the lower deck (it has three decks in total) and with the small pool on the sundeck there are plenty of places to sit and watch the beautiful scenery float by or the amazing transformation of the sun deck when going through locks! I would recommend this way of travelling Porto was the starting and finishing point and I’d recommend a weekend there for sure! Visit the train station to see the wonderful painted tiles, the cathedral and the square, go down to the waterfront where restaurants spill out onto the street to entice you in or wander the medieval streets with steps that’ll test your fitness! Some of the pretty towns, winery and views of the Douro are amazing. This is a lesser known part of Portugal and they really welcome tourists, particularly the Port drinking ones! They are so passionate and proud of their different ports and wines and so they should be! Exploring it in on a river cruise is a relaxing and beautiful way and you can try as much wine as you like but of course self-driving a car or motorbike is another way with plenty of overnight stops if you plan to try the local wines! Salamanca was one of the visits on this Douro river cruise. We took an excursion from the boat into Spain to visit for the day. Stunning city with two cathedrals, very walkable and has a plaza mayor in the centre surrounded by cafes and restaurants but lots of little side streets with shops, cafes and restaurants. Definitely one to add to the city break list! Get in touch for more information on this and other river cruises.