My husband, Tom, and I decided in the late fall to take a trip somewhere, anywhere to celebrate a life milestone. A 2025 study by the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) placed Portugal as the second most popular destination after Italy for American travelers. After some research, we decided that the Douro River Valley would be our destination. Early November brings fall temperatures and autumn colors to the area.    

Our journey began in Lisbon three days prior to setting sail on our river cruise. Lisbon is a beautiful city notable for its unique, hand cut, patterned stone sidewalks. Charming businesses and the narrow city streets were decorated with white lights for the holidays.  We sampled the legendary sweet pastry, Pastel de Nata, with its original, hundreds year old recipe remaining a secret. We then ventured north to Porto, a world UNESCO heritage site most famous for its port wine and traditional fado music. A walking tour of the city included a ride on the 61-meter funicular, similar to Pittsburgh’s Incline. Most memorable was the Sao Bento Railway Station with its stunning 20,000 floor to ceiling hand painted azulejo tiles that depict Portuguese life. 

We sailed from Porto toward Madrid. Our cruise director said that we would be entering ‘into the wilderness.’ As we cruised the Douro by day, most striking was the serene, virtually untouched landscape, granite flanked, with steep lush green- and gold-colored hillsides. For miles we did not see a home or business, not even a cell tower. I was struck by the untouched beauty. 

Along the way, we enjoyed the towns of Lamego where we climbed 686 steps to the shrine of Our Lady of Remedies and Pinhao where we saw 100-year-old vines clinging to steep, terraced hillsides. We learned how climate change is affecting the grape and winemaking.

Our final day in Madrid was magical. We were among an estimated 50,000 locals who joyfully celebrated light up night. As we concluded our stay, we reflected upon this adventure along the Douro as a favorite stop on our own camino.