Douro River

Douro River

Talking about the Douro is not just talking about a river or a region. It is much more than that ... it is talking about its entire history and its people who are so proud of their river, which make it so special.
Knowing the Douro is not just visiting the region, it is setting out on a journey to discover a unique place, with history, culture and unique people, as are the people of Porto.
There are several explanations for the origin of the name «Douro». A legend says that it was customary to see small, shiny pebbles roll, which turned out to be made of gold. There are also those who say that the name is due to the muddy color of the river waters, a consequence of
the large amounts of debris that the floods dragged down the slopes and that because they were a bright yellow gave it a gold color. But there are still those who defend that this name derives from the Latin "Durius", that is, "Duro", due to the hardness of its tortuous contours of high and rocky escarpments.
The Douro River rises in the Urbión mountain range, in northern Spain, at an altitude of 2000 meters. It is the second largest river in Portugal with a total length of 927 km; in Portuguese territory, this river is only 210 km long and is navigable throughout this route, thanks to the five dams that are, today, also an attraction due to its unevenness. The Carrapatelo Dam has a water level difference of 35 meters, one of the biggest differences in Europe.
It was the Douro River that gave birth to the city of Porto. It was also this river, which at one time, very narrow and dangerous, brought prosperity to the City of Porto, since it was through it that the precious nectar, Port Wine, was transported. In past centuries this river represented a challenge and a danger for those who sailed on it. It was filled with very strong chains and submerged stones. At that time only a small wooden boat - the Rabelo - was able to navigate these waters and transport the wine from the Douro Valley to Porto, and that today, no longer doing the aforementioned wine transport, it serves tourism on river trips and anchored next to the cellars making the delight of photographers.