Itineraries — Porto and North

Porto and Northern Portugal organise around a main axis — the city of Porto and the Douro River that runs through it and stretches east — and a medieval, green hinterland to the north, the Minho. Two poles that a well-structured few days allows you to combine without rushing.

For a short trip (3-4 days), Porto alone is more than enough. The city is best explored on foot: descend from São Bento station (its walls tiled with azulejos depicting Portuguese history) to the Ribeira and the Douro quayside, cross the Dom Luís I bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia for a tasting at Taylor's or Graham's, climb back up to Bonfim and its specialist grocers, and end the day at the Serra do Pilar viewpoint at sunset. Livraria Lello, the Bom Sucesso market and the street art of Cedofeita round out the picture.

With a full week (7 days), the itinerary naturally extends to the Douro Valley. Take the train to Pinhão (3 hours from Porto, one of Europe's most beautiful railway lines) and book a night at a quinta: Ramos Pinto, Quinta Nova and Quinta do Crasto offer charming accommodation among the vines, with tastings included. Add a day in Guimarães (one hour by train from Porto) and another in Braga for the Bom Jesus do Monte sanctuary.

With 10 to 14 days, explore the Minho in depth. Viana do Castelo and its basilica on the Santa Luzia hill, Ponte de Lima and its ancient Roman bridge, the vinho verde vines in the morning mist — a Portugal barely touched by time. Finish with one or two nights in Peneda-Gerês National Park, Portugal's only national park, for hiking through oak forests and crystal-clear rivers.