Douro Valley walking trail at Pinhão and Provesende, Portugal

Contrary to what may seem, in the Douro Valley, is not easy to find a pre-defined walking trail. At least there are not as I would like.

The reasons are easy to understand.

I think there are two main reasons:

• • most of the more spectacular areas are privately own
  • or they are so steep that they are not interesting for leisurely walking trail.

A set of exciting coincidences made it possible to design a beautiful walking trail connecting Provesende to Pinhão, passing through São Cristóvão.

This trial allows you to walk among the vineyards that most people only will admire from afar. These vineyards are the great attraction of the Douro Valley.

It is a spectacular walking trail to take photographs like the ones we see in tourist catalogs of the Douro Valley region and appreciate the beauty of this region classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

You can find fruit trees in several spots, especially at the exit of Provesende, there are fig trees and quince trees.

Almost arriving at Pinhão, when walking from Provesende, in the upper part of São Cristovão, the almond trees are the stars of the road.

In any tourist brochure, from the area, it is possible to find the points of interest of Provesende and Pinhão. Still, I want to highlight one point in Provesende: Casa do Santo.

Casa do Santo, the House of the Saint, is an 18th-century building owned by Joaquim Pinheiro de Azevedo Leite Pereira.

Between the 1870s and 1880s, this gentleman was part of the group of researchers who found a way to control the advance of phylloxera in Europe.

In short, for those who do not know, phylloxera was a pest that catastrophically affected wine production in much of Europe in the second half of the 19th century.

The walking trail is defined as crossing, but it can be done either from Provesende to Pinhão or starting at Pinhão and ending in Provesende.

Although normally I prefer to walk trails going uphill rather than going down, in this case, it is the opposite. I prefer to start in Provesende and go all the way down to Pinhão.

Going down, you will have the Douro river in front of you most of the time, and the landscapes are more spectacular as it is said above.

Starting in Provesende, check for the trial on the right side of those facing the church.

As I said above, I suggest consulting the Provesende tourist information office. 

Despite the remaining information, Provesende is part of six wine villages in the Douro. You might find it interesting to visit them on another occasion.

Attention: please pay attention to the slippery floor when crossing São Cristóvão, especially after rain. You have to go carefully and, if you can use walking poles, so much the better.

Please check here for more information and check the map bellow.

Have fun,

David Monteiro