The Douro River rises in the Serra de Urbión peaks, in the Spanish province of Soria, at an altitude of 2160 meters (there named “Duero” ). It crosses the north of Portugal to its mouth near the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. It is the third longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. It is 897 km long, 572 km on Spanish soil, 213 km navigable in Portuguese territory and 112 km of international section ( as its course forms a Portuguese/Spanish border ). This last section, where the river tightens and its bed deepens, is known as Arrábida (the cliffs). Its banks were protected with the creation of the natural parks of Douro Internacional in Portugal and Arribas do Douro in Spain.

On December 14th, 2001, UNESCO included the Alto Douro Wine Region (45°68’N, 5°93’W) in the list of World Heritage Sites, in the category of “cultural landscape”.

Taking advantage of the high difference in level, especially in the Douro Internacional area, where the average difference in level is 3m/km, from 1961 onwards, the hydroelectric exploitation of the Douro was carried out. With the construction of the dams, thanks to the installation of locks in parallel, large reservoirs of calm waters were created, which came to encourage tourist and recreational navigation, as well as sport fishing, allowing the creation of a channel, where navigation is safe and calm.

The unevenness is overcome by 5 locks, whose chambers have lengths ranging from 86.0 to 92.0 m:
Crestuma-Lever Dam (1986) – maximum lock level difference of 13.9 m;
Carrapatelo Dam (1971) – maximum lock level difference of 35.0 m;
Régua Dam (1973) – maximum lock level difference of 28.5 m;
Valeira Dam (1976) – maximum lock level difference of 33.0 m;
Pocinho Dam (1983) – maximum lock level difference of 22.0 m.

The Douro River offers such fabulous landscapes that stay engraved in the memory of those who glimpse them. The special climate – a microclimate of its own due to the mountain range that protects it from the influence of the Atlantic Ocean – guarantees the essential and unique conditions for the production of the world-famous Port Wine and makes the landscapes even more beautiful, imposing and breathtaking, in any season of the year.