Douro growth

Competition in the European river cruise market is hotting up, with a number of lines adding itineraries featuring sailings along Portugal’s Douro River in 2020. The Douro River Valley is one of Europe’s oldest demarcated wine regions, with a history stemming back to the Western Roman Empire.

With cruises commencing in Porto, the country’s second city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, guests travel upstream along the narrow waterway taking in the views of the Iberian country-side to Barca d’alva on the Spanish border.

Itineraries range from short voyages along the Douro taking coach tours to Salamanca in Spain and Figueira de Castelo or longer tours that take guests from Lisbon to Paris.