Tourist ships have been cruising the Rhine, Rhone and Danube rivers for years.
Cruising on the Douro River is a relatively new tourist offering, but it can provide plenty of memorable experiences for those wishing to soak in the wine and food culture of Portugal and Spain.
Operated by Uniworld, the new Queen Isabel ship takes passengers on 10-night trips that include time in Lisbon, home to Medieval alleyways, strong espresso (called bica) and music clubs where the traditional sounds of fado are sadly beautiful.
You’ll see the terraced vineyards that produce the grapes used to make Portugal’s iconic wine—Port. You’ll stop at quintas and discover what members of The World of Wine Club already know—that Portugal also produces world-class red table wines.
And that’s just a small part of the itinerary, which can be seen in full here.
If you’re looking for a different way to explore “wine country,” doing so by ship offers and abundance of gorgeous “slow-motion” scenery and many pleasant surprises.
