<p>Port produced in the Douro Valley was once shipped downriver to the city of Porto in sailboats called barcos rabelos, anchored here along the Douro River. "We could see long cellars hunkered down on the riverbank, their slanted roofs emblazoned with the names of the port trade's biggest players: Croft, Taylor, Sandeman, Graham, Cockburn," says writer Rachel Howard. "As the light fades in the west, and the city lights come on, this is a magical time to be out strolling along the promenade that lines both sides of the river," says photographer Michael Melford.<br><br>Read more about Portugal's Douro Valley in "A Walk on the Wine Side" in the May/June 2008 issue of <em>National Geographic Traveler.</em></p>

MT5200 Douro Valley, Portugal

Port produced in the Douro Valley was once shipped downriver to the city of Porto in sailboats called barcos rabelos, anchored here along the Douro River. "We could see long cellars hunkered down on the riverbank, their slanted roofs emblazoned with the names of the port trade's biggest players: Croft, Taylor, Sandeman, Graham, Cockburn," says writer Rachel Howard. "As the light fades in the west, and the city lights come on, this is a magical time to be out strolling along the promenade that lines both sides of the river," says photographer Michael Melford.

Read more about Portugal's Douro Valley in "A Walk on the Wine Side" in the May/June 2008 issue of National Geographic Traveler.

Photograph by Michael Melford

Portugal's Douro Valley

See photos of Portugal's Douro Valley in this travel photo gallery from National Geographic.

Read This Next

'World’s worst shipwreck' was bloodier than we thought
World’s first ultrasounds of wild manta rays reveal a troubling truth
Titanic was found during secret Cold War Navy mission

Go Further

Subscriber Exclusive Content

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet