An Iberian River Journey

Our highest quality-rated European river cruise, this unique exploration of the Iberian Peninsula, travelling beyond the popular northern coastal cities deep into the heart of the Portuguese and Spanish countryside. The Douro Valley is a region of stunning natural beauty, a serene landscape of hillside vineyards lining the winding river banks of the Rio Douro.

Port Wine production is the main industry, the low altitude of the river banks perfect for cultivating the sweet grapes unique to Portugal’s national drink, and the grapevines create a characteristic look; thousands of tiers of vine-lined terraces rippling in an ordered yet chaotic cascade across the contours of the Douro’s many imposing riverside mountains. Another feature of the Douro is its many dams, transforming the river into a series of slender lakes, feats of engineering installed with locks for easy navigation of the meandering waterways. Small towns and settlements perched on the sloping hillsides of the region have retained an aura of medieval simplicity, it’s many tiny communities, largely agricultural, clustering round historic churches, monasteries and castles.