6 Best Hotels in Peso da Régua, Northern Portugal

Perched on the right bank of the Douro, this property is owned by the family that dominates Portugal's cork industry, but its Winery House hotel—part of the Relais and Châteaux network—is on an intimate scale: the elegant accommodations, lounge, and restaurant are all in the 18th-century main house. Non-guests may dine in the restaurant (set menus from €58), or book guided winery tours and tastings, which take place in English three or four times daily (from €30, for three reds and one port). You are also free to hike an 8-km (5-mile) marked trail that takes in a walled orchard and stones that from 1756 served to demarcate the Douro wine region (but non-guests must drop into reception first).

About 32 km (18 miles) east of Régua, this beautifully renovated and extended former port-wine warehouse has a perfect location on the northern bank of the Douro and unrivaled views of the valley. Almost all the guest rooms have balconies or terraces looking out over the garden, the swimming pool, and the river. The breakfast room also has a river view, as does the large terrace of the sophisticated Rabelo restaurant, where fresh takes on regional cuisine are served.

Lovely gardens bursting with flowers, a swimming pool with views of the valley, and facilities ranging from a sauna to tennis courts are standouts at this 18th-century manor house. The friendly German owners present guests with a glass of port on arrival. This is one of the rare hotels in the Douro Valley with facilities for children, including a playground. Make a reservation to eat in the homey dining room or, weather permitting, alfresco on the sprawling terrace—local produce is showcased in the three-course dinner (€50, or €58 with wine; €5 to €25 for children, depending on age).

Time fades away as you sit reading by the fire in the lounge, glass of port at your side, at this charming small hotel in Alijó, 16 km (10 miles) northeast of Pinhão, which is particularly popular with hikers thanks to its pretty setting. It's named for Joseph James Forrester—the scion of a Scottish family of port vintners whose 1848 map of the Rio Douro helped open the river to navigation, and who later became the first foreigner to be given the Portuguese title of baron. Its O Barão restaurant is one of the best in the region—try the river mackerel, when in season, and the chef's delicious sweet pastries—and has two terraces for sunlit lunches and star-filled suppers. That, and the outdoor swimming pool and tennis courts, make the place feel like a small resort. 

Set above a picturesque bend in the Douro River, the Quinta do Ventozelo has rooms in lovely adapted agricultural buildings, including two balões—concrete vats once used to store wine; it also hosts winery visits and tastings of wines from the Gran Cruz company. For a special stay, there's the secluded Casa Romântica, while groups can book the riverside Casa do Rio, or the sprawling Casa Grande, with its private pool. The Cantina restaurant and wine bar, whose terrace affords a panoramic view of the valley, serves traditional fare and vegetarian options. The estate even has a small museum, telling its story and that of the region.

This newcomer to the Douro has made a splash with its schist-clad contemporary architecture, an infinity pool overlooking the river, and the Schistó restaurant, the latest showcase (literally: the €180 tasting menu is prepared in full view of diners) for Portugal's chef of the moment, Vitor Matos. He also drew up the menu at the 16 Legoas restaurant, which offers unusual snacks and mains drawing on regional traditions. Guest lodgings in the old house include several duplexes; here and in the new wing, all have valley views, and half have terraces, some with whirlpool tubs (and one with its own pool); inside, wood panels and trim contrast with blocks of mint green and aquamarine, and television screens are concealed as mirrors. Common areas are both stylish and cozy; even in the corridors, aromatherapy machines contribute to the feeling of relaxation.