São Leonardo de Galafura

The miradouro at São Leonardo de Galafura sits on a granite outcrop at around 640 metres on the north side of the Douro, and it gives what is generally reckoned the best single view of the demarcated wine region: the river curving below, and terraced vineyards - the socalcos, walled steps cut into schist since the eighteenth century - covering every slope in view, with the mountains of Marão and Alvão behind. The whole landscape is UNESCO-listed as a cultural landscape, not a natural one, because the terracing is the point: it was built by hand over centuries to make schist hillsides plantable. A small chapel stands at the viewpoint, and a plaque carries lines by Miguel Torga, who wrote about this view. It is a short drive up from Régua on a winding road, and it is free and rarely crowded.

What you actually see

• The terraces - hand-built schist socalcos covering every slope in sight.
• The river bend - the Douro curving below the outcrop.
• The chapel - a small building on the rock beside the viewpoint.
• The Torga plaque - lines by the writer carved at the spot.

When to go

September and October for harvest colour and activity; spring for green. One hour. Morning light works better than afternoon for the river.

Honest expectations

A narrow winding road up with limited parking. Exposed and windy on the outcrop. No facilities beyond a small café that keeps irregular hours. Haze in summer can flatten the view.

Nearby

Peso da Régua and its Douro museum are below; Pinhão is upriver.