Viking River Cruises Portugal Review: The Lowdown on the River of Gold
Portugal is so easy to fall in love with, especially in winter, when it’s cool and soggy over here but warm and cosy over there. No wonder they’re our oldest allies. What’s not to love?
The people are friendly, the food is fantastic and everywhere you go you find stunning spots just oozing with charm and full of fascinating possibilities.
So when I found out you can take a cruise up and down the Douro River, the one that divides Portugal across it’s middle, Mrs C and I booked ourselves onboard, asap.
We then began excitedly counting down the days until we could escape the cold British weather and fly off to have another adventure in the wonderful world of cruising.
When it came to picking the company to go with, there was no debate, it just had to be, Viking Cruises.
Been with these guys before, at sea and on river and they are, quite simply, the bee’s knees. The best that you can get. Reason I know this is because they’ve just been awarded Best Luxury Ocean Cruise Operator and Best River Cruise Operator of the year.
Again. If that wasn’t enough to make their heads burst with justifiable pride, I’ve also noticed something about their customers. They are extremely loyal. Every time I get on one of their ships, around ninety percent of the guests are returners.
In other words, they love the Viking family way of life so much, they keep on coming back for more. Now that’s what I call a rock solid recommendation.
The Lowdown
Getting There
One of the clever ideas the Viking bigwigs have come up with, is the pre-extension. Which means you fly out and start your holiday a couple of days early, staying in a swish hotel to spoil yourselves rotten before joining the ship.
On this trip, it’s included in the package, which is a real bonus, meaning you have ten days and nine nights of luxury to look forward to.
We flew out of London on a frosty wintry morning, arriving just a couple of hours later to find Lisbon basking in sunshine that would not have looked out of place on a British summer’s afternoon.
Lisbon
Our first evening in Lisbon, a city built on a carpet of hills, was spent strolling up and down the neighbourhood pavements, bathing in the atmosphere of the tree filled avenues with their lively cafes, shops and parks. Sheer bliss.
Next morning we went on the included excursion, a coach tour round the city. Was the perfect introduction. Every day on a Viking cruise there are a choice of excursions, some included in the price, others optional extras.
We stopped near the famous Belém Tower, and here is a pro-tip: while the group is snapping photos, make a quick dash to Pastéis de Belém. It’s the bakery where the famous custard tarts were invented in 1837.
Skip the souvenir shop and grab a warm one with cinnamon—it beats the hotel breakfast hands down.
After a quick stop for lunch back at the hotel, we jumped onto the free shuttle bus and headed down to the old town. A labyrinth of cobbled streets, lined with colourful buildings, each one more magnificent than the last.
There are mosaics on the pavements, brightly coloured trams on the roads and a buzz that gladdens the heart. We loved it.
Porto
Next morning we waved goodbye to the hotel and set off for Porto, where we were due to join our ship.
The coach journey gave us a chance to enjoy the scenery as we motored along in comfort before stopping in the rather splendid university town of Coimbra, where we had a coffee in the sunshine, in front of the prettiest little church.
After which, we climbed back onto the coach and soon found ourselves in Porto.
Getting Onboard
The Douro River is a decidedly fine affair. A waterway full of winding curves, terraced green slopes smothered in vineyards and for some of it’s length, so narrow you could probably skim a flat stone from one side to the other.
If you really wanted to. All of which means it can’t deal with enormous ships, so our floating luxurious home from home for the next few days was a “baby longship,” specifically designed to fit into the Douro’s tight locks.
It’s one of just a handful that Viking have on the Douro, with a maximum of 106 passengers and 36 crew onboard at any one time.
This creates a much more intimate vibe than the larger ships on the Rhine or Danube. As with all their boats, it was beautifully built, practically perfect and immaculate from tip to toe. Or, bow to stern, as nautical types would say. Everywhere we looked, every single detail was taken care of.
There was even a swimming pool on the sundeck for those who fancied a bit of splashing about—a feature you won’t find on most other Viking river ships!.
Another unique quirk of the Douro is the “no night sailing” rule. Because the river is tricky, ships must dock by sunset. This is brilliant news for light sleepers—no engine noise at 3 AM—and it guarantees you don’t miss a single inch of the scenery.
Our stateroom
Our stateroom was, as always with these guys, mouthwateringly sweet. Wonderfully thought out throughout.
With storage spaces squeezed into every corner, an excellent ensuite, dreamy soft beds, a window that took up the entirety of one wall and, joys of joys, our very own veranda.
A space where we could sit quietly and watch the world slide by, in magnificent solitude. Once we were settled in, it definitely felt like we were living the dream, following in the footsteps of the rich and famous.
The Food
Another keynote of the cruising world, is the food. It was absolutely amazing. Incredible. Superb. I could go on, but you get the idea.
The chef and his team created daily menus featuring a range of regional dishes and classic combos. Which meant you could either go for a fish dish eaten by the locals or a perfectly grilled steak, whichever you want.
The restaurant had a range of table sizes too, which meant you could either have a quiet meal for two, or buddy up with some of your fellow travellers for a friendly chat over lunch.
Made it a complete cornucopia of delights, where every single serving, on every single day, was a symphony of sweet and savoury pleasure.
They were also fantastic when it came to dietary requirements. Thumbs up all round.
The Staff
Something else I’ve noticed about cruising with these guys is just how universally awesome their staff are.
No idea how they do it, but every ship I have been on, the staff seem to be enjoying themselves almost as much as the guests.
They’re all helpful, friendly, attentive, and, quite frankly, brilliant.
The Itinerary
Was simple but superb, just like the chocolate covered strawberries chef produced one night, it was a marriage made in heaven.
We cruised up the river for a bit, stopping every day for some excellent excursions (there were eight in total), each one giving us the chance to sample the best bits of the local countryside along the way.
A major highlight of the river transit itself was the locks. We passed through five of them, but the Carrapatelo Lock is the real showstopper. It’s the deepest in Europe, rising a massive 35 meters (115 feet).
Entering the concrete chamber feels like floating into a cathedral, and watching the ship rise up into the sunlight is an engineering marvel you won’t forget.
At the head of the river, just before bumping into the Spanish border, we jumped on a coach and went for a daytrip to the gorgeous Spanish town of Salamanca.
After which, the boat turned round and headed back downriver to Porto, in time to spend a day sightseeing, before we flew home again.
My own personal highlights included stopping at Régua on the way upriver, to visit the Mateus Palace.
A splendid old stately home well worth a visit. If, like me, you used to drink Mateus Rose wine way back when, you will know the place. It’s the one featured on the label of their bottles.
From Régua, we also took the trip to Lamego to see the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies. It sits atop a baroque staircase with a staggering 686 steps.
The coach usually drops you at the top so you can walk down, which is a bit of a “knee-trembler” but offers incredible views over the town. It was the closest thing to a proper hike on the trip and well worth the effort!.
Another treat was getting to look round Salamanca. The old town is filled with gorgeous buildings, most made from glowing golden sandstone, some of them belonging to the eight hundred year old university.
There’s also a couple of classy cathedrals, a stunning open square reminiscent of St Marks Piazza in Venice and acres of top notch boutique shopping. It’s the sort of place you visit for the day and decide you need to go back, for a longer look.
On the way downriver we visited Favaios, a cutesy little town with a huge reputation in Portugal.
Surrounded by vineyards, lighting up the landscape with their colourful leaves, the local cooperative makes the worlds finest Moscatel, a fortified, white wine version of Port. A very tasty tipple indeed. We loved it.
Naturally, they saved the best till last, our final day in Porto. Mooring up just by the famous iron bridge, we went on a guided walking tour in the morning, to get our bearings, then passed the afternoon by doing some exploring of our own.
Sipping coffee at a pavement cafe whilst trams rattled past, was the perfect way to finish our trip.
Conclusion
If you fancy exploring Portugals river of gold, this is the way to do it, you’ll be spoilt rotten, pampered to the max and come home with more golden memories than you ever thought possible.
Source link
