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create villas - Douro Valley

If you want a taste of real rural Portugal then a villa in the Douro valley would be the answer. The beautiful Casa de Mendiz is a stylish retreat for a large family or group of friends. 'Create villas' would be happy to help you arrange your perfect villa holiday in the Douro Valley.

The River Douro was once a fast flowing river that has been tamed over the past 25 years by 8 dams along its length giving it, in most places, a tranquil, lake-like appearance. The valley is spectacularly beautiful with the hills falling steeply down to the water´s edge becoming more and more sparsely populated and wild the further inland one travels,a Mediterranean climate encourages the growth of figs, cherries, almonds, oranges and, of course, grapes. It was on these sunny slopes and chalky terraces that Port wine was invented and it was on the River Douro that the barrels were transported in traditional boats to the warehouses of Gaia, on the bank of the river opposite to Oporto.The colour of the land changes throughout the year as the vines mature. February and March though also sees the almond trees in blossom, particularly in the upper reaches, creating blankets of pink-white everywhere. Generally, though, there is little in the way of developed tourism,as far as crowds are concerned, getting around is fairly easy. However, the roads can be difficult driving but offer fantastic unspoilt scenery. More relaxing modes of transport are available, however. Cruise boats ply up and down the valley negotiating the dams via locks of sometimes-breathtaking height. Trips run from Porto, Régua and Pinhão. Alternatively, the Douro railway line which runs 175 kilometres from Oporto to Pocinho joins the river at Mosteirô and for the next 100 kilometres does not leave the bank, making this one of Europe´s great rail journeys. Apart from the port, the excellent Douro wines, both white and red, make excellent accompaniments to the food of the region. Whilst fresh fish is readily available (just as it is everywhere in Portugal) here the meats of the interior start to come into their own with excellent smoked hams and some spicy sausages. If lucky you might see wild boar (javali) on some of the menus.

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