Régua

The sun-bleached town of Régua abuts the Rio Douro at the western edge of the demarcated port-wine region. As the region’s largest riverside town, it grew into a major port-wine entrepôt in the 18th century, and remains an important transport junction – thanks in part to the hulking IP3 bridge that soars above the river valley. The town itself, set along a busy highway above the river, doesn’t have a lot of charm, and most visitors stop in just long enough to get recommendations, maps and directions to nearby wineries, but it makes a convenient base to visit the port-wine country, cruise the Rio Douro and ride the Corgo railway line to Vila Real. Most tourists stick to the scenic riverfront, but the quaint old town one block uphill is an almost exclusively local scene, and well worth a wander.