Barca d'Alva

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Viking Torgil sailed from Pinhão for Barca d'Alva early in the morning, again before breakfast. The morning was a leisurely one as we cruised along the Douro. The riverside landscape was changing as the terraced hillsides gave way to rocky cliffs. Valeria Lock was reached after breakfast.

At Valeria Dam, Tamara told us to be on the lookout for an inscription on the rock face. Cachão da Valeira, named for a former waterfall, is a narrow rocky reach in the Douro just above Valeria Dam. Here, the river bends sharply and rocky escarpments reach down to the water's edge forming a narrow and darkened gorge. This section of the Douro was once full of rocks and not open to navigation. Under Queen Maria I, an engineering project to widen and deepen the river was carried out between 1780 and 1792. Wine-carrying boats could now reach the Douro Superior region. In commemoration of the project, a large cliffside inscription was carved into the rock. Completion of Valeria Dam in 1976 greatly deepened the channel and submerged the inscription. A replica was created in 1978, which we saw. River vessels must still be aware of submerged rocks along this reach.

In mid-morning, Chef Mike presented a demonstration on making Pastéis de Nata. He instructed two volunteers in the preparation of the Portuguese custard tarts.

Barca de Alva, the easternmost port on the Portuguese Douro was our port destination for the afternoon. Viking Torgil arrived here about 2:15 p.m. it would be our base for the next two days for shore excursions to Castelo Rodrigo and to Salamanca, Spain. The village, with a river cruise terminal, is only a few hundred meters from the Spanish border. All Douro cruises end here, and infrastructure has been built to handle the numerous vessels that dock every night. The village itself is small. It looked like the dock area has been set up in recent years with a tourist information office, a restaurant and shops. However, these were all closed and apparently out of business. I wondered if the Covid-19 pandemic had shuttered them? Essentially there had been no cruise traffic in 2020-2021 and these businesses would have been dependent on visitors, not locals.

I learned Barca d'Alva had once been an important waypoint on the Linha do Douro, the railway line from Porto that opened along the river valley in 1887. Barca d'Alva was subsequently connected by rail with Spain and became a transhipment point for Douro wine to the rest of Europe. The line to Spain closed in 1984 and the Porto line curt back to Pochino in 1988. The large Barca d'Alva station remains and an azuelos panel commemorates the rail line. Douro wines are transported today by truck rather than by rail or river.

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Photos

Ponte Almirante Sarmento Rodrigues
Ponte Almirante Sarmento Rodrigues at night. Bridge across the Douro River at Barca d'Alva.
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Cachão da Valeira
Bend in the Douro at Cachão da Valeira reach.
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Cachão da Valeira Plaque
Plaque commemorating the widening of the Douro River in 1780-1791. Duplicate placed in 1978.
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Cruise Director Tamara
Cruise Director Tamara on deck as Viking Torgil clears Valeria Lock.
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Pastel de Nata Cooking
Chef Mike demonstrates preparing Pastéis de Nata.
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Pastel de Nata Cooking
Chef Mike demonstrates preparing Pastéis de Nata.
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Pastel de Nata Cooking
Passengers prepare Pastéis de Nata under Chef Mike's direction.
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Viking Osfrid
Passing Viking Osfrid, Viking Torgil's sister ship.
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Along the Upper Douro River
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Arriving at Barca d'Alva
Barca d'Alva river cruise terminal.
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Barca d'Alva Station
Barca d'Alva station on the Linha do Douro, km 199.5. Closed in 1988.
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Douro Map
Map of the Douro River with dams and tributaries, Barca d'Alva river cruise terminal.
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Barca d'Alva
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Agostinho da Silva
Seated statue of Agostinho da Silva (1906-1994). He was a Portuguese philosopher and essayist who lived in Barca d'Alva in his youth. Sculpture by Eugénio Macedo installed in 2018.
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Linha do Douro
Linha do Douro commemorative tile panel, Barca d'Alva.
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View Towards Spain
View into Spain from Barca d'Alva.
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Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

River Cruise
We enjoyed our time on the Duoro.

[AndrewHL]

Douro Cruise
Which line did you cruise with?