Forrester Essence Douro Hotel
Time fades away as you sit reading by the fire in the lounge, glass of port at your side, at this charming small hotel in Alijó, 16 km (10 miles) northeast of Pinhão, which is particularly popular with hikers thanks to its pretty setting. It's named for Joseph James Forrester—the scion of a Scottish family of port vintners whose 1848 map of the Rio Douro helped open the river to navigation, and who later became the first foreigner to be given the Portuguese title of baron. Its O Barão restaurant is one of the best in the region—try the river mackerel, when in season, and the chef's delicious sweet pastries—and has two terraces for sunlit lunches and star-filled suppers. That, and the outdoor swimming pool and tennis courts, make the place feel like a small resort.
