The Douro river has been carving a gorge through the north of Portugal for millions of years, and for about two thousand years people have been planting vines on its slopes. The terraces, held up by stone walls, climb steeply from the water and rise through schist and slate in rows, and the effect, in the right season, is of a vast green staircase. The Alto Douro was the first wine region in the world to be officially demarcated, by the Marquis of Pombal in 1756, and UNESCO listed it in 2001. Port wine, the sweet fortified red that made the region famous, is still made here.
Lamego, the town on our list, is a small cathedral city on a hill above the valley, best known for its sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, reached by a monumental staircase of baroque zigzags with hundreds of steps. It is also known for a sparkling wine, raposeira, and for smoked ham, and its pastry shops are generous. The old centre is quiet and a little faded, with granite houses, and it makes a good base for the valley, which is a short ride away.
The riding is wonderful. The N222 between Peso da Régua and Pinhão runs along the river and is often described as one of the best driving roads in the world, which is a fair summary, with a fluid sequence of bends, plenty of views over the terraced slopes, and decent asphalt. Other roads climb through the vineyards from the river to the plateau, with hairpins and narrow sections. Traffic can be slow in the harvest season, in September and October, when tractors and workers fill the lanes, but that is also when the colours are at their best, with leaves turning yellow and red. Summers are very hot, with temperatures over forty degrees in the valley.
Lamego has fuel, banks and cafes, and Peso da Régua, a short run to the north, has more. Pinhão railway station is decorated with blue-and-white tile panels showing scenes of the wine harvest, and it is a pleasant stop. If you taste at a quinta, a rider needs to be disciplined, because the wines are strong and the roads narrow and steep. The wineries often have rooms, so staying over is a good solution.