“The fact that the Douro terraces were sculpted for centuries with human hands makes me believe that men are truly capable of achieving overwhelming almost heroic things.”
As a child, Christmas is always the golden season, and I vividly remember spending some white Christmas days in the Douro staying at my grandparent’s house. But next in line comes the harvest time and harvest meant for me and my sister (3 years younger than me) very different activities: I would get up early morning and I would follow my grandfather to the winery and sometimes to other properties that my family owned to overview the grape picking.
My family has been producing Port wine in the Douro for many centuries, but it was only when I married my husband that I came across the commercial side of the Douro, because his family owned Van Zellers and Co and Quinta do Noval for many generations.
I started working for Aquapura (the previous hotel where Six Senses now lives) just before it opened its doors in February 2007, and kept on working in this magical place when it became Six Senses Douro Valley.
Back then Aquapura was a pioneer project and together with the Vintage House, they were the only hotel offer in the Douro that had quality and international standards.
After we opened as Aquapura a lot of small country house hotels followed such as Quinta do Vallado and Quinta da Pacheca (just to name the ones that are close to us).
This magical setting, these fairytale buildings, which helps our guests to better understand the Douro, its landscape and traditions in layers of endless discoveries.
Six Senses offers its guests a sense of place and an interior design that feels like home, whilst providing a five-star service.
Then on top of that, we have put together a range of fun and quirky experiences like tree climbing, various workshops and of course, we also offer the more expected activities, including winery tours and cultural visits to local monasteries or palaces.
We are the only vegetarian restaurant in the whole Douro Valley and this has to do with the fact that we would like our guests to leave us in better health shape than when they arrived. Wellness and spa are important but to take this goal to another level we believe that we have also to show that healthy food can look and taste delicious!
“We are the only vegetarian restaurant in the whole Douro Valley.”
For sure I would bring them to Six Senses and to S. Salvador do Mundo, a breath-taking sanctuary built in the 16th century, where one can feel the atmosphere that led the monks in ancient times to reclusion.
I love walking through the vineyards and discovering new and always beautiful spots. The fact that the Douro terraces were sculpted for centuries with human hands makes me believe that men are truly capable of achieving overwhelming almost heroic things.
A perfect day would involve a spa treatment at Six Senses or a delicious meal at the DOC Restaurant.
Difficult to choose but I really have a soft spot for all the lighting fixtures – the chandelier in the Wine library that is made out of empty wine bottles and the lighting fixture in the lobby that represents the vines curling around the wires in the vineyards.
Thank you too!
Here's hoping you create new memories here in Portugal. Tag us on Instagram (we would love it if you do!) and let us know how it goes. 🤗
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Obrigada,
xx
Joana and Sofia
© Photos by JO&SO and courtesy of Six Senses Douro Valley.
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