The Côa Valley

The drive from both Lisbon and Porto is around 2.5 hours. On arrival in Sortelha, there is time to walk its fortified walls and castle before sundowners and a traditional tapas supper. Our overnight accommodation is in a series of traditional houses dotted throughout the village.

This morning it's straight into the saddle to enjoy far-reaching views as we undulate through a landscape strewn with vast boulders. Our first lunch is in a beautiful spot, prepared by a locally renowned chef. This afternoon is a shorter ride along tree-lined tracks to our home for the night, a minimalist guest house with pool and spa. The property will be exclusively ours, and we'll enjoy a gourmet supper prepared by a chef from a local restaurant known for its creative seasonal dishes.

Shortly after setting off today we will meet the Côa for the first time at a spectacular bridging point. Initially we hug the river bank but as it steepens we meander and climb up to Castelo Mendo for lunch provided by a local foundation. In the afternoon we enter a famous battleground area of the Peninsular War, notably around the extraordinary whitewashed, star-shaped fortifications of Almeida. At the end of today we will take a short transfer to Pinhel, where we will stay in a family-run guest house.

Today the Côa valley deepens dramatically as it nears the Douro and the landscape softens to include vines, olive and almond groves. Vultures and, if we're lucky, golden eagles soar overhead and in between some glorious cycling we stop to take in the breathtaking views at some of our favourite spots. After a family-prepared lunch we embark on a walk in the Faia Brava Nature Reserve high above the river and visit some of the NGO's projects. This evening we join our wonderful hosts, the founders of Faia Brava, at their guest house in the hilltop village of Castelo Rodrigo; the first of two nights here.

The final section of our journey, as the plateau gives way to the familiar rounded terraced slopes of the Douro, takes us along charming country lanes and tracks. We'll have a chance to embrace local food culture at a community oven in Algodres before continuing to the mouth of the Côa where it finally meets the Douro. We will end up back at Castelo Rodrigo for our last evening together. There will be an opportunity, for those who wish, to visit the UNESCO Prehistoric Rock Art Site an hour from the village. The carvings are best seen at night and a visit with an expert as your guide is a quite extraordinary education.

After packing our bags we transfer a short distance to the whitewashed border town of Almeida. We will wander the charming streets and sturdy fortifications and an expert will delve into stories of the Napoleonic battles here. Depending on time, we will also visit the house where Wellington stayed in nearby Freineda. After a quick lunch we will transfer you to the airport in time for your departure from Porto this evening.