Food And Drink: Food in Portugal - What to Know and Eat
Thinking about traveling to Portugal and want to know all about the food? If so, then read our article.
Family — 20s & Beyond
Activity Levels 1-4
Small Luxury Ship
The Douro River Valley—an idyllic place to venture with your family off the beaten track. From Spain to Portugal, discover old-world Europe along this enchanting river. Jumbled hillside villages and sun-soaked vineyards. Churches clad in gleaming azulejos. Port wine in Porto. Experience one of Europe's best-kept secrets with us.
Start Salamanca, Spain / End Porto or Lisbon, Portugal
Start/End locations may vary. Do not book flights until your trip details are confirmed.
DAYS 1-2 Venture from Salamanca, a World Heritage site, to the sleepy village of Lumbrales | Take in sweeping views as you bike into the Douro Valley and arrive at our ship | Bike amid a patchwork of pastures, almond orchards and olive groves | Cycle to a fortified hilltop village for epic vistas into Portugal and Spain.
DAYS 3-4 View the dazzling tiles in Pinhão, a mecca for wine lovers | Bike through lush forests and the World Heritage Alto Douro region, with showstopping views | A scenic ride brings you to hilltop villages before descending back to the river | Enjoy lunch at a family-run quinta (winery) accompanied by beautiful views of the riverscape | Visit Lamego, known for its baroque architecture and fine wine.
DAY 5 Soak up stunning views of the countryside from the vantage point of our ship | Ride along the Douro with a lovely backdrop of wine estates, perhaps catching a glimpse of the ship from high above.
DAY 6 Bike or cruise the final stretch of the Douro into Porto, where a private guided walking tour awaits | This alluring World Heritage city will charm you with its splendid architecture, winding alleyways and ever-changing views.
DAYS 7-8 Follow a bike path that traces the Atlantic coast, breathing in fresh ocean air along the way | Get a feel for local life in the Vila Nova da Gaia neighborhood | Arrive back at our ship and take in superb vistas of Porto from the deck.
A luxurious custom-designed ship featuring stylish private staterooms, panoramic windows, French balconies, an onboard team of classically trained chefs and inviting areas to socialize with fellow passengers. (pool)
The earlier you book, the more choice you'll have and the lower your price. And you can always change your mind — you won't be charged to transfer to a different trip before your final payment is due. View cancellation policy
Click on dates for pricing, itinerary variations and to book your trip. Price is per person, double occupancy.
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Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. Several routes and a range of levels are offered each day so you can choose how much or how little activity you want to do. Learn more about how we determine activity levels.
We want to make sure you're on the right trip and that you have the best experience possible. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception.
The ships we sail on are like a floating luxury hotel, so you can visit a new destination each day without touching your suitcase once you've settled in. Our ships are custom‐designed with a variety of inviting spaces that offer plenty of room for both relaxing and socializing. These ships are vastly smaller than most cruise ships, with up to just 150 passengers on our river trips and up to only 250 on our ocean trips.
We sail with up to 30 Backroads guests per group. Occasionally there may be more than one Backroads group onboard and you may cross paths with the other group on routes or at restaurants. When this occurs, each group will have their own dedicated onboard Backroads leaders.
If you're new to Backroads active cruise trips, there are a few things you need to know. Our cruises are smaller, and much more intimate than a typical cruise. They are also quite lively, social experiences, shaped by both our Backroads group and the larger ship community. Additionally, even with an itinerary subject to fixed nautical schedules that may occasionally limit our time on shore, we get out and explore far beyond the cruise norm. If you love meeting new people, enjoy the ease of unpacking once, and don't mind a set schedule of port departure times, you'll love our approach to active river and ocean cruising. Nobody does it like we do.
On our active cruises, we seek out diversity by including regionally authentic and inventive meals for onshore lunches, picnics and the occasional onshore dinner. On-ship meals, though delightful, are meant to appeal to a wide cross section of passengers and may at times feel more conventional for some, and less reflective of the region than on Backroads hotel trips.
Our daily itinerary is based on scheduled sailing and port arrival times and as a result some days have more opportunities for exploring on land while other days have more sailing time. Every river has its own unique temperament and for centuries water levels have shifted due to rain, temperature and agriculture. High water levels may mean the ship cannot pass under a bridge, low water levels result in slower sailing, and a disabled lock can also lead to some extra cruising time. Should any unforeseen change happen during your river cruise, we will work closely with AmaWaterways' captain and staff, who are very experienced in going with the flow.
In contrast to our usual land-based trips, which have similar room categories, the AmaWaterways ships offer a wide range of stateroom categories. The top-tier staterooms often fill fast so book as early as possible if this is important to you.
Most port conditions require that ships tie up alongside each other, in which case you may need to walk through another ship to access our ship. This is a part of river cruising due to its popularity. You may experience obstructed views from your stateroom when the ship is double-docked, but rest assured that as soon as we set sail again your beautiful views will be restored.
Thinking about traveling to Portugal and want to know all about the food? If so, then read our article.
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