Douro Valley, Portugal

By Ashley Rudolph

Welcome to Part 2 of my Portugal 2017 series! If you haven't yet seen Part 1, start with my Porto guide.

For me, Douro Valley is a nice break from the city vibes in Porto and Lisbon. Douro presents an opportunity to take a break and spend time appreciating the landscapes, wine, and incredible food you'll find in Portugal. You'll find my favorite Douro Valley finds in this post.

Luxuriate at Six senses

Once you arrive at Six Senses, you immediately enter a state of Zen. The entire resort is designed to make you so incredibly comfortable that you *never* want to leave. I stayed at Six last year and couldn't imagine another trip to Portugal without a stop here. Waking up to a view of the Douro river, mountains, and endless vine covered rolling hills is absolutely priceless. Here are my favorite things about the resort.

The Spa: a visit to the spa at Six Senses is a must. There are plenty of treatments to choose from, ranging from classic massages to non-invasive anti-aging procedures. I've done the holistic massage and the green coffee body sculpting treatment and loved both. If you're lucky you'll be able to snag a reservation for their Alchemy Bar, where you'll learn how to make your own scented body scrubs.
The Vitality Suite: You'll find the Vitality Suite after walking through the spa and past the indoor pool. It's heaven - with five different sauna options and comfortable recliners and flavored water for you to rest up and rehydrate in between sessions.
The outdoor pool and bar: While I didn't spend time at the outdoor pool this time around, it's a fixture on the property. If the weather is nice, you should definitely spend some time lounging at the pool.
Daily tastings in the Wine Library: If you've read my other posts, you know that I love a good wine tasting - I just love wine, period. Six Senses hosts daily wine tastings in their wine library, led by one of their incredibly knowledgeable sommeliers. You'll take a tour of the Douro Valley by trying out different wines from all over the region. We did two tastings this time around and each one was completely different. There's also a self serve wine station (there's different options on rotation) for whenever you need a glass during the day or night.
Tasty dining options: Breakfast is not to be missed, sleeping in is tempting - the rooms at Six Senses are comfortable as hell, but you won't regret it. You'll find anything from fresh fruit juices, on demand Eggs Benedict, an assortment of homemade jams and freshly baked breads and pastries. Dinner at Vale de Abraao and the weekly pre-fixe barbecue were also fantastic.
The extensive wine selection: You'll find over 700 wines on site at Six Senses, which makes it the perfect place to pick up a few bottles for home. Unfortunately, no vineyards or properties in Portugal offered shipping to the US due to newly released import restrictions. Because wine is life, I needed an alternative and ended up stuffing a bunch of bottles in my checked luggage.

Visit Vineyards

You're missing out if you don't visit at least one vineyard while you're in the Douro Valley. Six Senses recommended a few properties to visit and coordinated all reservation details for us. Pro-tip: I'd also recommend asking a sommelier either at Six Senses or in Porto for their recommendations, they know the area well and can also make vineyard recommendations based on the types of wines you prefer. I visited Quinta do Vallado and Quinta Seara d'Ordens. Quinta do Vallado is one of the larger, more well known brands in the region, while Quinta Seara d'Ordens was a smaller, more intimate family owned operation. The views at Quinta Seara d'Ordens were my absolute favorite.

Eat Well

Aside from dining at Six Senses, I had two standout meals in Douro Valley.

Dinner at Castas e Pratos: I knew I was at home when the waitress handed over a textbook sized wine menu (not an exaggeration). You'll love this place for their extensive wine menu - just ask for a recommendation and their duck rice. The goat cheese gratin and the foie gras were also pretty good.
Lunch at Restaurant D.O.C.: While the service at D.O.C. left much to be desired, my meal and the views of the Douro River were incredible. I was pleased with everything from my seafood soup (pictured below), to my perfectly prepared rack of lamb entree.