History of the Douro – from Portugal to Spain - MS Douro Elegance
Holiday Highlights
- Visit the star-shaped fortress of Almeida and learn more about the Siege of Almeida and the Peninsular War in the Military Museum.
- Soak up stories from the region's history during on-board talks by experts.
- Tour Salamanca and see its nearby battlefields, where the Earl of Wellington earned his reputation as a prominent defensive general.
- Explore historic Porto and learn more about the fierce Anglo-French battle, The Crossing of the Douro.
- Savour the taste of Portuguese wine in traditional quintas, learn all about the stages of wine production and about the historic ties between the UK and Portugal.
What's Included
- Prices are per person, based on two people sharing a twin cabin with a limited number of sole occupancy cabins available, at the relevant supplement. The price includes:
- Full board during your cruise from dinner on your day of arrival until breakfast on your final day
- Free Superior drinks package
- Complimentary on-board tea and coffee
- Complimentary on-board Wi-Fi (connection speeds may vary)
- All visits and excursions as mentioned
- Return flights
- Coach travel as mentioned
- Transfers from the airport to and from the port of embarkation
- English-speaking expert guides
- The services of a Riviera Travel Cruise Director
Itinerary
Day 1
Arrival in Porto Arrive in Porto and transfer to our luxurious ship. From the moment you board, the welcoming crew will be at your service. In no time you’ll be settled into your luxurious, thoughtfully furnished accommodation and familiarising yourself with all the first-class aspects of this floating boutique hotel.
Day 2
Cruise towards Pocinho You can relax over a leisurely breakfast as the scenery idly slips by through the restaurant’s superb panoramic windows. It might be hard to imagine but the Douro was once a wild river, notoriously challenging to navigate, especially for the traditional flat-bottomed boats which sunk in its torrents. Thankfully, today it has been tamed by a system of dams and locks, which have raised the water level to produce a topography reminiscent of Scotland’s lochs, enhancing the valley’s charm. Almeida Fortress Onshore, we'll visit Almeida Fortress, a fortified town that came under siege in the Peninsular War. Once thought to be impenetrable, it held firm against the French for 12 days before the fortress's own magazine erupted in a massive explosion that stunned its defenders and left it open to attack. The force of the explosion was so powerful, that some of its granite blocks were said to have been found as far as three miles away. The defensive system - casemates, sentry boxes, hidden passages, and embrasures for cannons - is still present in some areas of the fortress. The structure is a complex system of bulwarks, ravelins, platforms, trenches, and a moat with only two entrances protected by bomb-proof gates. While from the ground these may look like normal fortress walls the view from above reveals a complex geometric shape - a 12-point star. Its design eliminated all dead zones by exposing the enemy to fire from all sides, which significantly increased the defender's firing efficiency. We'll visit the fascinating Museu Histórico Militar de Almeida. Displays of weaponry, uniforms and military paraphernalia from each period are housed in a series of underground rooms, originally used for storage and shelter during times of siege. It's an atmospheric setting in which to learn more about the town's military history. After dinner back on board we will see a celebratory vintage port wine opened in the traditional way. Included experiences: Visit to Almeida Fortress and Military Museum.
If cruising is an art, then this ship has truly mastered it; constructed with the very latest technology and a strong environmental ethic in mind, yet simultaneously retaining a classic, refined elegance reminiscent of cruising from a bygone era, this five-star, fully-air-conditioned river cruiser has been purpose-built to fit the unique size limitations of the Douro’s five locks and features all the facilities you would expect in a top-class hotel and more so your cruise will be as relaxing as possible and your stay on board will be a uniquely memorable one.
Accommodating just 119 guests in the most exquisite of surroundings, the ship’s spectacular design and high specification ensures this vessel feels exceptionally light and airy. The generous ratio of 3:1 guests per crew member ensures a first-class personal service plus the friendly ‘small ship’ feel so beloved of Riviera Travel cruise aficionados, enables the ever attentive crew to revel in taking care of all those little things – leaving you to simply sit back, relax and enjoy every minute of your sensational Portugese or Spanish river cruise experience.