Discover Vale De Mendiz

Vale De Mendiz offers three themes to help you plan your trip: the wine country of the Alto Douro, historic landmarks, and wine-related experiences and outdoor trails. If you are looking for a hotel, these interests can provide a starting point for your plans: would you mainly like to hike, include wine tastings, or explore the history of buildings and settlements? The local features below offer specific points of interest to help you decide.

Wine Country of the Alto Douro

The PR19 hiking trail, “Trilho de Casal de Loivos – Vilarinho de Cotas – Vale de Mendiz,” is a circular route that starts and ends in Vale De Mendiz. It passes through the wine country of the Alto Douro, which UNESCO recognizes as a living, evolving cultural landscape. The trail runs through several historic Douro wine estates and terraced vineyards. Local people built these terraces on the steep, rugged slopes of the Douro Valley and its main tributaries; they are used almost exclusively for Port wine production. The circular route therefore connects the landscape and its use with a specific hiking destination. Trail conditions can change, so check them before setting out.

Boundary Stones, Wine Press and Church

Granite boundary stone No. 4 is one of a group of around one hundred similar stones that geographically demarcated the Alto Douro wine region. The stone bears the inscription “FEITORIA 1758”; it is 172 cm high and 48 cm wide. The round wine press in Vale De Mendiz is another distinctive historic landmark: a 2020 publication on rural heritage describes it as unique throughout the Alto Douro region. It was built in the 19th century.

The parish church of Vale De Mendiz, Igreja de São Domingos, stands alone in a rural setting in the Cima Corgo landscape subregion. It is in a settlement on a rocky outcrop above the Pinhão River. Traditional buildings stand on both sides of the road that runs through the settlement. These three examples represent different historical scales: regional demarcation by boundary stones, a 19th-century wine press, and a church within a rural settlement.

Wine Tastings and Estate Trails

At Wine&Soul, wine tastings include a visit to the winery in Vale De Mendiz and always end at the wine shop, where Wine&Soul wines and products are available. At Quinta dos Lagares, two trails let you discover native woodland, old vineyards at high elevations, centuries-old olive trees and cork oaks. There are also five granite lagares and the estate’s chapel.

There is also a tasting room at the entrance to Quinta dos Lagares, which doubles as a shop selling the wines and olive oil produced there. The two wine experiences offer different highlights: at Wine&Soul, a winery visit is part of the tasting; on the Quinta dos Lagares trails, you can also explore woodland, olive trees and cork oaks.

A Swimming Tip with a Date

The river beach Praia Fluvial do Passadouro is also known as Vale de Mendiz. A travel article published on December 11, 2024, recommended it for swimming in the Pinhão River, which flows into the Douro. If swimming is part of your travel plans, check the current conditions in advance.

Discover more destinations: Alijó, Pinhao, Vilar de Maçada, Pópulo, Favaios, Cotas, Santa Eugénia, Castedo.

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