Plan your arrival in Porto so we could collect you from the airport (if you are staying already in Porto we will pick you up from your hotel). You will be transferred to the train station in Porto from where your journey begins. By train, you will reach in the charming wine town of Pinhão (2-3 direct trains per day, and a few more requiring a change in Regua). Even the train station reveals the main occupation of the locals - the grape harvest is nicely depicted on the facade by azulejos (hand-painted tiles). The town itself is not proud of any historical or cultural sites to visit, but you may walk around the vineyards, try some pleasant wine sorts or take a boat trip along the River Douro (paid on spot). Let your journey start with a bit of gastronomic pleasure and pamper yourself with a traditional dish.

The first hiking day will be demanding but your efforts will be rewarded with amazing views of the surrounding terrace vineyards. The steep stages of your ascent will be when hiking towards villages of São Cristóvão do Douro and Provesende. The walking trail starts first easily along the side of Pinhão River, which will lead you to a watermill and enters in forested shady areas from time to time. Time permitting you can pay a visit to Quinta da Fonte do Milho, where you can taste elegant Douro reds and whites, rich local olive oil, and other artisanal delicacies, each bite and sip steeped in tradition. Your next two nights will be in Provesende.

Although today’s hike is not that challenging you will have plenty of excuses to stop for a break - the outstanding landscapes with diverse scenes deserve to be captured on your camera. Leaving your base you will head up for a scenic walk tracing the highest parts of the Douro wine region. The vistas vary from the small villages and towns scattered around the surrounding hills (namely Sabrosa, Provesende and Vilarinho de São Romão), to the terraced slopes of the Pinhão and Douro valleys, hiding farms and wine estates. Don't miss the opportunity to explore some of these villages filled with examples of traditional architecture or observe local land cultivation practices, fine-tuned during the last decades.

Time to bid farewell to Vilarinho de São Romão as your walking trip continues onwards with a short morning transfer to the trailhead. The first stage of the daily challenge will take you to Sabrosa, a place where its believed that the explorer Fernando Magellan was born. From there you follow an ancient road in order to reach the village of Favaios. The route passes again through stunning terraces and the view across the valley and the hills is breathtaking. Before moving along we suggest you to try the local Moscatel wine with a bite of wood oven-baked bread while in Favaios. When you recharge your batteries you get ready to set off for the last stage of the walk towards Alijó - small and vivid market town. It is located at the edge of Douro region and offers splendid panoramic views to the nearby folded mountains. Alijó will be your residence for another two nights of the program.

Today you will make a loop trek around the valley and reach the ancient village of São Mamede da Ribatua. The first stage of the walk (before the village) crosses flat vineyards, contrasting with the craggy hills of the mountains beside them. Once you reach São Mamede da Ribatua think about the options on how to spend the rest of the day. For sure you have to find a local restaurant and enjoy a tasty meal but before that, you may consider walking to the nearby reservoir (standing 3 km away from the village). This will extend a bit your walk but you will have more time to admire the unique landscape around you, passing through orange and olive groves. There is also an opportunity to take a taxi back to Alijó if you would like to skip the hiking back. This could be combined either if you walk to the dam or not. The return hike ascends steeply after the village but then continues along on a gentle path to Alijó.

As you say goodbye to Alijó, with each step ahead you are getting closer to the place where your independent walking trip has started - Pinhão. But before reaching it, you have some more villages to discover and wineries to try their production. Despite its length, this hiking trek is not demanding, on the contrary, it is one of the most pleasant and easy to take. Most of the time the walking trail is downhill or horizontal. You will have the unique chance when looking behind your back to see the villages you have already been - Vilarinho de São Romão and São Cristóvão do Douro. The highlight of today’s walk is hidden behind one of the curves of your trail - the glittering waters of River Douro. In Casal de Loivos you will be accommodated in majestic country house dates back to the 17th century. The house is considered to has one of the most breathtaking panoramic views not only in Douro but in the whole of Portugal. You may spend the afternoon near the pool and the absolute pleasure will be your dinner - prepared to please the most demanding of tastebuds. N.B. Subject to availability we always aim at booking the above accommodation (dinner is payable locally). This is not always possible though. If there is no availability, your program will be amended in a way to still perform the walks as per program, but involving additional transfers to/from the trailhead.

Time to leave the house and head off to Pinhão - the alpha and omega of your hiking adventure. The hike is very short but you may extend the time spent outdoors with a picnic near the vineyards. Celebrate the end of your self-guided walk with a delicate wine in some of the wine estates along the way. Since you’ve been arriving around lunchtime in Pinhão you may consider strolling around the village before taking the train back to Porto (you need to collect your main luggage from Pinhão train station before boarding the train). In Porto you could also have some cultural exploration so our suggestions are Ribiera district or Rua das Flores.

Transfer to Porto Airport/train station. End of services.