The Douro rises in Spain and flows west through the dramatic schist highlands of northern Portugal before reaching the Atlantic at Porto. The Portuguese section of the river — and particularly the 200-kilometre stretch between Porto and the Spanish border — is one of the world’s most scenic inland waterways, the terraced vineyard landscape recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Cultural Landscape of exceptional beauty. Most Douro cruises begin or end in Porto — a magnificent UNESCO-listed city of baroque churches, azulejo-tiled buildings and the famous port wine lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia across the river. A day or two in Porto before or after the cruise is always worthwhile. The cruise itself then winds upriver through five locks (each a significant engineering experience) into progressively more dramatic and remote country, passing through the Pinhao region — the heart of the Douro wine country — and towards the Spanish border and the ancient town of Barca d’Alva. Shore excursions from Douro cruises typically include visits to the estate quintas (wine estates) that terrace the hillsides — tastings of both vintage port and increasingly acclaimed Douro Valley table wines, winery tours and sometimes harvest participation in September and October. The hill town of Lamego, with its baroque Our Lady of Remedies staircase, Regua’s wine museum and the medieval university city of Viseu are also popular stops. Douro cruises operate from April to November, with the autumn harvest season (September-October) being particularly atmospheric — grapes being picked and trodden in the traditional lagares (stone troughs) as the ship glides past. The river is intimate and the scenery is extraordinary — a truly special cruise destination.