Who doesn’t like going to the Ribeira, or the Cais de Gaia and spend a late afternoon on the banks of the magnificent Douro River? Who doesn’t like to go to the mouth of the river? The Douro River is a symbol of Porto and Northern Portugal.
So it’s not surprising that one of our favorite activities is boat trip and contemplate the beauty of its landscapes. In this context, and being so important for the city of Porto, it is pertinent to learn a little more about the history and curiosities of the Douro River, one of the largest on the Iberian Peninsula! Let’s go?
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Born in the peaks of the Spanish mountain range of Urbión
It’s well known that the Douro River rises in Spain, but you might not know that it rises in the peaks of the mountains at over 2000 meters above sea level.
897km
This is its length, of which 213km are navigable in Portugal. It is the third largest river in the Iberian Peninsula.
World Heritage Site
The Alto Douro Wine Region, whose landscape is the Douro River and its terraces, was classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2001.
Why is it called the Douro River?
There are various theories and legends surrounding the river’s name. On the one hand, it is believed to come from ancient Celtic, where “dur” or “dubr” meant water. On the other hand, legend has it that there were stones that rolled and shone, thought to be gold.
But the theories or legends about the origin of the name don’t stop there. It is thought that this may have been due to the debris that was washed away by the torrents that gave the river a yellowish color, like gold, or that this designation is related to its composition and structure. “Durius” in Latin means “hard”, which was associated with the contours and cliffs of the river.
The Douro has always been important to the region
The river served as a link between the Douro region and Oporto, and was very useful, for example, for transporting port wine for their ageing process in Gaia.
At that time, when there were no railroads, the river route was the only option. However, it was extremely dangerous due to the many rocks and stones underwater. There was only one small wooden boat capable of making the journey, the rabelo boat (hence the tradition we know today of rabelo boats and the transportation of Port wine).
In addition, the Douro River offered a greater abundance of fish, which naturally helped many families to have food and employment.