Douro International Natural Park

Upstream of the terraced wine country, the Douro does something else entirely: it cuts a canyon several hundred metres deep and runs along the Spanish border between bare cliffs. The natural park, about 868 square kilometres and one of the largest protected areas in Portugal, protects that stretch, the border reach of the Agueda and the plateau above it, and it is first of all a birding place. Griffon vultures nest on the ledges in numbers, Egyptian vultures and black storks share the walls, and Bonelli's eagle hunts the gorge. Boat trips from the dam at Miranda do Douro give the view from water level, while a chain of clifftop miradouros does the same job for free. Almond orchards on the plateau flower in late winter, and the villages are small, stone-built and very quiet.

Highlights

• The gorge walls - vertical rock standing several hundred metres above the river.
• Griffon vulture colonies - birds circling the ledges through the middle of the day.
• The river cruise - a slow run along the canyon from the Miranda dam.
• Clifftop miradouros - free viewpoints strung along the border road.

When to go

March to June is the season: birds are breeding and visible, the plateau is green and the heat has not arrived. Late February brings almond blossom. Summer here is severe, with inland temperatures well above the coast and shade in short supply. Boat trips run to a fixed timetable and fill up at weekends, so book ahead in spring.

Things to know

This is thin country with long drives between sights, few places to eat outside the towns and patchy phone signal. Vultures are reliable but distant, and without binoculars they are specks. The boat trip is comfortable but commentary heavy and can feel long. Summer heat on the plateau is punishing, and several viewpoints sit at the end of unsurfaced tracks.

Nearby

Miranda do Douro's old centre, Braganca's citadel and the Montesinho hills.

Key facts