Distance
120 km
Duration
1 day
Climb
800 m
Rating
4.9 / 5
1543 reviews
N222 — Douro Valley.
Named the world's best driving road by Automobile Magazine. The N222 winds along the south bank of the Douro River through 120 km of terraced port wine quintas from Lamego through Régua and Pinhão toward the Spanish border. Schist hillsides, iron railway bridges, and quintas with names like Ramos Pinto and Quinta do Crasto.
Quick facts
SurfacePaved
Distance120 km
Days1
Total climb800 m
DifficultyModerate
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The route.
LamegoStart · A Baroque city of churches, wine cellars, and the famous staircase of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios — 686 steps flanked by allegorical statuary climbing a wooded hillside. The Douro valley is visible from the hilltop sanctuary.
Peso da RéguaScenic Point · The capital of the Port wine Denominação de Origem Controlada. The river front has working rabelo boats and warehouses where port pipes still age. The azulejo panels at the railway station depicting the harvest are extraordinary.
São João da Pesqueira ViewpointPhoto Spot · The highest viewpoint over the Douro — looking down at the river making its great bend below the schist terraces. The landscape changes here from planted quintas to wilder, more remote vineyards on steeper slopes.
PinhãoRestaurant · The most beautiful village in the Douro — a tiny river harbour with azulejo panels at the station showing Douro farmers and harvest scenes. The Quinta do Crasto and Quinta da Romaneira are directly across the river. Lunch at Veladouro.
Tua ViaductPhoto Spot · The 1906 iron railway viaduct at the mouth of the Tua River — a beautiful piece of early-20th-century engineering spanning the confluence. The N222 runs beneath it on the south bank.
Freixo de NumãoScenic Point · A schist village on the high terraces above the Douro — medieval tower, Roman ruins, and views back over 80 km of river valley. The vineyards here produce some of the finest unfortified Douro wines.
PocinhoEnd · The final navigable point of the Douro — the river becomes wild and rapid above here and the valley narrows. The Vale do Côa Archaeological Park (UNESCO) with its 20,000-year-old rock engravings is 10 km north — a remarkable extension to the day.
From riders.
1543 verified rides logged on this route.
4.9/ 5
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
1543 verified rides
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