You may have heard of the concept of “Unplugging” when traveling. “Unplugging” refers to disconnecting from devices, avoiding the chaos, and immersing yourself in the country’s culture and beautiful landscapes. For me, The Douro Valley is where I like to “unplug”. Here are some ways you can further appreciate Portugal’s landscapes:
- Visit locations that are different, lesser-known or considered hidden gems, or
- Visit popular locations during the early morning or evening when there are less people.
I love to visit the Douro Valley during off-peak hours. At night, the Douro Valley completely transforms and it is a wonderful location to enjoy a sunset or even a bit of stargazing.
There is a light pollution scale – The Bortle Scale is a nine-level numeric scale that measures the brightness of a night sky.
Some examples of what the numeric level looks like:
- 1 – the darkest and clearest possible sky (middle of the desert or ocean);
- 9 – the most light-polluted sky (pretty much any major city in the world);
- 3 – The best sky in Portugal (Alqueva Dark Sky Reserve);
- 4 – The Douro Valley (Tua Dark Sky Reserve).
The night sky in The Douro Valley is absolutely breathtaking and I recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity to experience it.
These are some videos that I took in the Douro (very little to no editing)!
Click here if you’d like to learn about Vila Nova de Gaia and boat tours in the Douro.
Best regards & safe travels to all!
Sergio Costa, Portugal EV Tours
