Douro River, Portugal

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Entry posted by korver · August 9, 2021

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Our next stop is a natural wonder that's a UNESCO World Heritage site - the Portugal's Douro River. The Douro is the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula and rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province, central Spain, and meanders south briefly then flows generally west through the north-west part of central Spain and into northern Portugal (which is the part we'll be covering today) to its mouth at Porto, the second largest city of Portugal. The river is notable for the scenic Douro railway line, tourism more generally and – relatedly – the creation and production of a mildly fortified wine: port, grapes, conventional wines and other agricultural produce. Let's start off in the major city of Porto at the river's mouth - one of Portugal's most iconic cities and known across the world for it's famous wines.

We head eastwards along the Douro, and the landscape quickly becomes much more rural. Olive groves and rural farmland flanks the edges of the river for miles around.

The entire valley has been greatly shaped by humans over the decades - and some parts of the valley have been changed forever. Here we see one of the many dams that have been built along the length of the river - although they provide important hydroelectricity for the region, they have drastically changed the river's ecosystem and left entire villages and vineyards completely submerged.

We've now arrived in the heart of wine country - and vineyards flank much of the river's length. Although the farmland is beautiful and agriculture is one of the region's most
important economic activities - they've also permanently changed the natural landscape along the river's edges.

As the elevation continues to rise, the nearby vineyards and farmland start to take on a new appearance. Steep, terraced farms and stone embankments flank over the river's edges, making for a dramatic view over the river's edges. The famous Douro railway line carves through this rugged landscape as well along the river's edges - offering some scenic views of the entire area.