River cruising takes off in Europe’s port wine mecca

More river-cruise ships than ever have been sailing merrily down the stream in Portugal this year, and it’s no wonder demand is on the increase.

The Douro River – River of Gold in Portuguese – got a new river ship this week as purpose-built vessel MS Estrela set sail for both APT and its budget counterpart Travelmarvel. It carries 120 Travelmarvel or 114 APT guests for an intimate cruising experience on a short, intimate river.

Portugal’s Douro River at Porto.Credit: APT

Inclusions and experiences differ depending on which brand passengers choose, but MS Estrela features an expansive sundeck with a bar for sightseeing, a swimming pool, and main restaurant that emphasises Portuguese cuisine. As on many APT river ships, suites will feature French balconies with a slide-down window that opens up to the scenery.

A nine-day Douro Delights itinerary for APT sails upriver from Porto, taking in baroque pilgrim town Lamego, and vineyards and cellar doors around Regua and Pinhao. The journey finishes overland with visits to medieval university town Salamanca and Madrid in Spain.

MS Estrela isn’t alone in making a debut this year. British company Riviera Travel has floated out new 118-guest ship Porto Mirante, which operates seven-night “Highlights of the Douro Valley and Salamanca” cruises, with 10 departures between July and October. Riviera already operates two other ships in Portugal.

Avalon Waterways has also waded into the increasingly competitive Douro cruise market for the first time. Its new ship Avalon Alegra has been sailing since April on eight-day “Vida Portugal” itineraries.

Already more than 20 river-cruise companies operate on this compact river, among them AmaWaterways, CroisiEurope, Emerald, Saga Cruises, Scenic, Uniworld and Viking. Almost all have upped their capacity this year, and AmaWaterways and Viking have extended departure dates into November and December.

Cruise Industry News’ 2024 European River Cruise Report says there has been a 14 per cent increase in Douro passenger capacity.

The petite but pretty Douro River provides an amiable meander through the world’s oldest demarcated wine region, most famous for port but also producing interesting white wines from local grapes such as Malvasia Fina, Gouveio and Rabitago.

Cruises start in Porto, or technically across the river at Vila Nova de Gaia, lined by venerable port wine houses. Ships sail 200 kilometres to the Spanish border – which is the end of the navigable river – at Barca d’Alva.

The river is spectacular but so compact that river-cruise ships sometimes sail it in both directions, although you make different port stops on the return in this region, which is dense in historic sights and magnificent landscapes of gorges and terraced vineyards.

From Regua, beautifully enfolded into vine-clad hillsides, excursion options are usually to baroque pilgrim town Lamego, Tarouca monastery, or ornate Mateus Palace, notable for its rosé wine and cypress-shaded gardens. Its setting high above the river is especially glorious in autumn when vines turn golden.

Apart from Salamanca in Spain, a common side trip takes passengers to Portugal’s first capital, Guimaraes, which has a well-preserved medieval heart of quiet squares and splashing fountains, overlooked by a castle.