Cycling in the Douro Valley

— 6 nights spent in unique, sometimes rural accommodation — 5 days cycling — 85% paved, 15% unpaved — Undulating terrain — E-bike hire available on request (supplement applies) — Self-guided holiday. Min age 14 yrs

A typical hotel breakfast consists of: cake, toast/bread with jam,or honey, cheese and ham, served with coffee, tea, milk, orange juice, fruit, cake and yoghurt. The Douro region is well-known for an endless number of meat dishes, which include the famous roasted baby goat with rice and potatoes, wild boar stew, posta mirandesa (veal steak), cozido à portuguesa (boiled meat, sausages and cabbages), partridge on a skewer, arroz de cabidela (chicken or rabbit with rice) and feijoada à trasmontana (bean stew). The region’s fish is caught in the Douro river and its tributaries, and is served fried or marinated. The codfish is also a famous alternative to meat dishes. The typical desserts include traditional pastries such as the peixinhos de chila or the biscoito da Teixeira are famous in the region. The region is also known for the delicious pão-de-ló (sponge cake) and the bolo-rei (fruit cake), manly eaten during local celebrations. The rice pudding and the aletria (vermicelli with cinnamon) are also some of the region’s specialties. Most of the time, meals in Portugal are served with bread. If you visit the Douro region, you must try the traditional breads made with meat or olive oil. Normal bread can be savoured with regional honey or home-made jams. Regional cheeses and smoked sausages can also be eaten at any time of the day, either by themselves or with a piece of bread. There is also a wide variety of fruit in the region, which are picked in different seasons. Cherries, almonds and apples are the most abundant fruits. Roasted chestnuts, nuts, diospyros kaki (persimmon) and tangerines are typical of the colder months. Olives and grapes are the main fruits in the region, even though they are used more to make olive oil and wine than for direct consumption.Olive oil is used in most dishes, whether to cook the dish or as seasoning. Every dish is seasoned with salt, or it can be replaced by herbs, which are plentiful in the region. Rosemary, parsley and bay leaves are some of the most commonly used herbs, mainly to cook meat. There is nothing better than starting a meal by drinking a glass of Port wine to open your appetite. The Favaios wine is also served as an aperitif, while the Douro wines are served with the main course. The liqueurs produced in the region, which are the result of the mixture of spirits and fruits, such as the arbutus, blackberries or cherries, are served as digestifs, replacing the international scotch. For those who do not appreciate alcoholic beverages, fruit juices and herbal teas are always a treat, especially because these juices and teas are made with fresh and crystalline water from the several springs in the Douro region.