This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. High Water, Low Water: Dealing With Water Levels on a River Cruise On sounding boards like TripAdvisor, many disgruntled river cruisers wonder publicly why they werent informed prior to their international flights, suggesting that, given the choice, theyd opt to cancel and take a refund or another sailing date. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Solstice vs. Millennium Class on Celebrity Cruises, Expert Tips for Choosing the Best Shore Excursions, Countries That Require Visas for a Cruise, The World's Best Beaches to Visit on a Cruise, The Pros and Cons of a Port-Intensive Cruise, Mystery Cruises: What They Are and What to Expect, 10 Things You Should Never Do on a Cruise Line Private Island, 48 Hours in Brisbane Before or After a Cruise, How To Cope With Cruising's Pause? [11] The Douro River basin encompasses an area of approximately 97,290 square kilometres.[12]. One of the benefits of a mostly rural itinerary is that you're not cruising through industrial regions. We went on the Viking Torguil cruise in April 2016. Visits to a range of quintas, the Portuguese term for wineries, mostly focus on the region's famed port wines, but the winemakers in the Douro region also produce beautiful reds and whites. Re: Duoro River Water Levels 9 years ago Save Things will be normal in June, the dams are at their maximum capacity and may be still discharging a lot of water, but that's going to stop pretty soon, we need as much water as we can get. Dont let people (or past reviews) put you off unnecessarily. Porto. TIDES4FISHING | RISING AND SETTING OF THE MOON IN PORTO (RIO DOURO) | 4 MARCH 2023, The effects of the sun and the moon influence the activity of all living creatures on earth, TIDES4FISHING | SOLUNAR CHARTS FOR PORTO (RIO DOURO) | 4 MARCH 2023, TIDES4FISHING | MOON PHASE | 4 MARCH 2023, 9:33, Calendar of Lunar Phases and Eclipses for the next 2000 years, TIDES4FISHING | UPCOMING MOON PHASES | MARCH 2023, TIDES4FISHING | ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATION | 4 MARCH 2023, TIDES4FISHING | LIGHTING THE EARTH IN THIS MOMENT | 4 MARCH 2023, 9:33, TIDES4FISHING | FISHING SITES CLOSE TO PORTO (RIO DOURO), Plan now and enjoy your activities at sea with the tides4fishing app, Enjoy to the max a well-planned fishing expedition in Porto (Rio Douro). This is considered important to the archaeological pre-historic patrimony, and it has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Large coefficients indicate important high and low tides; major currents and movements usually take place on the sea bed. We speak from experience. Your email address will not be published. We can sympathize; after all, if we liked coach tours, wed call our site. Massive wildfires swept through the region during the summer of 2017, with columns of smoke choking skies and water bombers roaring overhead in an attempt to control the blaze. Analysis of impacts and definition of minimizing measures in a reservoir located in a KBA (Key Biodiversity Area). This makes for a relaxing, easygoing vibe onboard, and the scenery is magnificent, including an intriguing series of locks. Booked an all-day cruise up to the wine estates and then back by train - started well, average continental breakfast. Continue the affected itinerary by having guests swap ships typically, being bussed from one town to the next, where you will embark a sister-ship or similar vessel to continue the rest of your journey. Scenic cruising: Because sailing takes place during the day, several mornings and afternoons are spent on the river. Answer 1 of 7: Wondering if any locals can provide insight into the extreme water levels of the Duoro River that are causing river cruises to be cancelled. [6] In Roman times, the river was personified as a god, Durius. We came to Porto (having made our own flight and hotel arrangements in September) with the specific of doing a day cruise to Pinhao and the train back. Our ship featured a tour to Grahams, a gorgeous facility that included a visit to the winery in addition to a tasting. While we havent been delayed or inconvenienced on the Douro (other than one very wet, damp mid-March sailing), but we have experienced both high and low water events on all stretches of the Danube, the Rhine, the Main, and even the Mekong, which was swollen to an unbelievable height during a cruise a few years back that resulted in messy disembarkations at every port of call. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Dating back to the Roman Empire, it's first and foremost a university town since the 12th century. (and has been for the last 20 years) We arrived in Lisbon and then received an Email notice from Viking that they were experiencing river problems and were sorry. The tiny town of Pinhao, lying at the heart of Douro's wine country, reminds you of a cross between California's Napa Valley and Italy's Tuscany (only far less touristy). TIDES4FISHING | HIGH TIDES AND LOW TIDES IN PORTO (RIO DOURO) | 4 MARCH 2023, TIDES4FISHING | TIDAL RANGE IN PORTO (RIO DOURO) | 4 MARCH 2023, TIDES4FISHING | PROGRESSION OF THE TIDAL COEFFICIENT | MARCH 2023, You can change the time format and the default unit for height in the. It sounds cheesy, but the best thing you can do should the unexpected arise is to go with the flow. Note: this root is not linked by the linguists to the Proto-Celtic word *dubros 'water' which explains the river and place names Douvres in France, Dover in England and the Celtic common words: Old Irish dobur > Irish dobhar 'water', Welsh d(f)r (the /f/ being a trace of a former /b/), Cornish dur, Breton dour, the loss of /b/ being typical of Brythonic. The Avid Cruiser. Beyond Zamora the river narrows again, and when it reaches the border with Portugal (which it follows for 70 miles [113 km]), it plunges about 1,250 feet (380 m) within 30 miles (50 km) in a series of gorges and rapids. The Douro (UK: / d r o, d r u /, US: / d r u, d r o, d o r u /, Portuguese: ; Spanish: Duero; Latin: Durius) is the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula.It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in the Spanish province of Soria, meanders south briefly then flows generally west through the northern part of the Meseta Central in Castile and Len into . Because of this, many river cruise lines dont know until almost the last minute how your sailing will or wont be affected. Outright cancellation. Try to put yourself in their shoes as much as possible. The Gothic-esque, multi-story Livraria Lello was the inspiration for J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Furthermore, the creation of Fluvial Nature Reserves should strengthen the legal protection of the Douros biodiverse natural sanctuaries. Scientists uncover new information on the Douro river ecosystem This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in Canada. Eventually, the moon will rise again in the northeast (60) at 15:28 h. When the solunar period coincides with sunrise or sunset, we can expect more activity than initially planned. Re: Douro River 17 years ago Save Hi Yes! We are booked to cruise the Duoro late June and hope the levels will have subsided by then. While there's plenty to do, one oddity of the Douro experience is that there's no night navigation, so ships must cruise from sunrise to sunset. If there's a problem on one side of the river, guests can transfer to the other ship. We came to Porto (having made our own flight and hotel arrangements in September) with the specific of doing a day cruise to Pinhao and the train back. Plan Far, Far Ahead, Porto (Leixoes) (Photo:ESB Professional/Shutterstock), Cruise ship in Port (Photo: joyfull/Shutterstock.com). Private Douro River Sailing Cruise 49 Recommended Day Cruises from $137.68 per adult (price varies by group size) 3-hour Port and Douro Wines Tasting Tour With 10 Tastings 126 Recommended Private and Luxury from $42.21 per adult Porto: Morning City Tour with Six Bridges Cruise and Lunch 5 Bus Tours from $69.27 per adult Part of the TTC Family of brands. We additionally point out in the chart the periods of greatest activity during the year with a big blue fish on the period bar + info, Arcozelo | Barra do Douro | Crestuma (Rio Douro) | Labruge | Lavra | Lea da Palmeira | Leixes | Mindelo | Porto (Rio Douro) | Pvoa de Varzim | So Flix da Marinha | Valadares | Vila Ch | Vila do Conde | Vila Nova de Gaia, Barra do Douro (4.1 km) | Vila Nova de Gaia (4.5 km) | Valadares (7 km) | Leixes (8 km) | Arcozelo (11 km) | Lea da Palmeira (11 km) | So Flix da Marinha (12 km) | Crestuma (Rio Douro) (13 km) | Lavra (15 km) | Espinho (15 km) | Labruge (18 km) | Vila Ch (20 km) | Esmoriz (21 km) | Mindelo (22 km) | Vila do Conde (25 km) | Pvoa de Varzim (29 km) | Furadouro (30 km) | Carregal (31 km) | Ovar (33 km) | Puxadouro (34 km), Changes in pressure have a considerable influence on the activity of fish, Rapidly fluctuating either way is indication of good fishing, TIDES4FISHING | WEATHER CONDITIONS IN PORTO (RIO DOURO) | 4 MARCH 2023, 9:33, TIDES4FISHING | WEATHER FORECAST FOR PORTO (RIO DOURO) | 4 MARCH 2023, TIDES4FISHING | ULTRAVIOLET INDEX IN PORTO (RIO DOURO) | 4 MARCH 2023, DAILY EVOLUTION OF WATER TEMPERATURE IN PORTO (RIO DOURO). Recently, a prosperous tourist industry has developed based on river excursions from Porto to points along the Upper Douro valley. July, August, and September are the three warmest months, respectively. That's devastatingly low - at 40 centimeters, commercial shipping becomes unprofitable. Major Spanish riverside towns include Soria, Almazn, Aranda de Duero, Tordesillas, Zamora and major Portuguese towns include Miranda do Douro, Foz Ca, Peso da Rgua, Lamego, Vila Nova de Gaia, and Porto. The most frequent wave height will be about half the height of the significant wave. In Porto and in Salamanca, where the primary languages are Portuguese and Spanish, respectively, English-speakers can get around well enough. It is rising in the Sierra de Urbin, N central Spain. On the other hand, you run the risk of a modified itinerary because your riverboat may not be able to get under a low bridge due to the high water caused by snowmelt and rains. Tel. Most trips are roundtrip from Porto, which is a coastal city in western Portugal located near the Atlantic Ocean. Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. more, Authentic Douro Wine Tour Including Lunch and River Cruise. The contents of this website are the sole responsibility of Wetlands International-European Association and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Commission. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-68897250', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');the Douro River. Winery tours and port wine tastings are available year-round at riverbank vineyards, but the region really comes to life in the fall months of, If youre hoping to snag a deal,consider traveling during the, Veteran river cruisers might be wary of planning a cruise in the spring months where you can get some excellent discounts. In the more rural stops, however, English isn't necessarily understood away from your group and guide; a phrasebook comes in handy. River Cruise Lines Prepare for Low Water on Rhine, Danube Rivers A small tributary of the river has the Ca Valley Paleolithic Art site which is considered important to the archaeological pre-historic patrimony, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's also where you'll Se Cathedral, built in the 12th century to serve as fortress as well as church. TIDES4FISHING | WATER TEMPERATURE IN PORTO (RIO DOURO) | 4 MARCH 2023, It is normal for waves to vary in height from one to the next. The Netherlands Visit Portugal Shares Insights as Cruisers Return to Porto and Douro River The Douro has some help, though, in avoiding water level-related snafus. ft. home is a 2 bed, 1.0 bath property. The waves you will find on the shore can be slightly affected by the orientation of the coastline and the seabed of the beaches, although in most cases they are usually equivalent. This usually involves putting guests up in hotels on the cruise lines dime and arranging for coach transportation and guides that werent originally needed. The region around Pinho and So Joo da Pesqueira is considered to be the centre of port, with its quintas (or farms/estates) that extend along the steep slopes of the river valleys. In general, this behavior varies for each species and place, so we can not specify an ideal water temperature, however as a general rule we will try to avoid the temperatures abnormally cold in summer and too warm in winter. Also take note of the Rabelos moored nearby on the Douro. Europe's drought could signal the death of river cruising - CNN The drainage basin borders those of Mio to the north, Ebro to the east, and Tajo to the south.[10][11]. Having been on the Douro in early April during a period of higher-than-average water levels that prevented river cruise vessels from sailing for a short period, one thing passengers repeatedly . ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-68898309', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Douro river is controlled, so between winter and summer time there's no much difference, but of course winter months the level is slightly over the year average. Alternatively, you may use. When I last visited, in October 2012, there were many fish visible from the quay along the Ribera. Viking Cruises' website states that "low water levels will affect select river itineraries." Impacted travelers will be contacted by the cruise line. The good news is the scenery is just gorgeous and varies throughout the region, so there's a lot to look at. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). One of the downfalls? Casa Lis, an art deco and art nouveau museum, is housed in a palace with stained-glass ceilings and windows and the Puente Romano (Roman Bridge). There are lots of options for tasting port in Gaia. Best Time to Take a Douro River Cruise (Portugal & Spain) - Adventure Life The drought is mainly on south of Portugal, albeit it hit all country. What problem?? more, You seem to have JavaScript disabled. Fish are cold blooded, which means their metabolism is strongly influenced by the temperature of their surrounding environment. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Any idea what kind of fish those might be? For up to date GENERAL overview of water levels in Europe please visit http://riverinfo.eu/ On the Douro, this option is really only open to companies like CroisiEurope and Viking River Cruises that operate more than one vessel in the region. Other major houses include Taylor's, Ferreira, Sandeman and Calem. These events are inconvenient, but it is important to remember that they arent all that likely to happen, and certainly not all the time. Get to Known Basic Spanish and/or Portuguese or Pack a Phrase Book. View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. The Douro has a long cruise season, typically beginning in late March and running into November, though Viking has sailings into December. Its historic centre has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its significant architecture and history. High Water, Low Water: Dealing With Water Levels on the Douro The waters of Pocinho lake reach 125 metres (410ft) above sea level. For those who love being "at sea" on the river, there's plenty of time spent cruising. In some cases, ships are operated by DouroAzul, a Portugal-based company that owns much of the region's cruising infrastructure, from docking facilities to a fleet of river ships. Tributaries here are small, merging into the Douro along the canyons; the most important are Ca, Tua, Sabor, Corgo, Tavora, Paiva, Tmega, and Sousa. Scientists uncover new information on the Douro river ecosystem, Small hydropower plants as a threat to the endangered pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera, Reviving Douro Basin Identification of Biodiversity Hotspots, Georeferencing and characterization of the Douro River Basin obstacles, Contra barragens, pelos santurios do Douro: o SOS dos investigadores, Investigadores e ambientalistas defendem que no se faam novas barragens, Associaes ambientalistas no querem mais barragens no Douro, Assessment of terrestrial protected areas for the conservation of freshwater biodiversity (CIBIO). Our prediction algorithm for water temperature is in development phase. This was a big disappointment and was preventable on their part by honest and better communication. . ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-49035074', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');cruise the Duoro late June and hope the levels will have subsided by then. On the Douro, this option is really only open to companies like CroisiEurope and Viking River Cruises that operate more than one vessel in the region. (These include shoes, soaps, pretty notebooks, hand-painted tiles, etc.). The city, home to about 230,000 residents, is also known for its historic Old and New cathedrals (Renaissance and Gothic, respectively), which sit side by side. Typically, seven or 10-night trips begin with land tours in Lisbon before passengers are transported by motorcoach to their ships. Albert Dauzat linked this river name to a Pre-Celtic hydronymic root *dor- which is well attested in Western Europe: in France Doire, Doron, Douron, etc. If you own rights to any of the images and they are not credited, or you do not wish them to appear on our site, please contact us at [emailprotected]. Adjacent areas produce port (a mildly fortified wine) and other agricultural produce. CIBIO found that the presence of small hydropower plants deeply affect endangered pearl mussel populations. The academic partners include the universities of Porto, Coimbra, Trs-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Nova University of Lisbon and the Polytechnic Institute of Bragana. On August 5, authorities reported that water levels on the river have fallen to just 56 centimetres (22 inches) -- so low that cargo ships plying the Rhine are being forced to sail nearly. Pocinho is near the very small city of Foz Ca, which is close to Ca Valley Paleolithic Art site. Call 1.406.541.2677 Start Planning My Trip Douro River, Latin Durius, Spanish Ro Duero, Portuguese Rio Douro, third longest river of the Iberian Peninsula, draining a catchment area of 30,539 square miles (79,096 square km). The Douro (UK: /dro, dru/, US: /dru, dro, doru/,[1][2][3][4] Portuguese:[do(w)u]; Spanish: Duero [dweo]; Latin: Durius) is the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula. Europe's Drought: Will It End River Cruises? - Out Traveler Speaking of water in the Douro, here is a question I've been meaning to ask someone from Porto . Porto, Portugal's second-largest city, has some 2,000 years of history behind it. This is the rarest option, exercised when no other alternatives are available. We left at 8am, breakfasted on board the boat, cruised along the beautiful Douro Valley, passing through amazing locks, and had an excellent 3 course lunch before arriving in Regua at 3pm. Report inappropriate content NewJerseyCyclist New Jersey Level Contributor 154 posts 2. You will find most of the itinerary highlights on all the lines. Some cruises spend overnights there, giving you time to explore the waterfront. Our personal expertise & experience, local partners in our destinations, & access to over 150 small ships are all invaluable to designing your unique journey. Thus, river cruise ships have a very narrow margin in which to operate; a sweet spot where the water isnt so low that the hull touches bottom, and not so high that bridges and overhead obstructions become impassable. If things are bad enough (like during the once-in-a-century flooding that occurred along the Danube in 2013), your river cruise might turn into a bus trip as the cruise line attempts to do its best to hit all the major sights and attractions along the way. VERY DISAPPOINTING!SO-- to make a long story short, we paid big dollars to have a river cruise only to get a bus tour and even then did not see the sites advertised in the billing. Low bridges, power lines, and other navigational obstacles restrict the height of a vessel. Vessels with a maximum length of 83 metres (272ft) and width of 11.4 metres (37ft) can pass through the five locks. At a press conference on July 23rd, the Douro Vivo Network launched seven studies providing new information on the Douro river basin ecosystem. Example: +water -Europe Porto: Porto serves as a port of embarkation and/or port debarkation for Douro cruises. The Douro has some help, though, in avoiding water level-related snafus. Floods upriver meant that it was too dangerous to proceed so our day trip became a coach trip back to Porto after lunch on board. Well-traveled and insightful. Box 471 www.europe.wetlands.org. Fish want to stay comfortable. Re: River water levels. So what can you do when water levels threaten to scuttle your river cruise? Bookended by two genuinely intriguing cities -- Spain's Salamanca and Portugal's Porto -- a fair portion of the weeklong itinerary is actually pastoral and laid-back.