Walking - Douro & Historical Villages

North, Portugal Hiking & Trekking

	Price		Notes
25 September - 2 October 2011	1,850 Euro		guided
1 - 8 May 2011	1,850 Euro		guided
all year round	1,600 Euro		Supported

*Please contact advertiser for rates & availability for your travel dates.

North, Portugal Hiking & Trekking

Active Adventure

Hike through Port Wine vineyards and visit Portugal’s Historical Villages, with its castles and stone wall houses that have kept the same appearance for centuries. This will be an unforgettable week, spent in a country rich in history and flavors. In the Côa river valley, observe some amazing stone carvings from the Paleolithic era in this UNESCO World Heritage site. The hike down of the famous Calçada de Alpajares, also named the Devil’s Trail, is another must of the trip. It will take you to Barca de Alva, with breathtaking views of vineyards planted on terraces along the rolling hills of the Douro River.

Activity Level: Intermediate - You exercise regularly
Total distance: 72,8km / 45,2mi
Average walking time: 5 hours/day
Total climbing: 2414m / 7920ft
Maximum climbing in one day: 461m / 1512,5ft

Typical Day

Day 2: Harvest day or “Winecaching” in Quinta Nova
Today we will spend a very special day in Quinta Nova. You can have fun harvesting grapes (September and October tours), try the winecaching game, try one of the hiking trails in the farm or just relax by the pool. Quinta Nova offers you several options of hiking trails with amazing views of the Douro river and valley. In the harvest season (Sep. 15th to Oct. 15th), you will have the chance to harvest grapes with the specialists, try the first wine in the cellars and have a typical vintage lunch. The harvesting experience will finish with some Port and Douro wine tasting.
If you don’t feel like harvesting grapes, Quinta Nova and A2Z Adventures have launched a completely new activity in Portugal: Winecaching.
It’s basically like Geocaching linked to wine and involves the discovery of “wine caches” spread throughout the Quinta among the vineyards.

Day 5: Douro river railroad and Calçada de Alpajares
After a short transfer to Pocinho we will start our walk in the Douro valley.
We will walk along the famous Douro railroad, no longer in use. The walk is always by the river, with breathtaking views of wine vineyards planted on terraces along the hills of the Douro River. Once we reach the Côa river, a boat will take us to Barca d’Alva.
Barca d’Alva is located in a natural and protected area, known as International Natural Park of Douro, which is the habitat of several birds of prey.
Our hike continues up the famous “Calçada de Alpajares”. The path of Alpajares or Devil’s Path (Calçada do Diabo), as known locally, was part of a Roman road that crossed the Douro river and the Mosteiro stream.
After our walk, a short transfer will take us to the Historical Village of Castelo Rodrigo.

Day 6: Faia Brava Natural Reserve
Today we will visit “Reserva da Faia Brava” (Faia Brava Natural Reserve). The mission of this reserve is to preserve the natural patrimony of Riba Côa area (meaning Côa river-side).
We will start our walk in the small village of Algodres, heading to the Côa Valley. Before our picnic break we will have the chance to stop for some bird watching. The Griffon Vulture and the Bonelli’s Eagle are usually around.
At the end of the day, a short transfer will take us to the Historical Village of Castelo Rodrigo. This village used to be an important place for pilgrims who were going to Santiago de Compostela.
The Castle, dated from the 13th Century, was the stage for many battles, whether with Spanish troops, whether with the British ones.
Outside Castelo Rodrigo we can see the Santa Maria de Aguiar Convent dated from the 12th Century, (founded between 1165 and 1170), probably as a benign monastery.

Sleeping and meals

Accommodations: Luxury (4-5 star inns and boutique hotels)
Meals: breakfast, 6 dinners "a la carte", 6 fully refreshing picnics
Van support and 2 guides.

Rates

GUIDED PRICE: 1850€
Participants: Minimum 5, maximum 16
Price includes: 6 accommodations, 6 dinners, 6 picnics, daily snacks, 2 guides, documentation and maps, GPS tracks, van support, transfers, insurance, A2Z t-shirt and water bottle and VAT taxes.

SUPPORTED PRICE: 1650€
Participants: Minimum 3, maximum 16
Price includes: 6 accommodations, daily snacks, , documentation and maps, GPS tracks, van support, transfers, insurance, A2Z t-shirt and water bottle and VAT taxes.

OPTIONS:
Single supplement: 350€
Extra hotel night in Porto + airport transfer + 1 dinner: 260€

North, Portugal Hiking & Trekking

North, Portugal Hiking & Trekking

A2Z Adventures (View My Profile)
Because we are a Portuguese company, we take great pleasure in showing our charming country and taking you to those unique places that only locals know about. We run bicycling and walking tours in Portugal since 2006.
But you can also join us for a hiking trip in the Alps, Patagonia or the Himalayas or for a grueling bicycle ride in the Pyrenees, Patagonia or Turkey. You choose!
At A2Z Adventures we love what we do and we only run trips that we love to do ourselves.
It´s that simple.

We are a small tour company. And we are proud of it. We try hard to, as often as possible, work with local people and organizations to help the local economy grow. One per cent of our revenues is donated to non-profit organizations that work towards the development of small communities.
Fun, knowledgeable and with at least five years of experience, our guides will make sure that you have a great time, in total safety. They come from very different backgrounds, have different personalities, but there is one thing they all share: their love for traveling and the desire to show you their favorite places in the world.