Barca D’Aalva, the last Portuguese village along the Douro, it is less than 1.24 miles from the Spanish border. Overlooked by mountains on all sides, and on a placid bend in the Rio Douro, it’s a curious spot – on one hand, a long-abandoned railway line and a row of elderly cottages; on the other, a sparkling quayside with huge pontoons to accommodate the large Douro cruisers which disgorge passengers for a quick souvenir hunt. A few places soak up any passing trade, including the Bago d’Ouro, an upmarket deli and restaurant with some simple river-facing rooms available. In the end, it’s the drive here, from north or south,that really warrants the trip, through beautifully sculpted Douro terraces of olives and vines, with sweeping views across the hills and into the river gorge. As there’s no road along the Douro River in its latter stages after Pocinho, you have to approach via Foz Côa and Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo (in Beira Alta) or Torre de Moncorvo and Freixo de Espada à Cinta (in Trás-os-Montes).